915 Wevo gateshift?

[Carbster09]

I am having a 915 built for a hot motor. Does anyone have any opinions on the Wevo gateshift? I only wnnt to have the transmission built once, and want it as perfect as possible.

[winders]

The gateshift is a waste of money. Just get the Rennshift or Wevo shift kit.

[Hotshot]

There’s the spring Spade sells.

[dicklague]

Originally Posted by winders

The gateshift is a waste of money. Just get the Rennshift or Wevo shift kit.

The gateshift was the best investment I made in my 915 when I had it rebuilt. The shifting is very precise, so much so I had to upgrade my shifting mechanism.

12 years later it is still going strong.

[dicklague]

I had TRE redo my 915 12 years ago and we put in an internal gateshift when they were first on the market. It might have been the 1st one Dave installed.

VERY worth while. 12 years later the shifting is very positive. You can feel the precision. It is so precise that I had to upgrade the shifter with a factory short shift and replace the coupler with a much tighter one.

I am VERY HAPPY with the internal gate shift. Aint cheap but really worth it.

People who say it is not worth it have certainly had not tried one.

Do it with no hesitation.

[Mahler9th]

"... as perfect as possible" may be a bit subjective.

I do not think the WEVO Gateshift is a waste of money. I think that many have found it is a great product.

I have several friends that have used it and have loved it.

In my experience and application (high displacement 3.6L+ racing engines mated to 915's and for racing) one can go a long way with a WEVO shifter and WEVO shift joint. And certainly those products have competitors, and there are quite a few folks in my network that have preferred some of those competitors.

I started out in 2001 with a factory short shift kit and factory coupler. Very soon after I bought a Robotek shift assistance device, and almost immediately thereafter a WEVO shifter and bolt-on PSJ. I have never felt the need to go any further (like gate Shift or G50).

Disclaimer: I have known the WEVO folks for over 20 years and have several of their products. They are thoughtful and clever folks and love Porsches like so many of us.

[winders]

Originally Posted by Mahler9th

I do not think the WEVO Gateshift is a waste of money. I think that many have found it is a great product.

That guy you tell me is never wrong....he told me it was a waste of money. But you just want to contradict me so go ahead...

[chrismorse]

Hi carbster,
I’m going through my dad’s 74. It will see a few track days, but is not a race car. My intent is to sharpen the handling and driving experience. Still is pushed forward with the stock 2.7. I had inspected the R&P when I had the engine out for repairs and found them badly worn. After reading a lot of threads, I decided to not DIY, (you guys have my admiration) and send the box to CMS.
It seemed that the majority opinion was to do any needed bearing bore repairs, have the one piece bearing support and beefier side cover installed, while attending to needed synchros, sliders and gears.
The vast majority of opinion for the addition of the shift gate was positive, so I checked with CMS, who recommended all the above, including thee Wevo shift gate.
The box cost a bit more than the car, new, but I am optimistically confident.

FWIW, I am also going with the Rennshifter, Stomskey Fennlane RSR wheel and a Kep all aluminum PP.

Good luck,
Chris

[Carbster09]

Hi Chris,
Thanks for the input. It will be 3.8 going into my 71T! Dave at TRE is taking care of most of that. Although he has farmed the 915 out. Looks like its a gateshift ... we will also all of the normal 915"issues" ... TRE also did the suspension. The car will be alot of fun!

[winders]

The problem with the 915 is solved by the Rennshift or Wevo shifter in having a spring keeping the shifter in the 3rd/4th plane when not being moved by the driver. The 915 does not need an internal gate. If it did, it would have one. The G50 has an internal gate because it was designed with that in mind.

The 915 I drove with the gate shift actually made it harder for me to shift. I had to move the shifter at sharp 90 degree angles which is not the case with a normal 915.

[Mahler9th]

I would encourage you to think about this differently. In my experience and opinion, the 915 does not have "issues" or "problems," I think it is a great transmission.

The Gateshift had a specific set of design criteria. The designer is a high level technical expert and has an extensive background in pro racing. If you read the description on the WEVO web site, you can get an idea about his intentions for the Gateshift product.

I think it is fair to say that it was not designed and commercialized to address "issues" or "problems" with 915s, but rather to do what he describes on the web site.

The various shifters and couplers available are, in my opinion, likewise not designed to address "issues or problems" with the 915. They are intended to do things like "enhance feel" and provide a robust reverse lockout, et cetera. And of course many/most (perhaps all) have shorter throws than the stock 915 versions.

Toward these ends, all or nearly all of the shifter products have spring tension in the 3/4 plane as Scott mentioned. But I disagree with what he stated... I feel that the springs are not there to address a "problem," but rather to create a type of feel for those whom prefer such things. I know plenty of people that don't desire such features.

