1984 915 trans shifter question

[gheiser70]

Hi, I have a new to me 84 911 120 K miles, Paperwork shows trans rebuilt at 108 K miles. Usual issues with sloppy shifting and in particular engaging 3-4 gears. I replaced the motor and trans mounts. Then when replacing bushings in the shifter I noticed some one had put a spacer (two nuts actually) on the bracket that holds the shift rod bushing to lower it about 10 mm below the tunnel. I replaced the bushings and reassembled without the spacer placing the shift rod bushing bracket on top of the tunnel. This caused a problem, the bushing on the end of the shifter is now so far down into the metal cup on the end of the shift rod it binds and will barely move. The shifter is actually limited because it is hitting the top of the metal cup. I have nothing to compare to as this is my first 911. I do have the Bentley manual, but I was hoping someone had seen this before. I have no idea why the spacer other than it won't work with out it, could someone have changed the shift lever or the shift rod bushing bracket? It all looks stock to me. Thanks.

[freeform911]

Some type of short shift kit installed....

[Jeff Burger]

yes it sounds like someone made it a short shifter - post a few pics

[pete3799]

Measure the distance from the pivot to the end of the ball.
As above.....you probably have a short shifter.

Top one is factory (not my picture)

[gheiser70]

Thanks, Ill check it out. I suppose its OK to run this way although the spacer set up is kind of cobbled together. The play is better after the new bushings. The coupler at the back has quite a bit of play too, so that will be next. Anybody know the measurement from the pin to the ball on the stock shift lever?

[gheiser70]

I'll try to post some pics tomorrow, I'll