All of these products provide objective and subjective benefits like the aforementioned reverse lockout, shorter throw, and enhanced feel.

The desirability of the benefits is based on individual preference, like many aftermarket automotive products.

Have fun with your 3.8L.... I had one mated to a 915 for many years, with outputs ranging from ~330 - 375 bhp, and stump-puller torque. In a ~1950 pound car. Fun!

[chrismorse]

Originally Posted by Mahler9th

I would encourage you to think about this differently. In my experience and opinion, the 915 does not have "issues" or "problems," I think it is a great transmission.

The Gateshift had a specific set of design criteria. The designer is a high level technical expert and has an extensive background in pro racing. If you read the description on the WEVO web site, you can get an idea about his intentions for the Gateshift product.

I think it is fair to say that it was not designed and commercialized to address "issues" or "problems" with 915s, but rather to do what he describes on the web site.

The various shifters and couplers available are, in my opinion, likewise not designed to address "issues or problems" with the 915. They are intended to do things like "enhance feel" and provide a robust reverse lockout, et cetera. And of course many/most (perhaps all) have shorter throws than the stock 915 versions.

Toward these ends, all or nearly all of the shifter products have spring tension in the 3/4 plane as Scott mentioned. But I disagree with what he stated... I feel that the springs are not there to address a "problem," but rather to create a type of feel for those whom prefer such things. I know plenty of people that don't desire such features.

All of these products provide objective and subjective benefits like the aforementioned reverse lockout, shorter throw, and enhanced feel.

The desirability of the benefits is based on individual preference, like many aftermarket automotive products.

Have fun with your 3.8L.... I had one mated to a 915 for many years, with outputs ranging from ~330 - 375 bhp, and stump-puller torque. In a ~1950 pound car. Fun!

Nice overview, Mike,

My individual shot at this is to tilt the repairs/improvements toward my desired objective of making the car and its components as responsive and accurate as I can, (to help compensate for lack of driver talent).
Rennshifter, stomsky coupler, Guard lsd, new poly trans/engine mounts, Wevo shift gate, fresh suspension, brakes, and a killer 150 hp 2.7 engine.
I agree, it is a matter of personal preference, direction/priorities.

Viva Dr P

[adias]

I have the Wevo 915 gateshift and bearing retaining plate. I think both strengthen the transmission.

[rattlsnak]

Ask anybody who has ever had the shift fork stuck between two shift rods on how much they wish they had a gate shift installed. Very worthy upgrade!

[Mahler9th]

I am pretty sure that the Gateshift kit is not designed to "strengthen" 915 transmissions.

From the WEVO web site:

"The WEVO GateShift kit is an ingenious kit of precision parts that create a gate system inside the 915 transmission. This kit enhances tactile sensations of gear selection and controls gear selection forces."

And from the instructions:

"The kit will improve accuracy of gear selection and protect the internals of a 915 transmission from the extraneous gear selection forces that can damage parts, adjust internal set-up and reduce the life of transmission components. The gate design gives a very positive feedback to the driver and assists with accurate “hand mapping” of the lever position that selects each gear. This kit can help protect your 915 transmission from problems that might accelerate the need for future overhauls."

[Mahler9th]

In my case, I started with a 915 on track after driving 951's which in my opinion have a very positive "shift feel." More G50-like (I had a 993 as well).

With the 915, I found I had to be a bit more deliberate shifting up and down, as did my wife. But we adjusted just fine in 1-2 sessions out on track (this was in the winter of 2001).

The first 915-related challenge I had was careful selection of 4th gear on the 5-4 downshift in some braking/shifting zones at Thunderhill.

I would occasionally "nick reverse."

I did not have any issues with the 915's lack of a gate mechanisim, nor did my wife... again this was moving from the 951 shifter/tranny "feel."

I wanted a different feel than the factory short shifter, and the WEVO shifter provided that. I was a relatively early adopter.

I was around the WEVO folks as they were developing the Gateshift and their original shifter design, which likely most of you have never seen. I was a relatively early-adopter of the current style WEVO shifter and bolt in PSJ.

One of my friends, another track/driver/racer, liked his Gateshift kit, and started working with WEVO on a different shifter design. So perhaps a "third" version.

IIRC it was prototyped and tested, but WEVO did not commercialize... likely for a number of reasons.

Again, there is a lot of subjectivity and personal preference in this area of the cars' performance/user interface.

For some people that are limited to street driving (normal or "spirited"), there can be a preference for products that change the feel of the 915. I understand this, but that is not my application.

For track and racing applications, many like to "shift faster" and/or are in situations where they feel that the benefits of a different feel are more valuable.

I have a friend that has a '74 street car with a 3 liter drive train. He has no problem with the 915... but he too is interested in a different shift feel. I will let him try my WEVO shifter to see if he likes it. I am pretty sure he is not interested in a Gateshift kit.

[wayner]

I have a WEVO shifter in the cockpit and a gate shifter in the transmission of my 73 RSR replica.
I love the aesthetic feel of shifting that car and feeling teh shifter hit the slots.

..of course, when I drive my friends 72T with none of those upgrades, I also really like that too.

To me, each feel suits the cars that they are in.
My 73RSR replica feels more like a race car. Very deliberate shifting.
To tell you the truth, I don't even remember much of any shifting experience in the 72T. It just works

[Walt Fricke]

I have to disagree with Mike that the various systems which spring load the shifter in the 3/4 plane were not designed/developed to solve a problem. The fact that the shifter, in neutral, can flop back and forth between 1/2 and 3/4 is a problem. Yes, a person can learn to deal with it. But if you track the car, getting into too low a gear at some point is almost a certainty. In fact, occasionally a guy will do it even with spring loading.

Why Porsche didn't come up with spring loading until when - the 993? - will probably be a mystery. Look at all the various solutions out there. But they finally saw it as a problem, and did something about it.

The Seine is the only one I know of which also deals with the problem of having the shifter in 1st or 2d, with the spring pushing against the lever. That transmits vibrations and noise from the transmission, where that spring force is taken up in a place not designed for that purpose. Which is why Porsche put those ears on the right side of the top plate on the shift tower, and the hook on the shift lever. Without that, you'd get a very annoying drone, at a minimum, when in 5th, and on the highway you spend a lot of time in 5th. The hook and ear keep the lateral spring pressure from traveling down the shift rod, so to speak.

Of course, on the track the noise and vibration levels tend to be high enough that you might not notice this, and you aren't in 1st at all, and not long in 2d. And long term, having the dongle inside the transmission spring loaded in those gears may not cause any extra wear. Maybe.

The other essential for good shifting is to have coupler bushings whose ID is round, not oval as Porsche made it. Gets rid of the fore and aft slop, which improves the feel of the shifting a whole lot. I made my own out of some urethane body mount washers for Detroit iron, and the hole for the pin was a bit smaller than maybe it should have been - had to use force to slide the cross pin through it, in addition to what you need anyway. But the urethane seems to be plenty compliant for the tiny angle changes which are involved.

Between these two changes (having the front ball cup be in good shape, as well as the rod guide bushing, are givens) - tight connector bushing and spring loading - your chances of finding the dongle in between its two slots back inside the transmission are much reduced, if not entirely gone.

The gate shift is, for sure, well made. I got my first Robotek from a guy who had the gate shift, and decided he didn't like how it worked with the Robo. I've no experience with that. But Scott is on to something about how spring loading and the gate shift may work together. The spring loading (of the Seine and Robo, and I assume all the others) means that shifting for 2d to 3d on a 915 can be accomplished by using an open hand and pushing the lever forward. Yes, angling a bit to the right from habit, but the spring will move things over to line up with 3d, and no farther. You are moving the shift knob diagonally, rather than at two right angles. I like that. When instructing in a car with the 915 I have to be very careful to move my hand more accurately on the shift lever, because the stock setup requires it (plus the extra slop in the shifter link train is usually there). For sure not an issue with the cable shift setups in the newer cars, which are really good right out of the box.

If I had the gate shift too, I suppose I'd have gotten used to it and like it. But I can't quite see why go to that extra expense when cheap spring loading seems to resolve the notoriously sloppy stock 915 shifting (which is a carry over from the VW/356 linkage).

[DMadigan]

Not to diverge from the subject but why not consider a sequential shifter over adding a gate? Push straight forward to go up the gears, pull back to go down. Reverse is on the bottom below neutral with a lock-out. Hard to miss a shift that way. I made one for an off road VW box.

[Gordo2]

I installed the Wevo Gateshift when I rebuilt my 915 ~ 3 years ago. Gordo's 915 Transmission Rebuild

I would do it again.

I upgraded nearly everything I can to make my 915 shift well (Wevo Shifter, Coupler, Semi-Solid Mounts + all new synchro's & guts).

With the refresh and upgrades, I'm confident my 915 shifts as good as any out there / as good as it gets. Bottom line, I no-kidding really like how it shifts.

I'm not sure how much the Wevo Gateshift contributes to my satisfaction with my 915 - but I do know if I hadn't tried it and I wasn't fully satisfied with the shifting, I would have gone back in to install it.

Good luck,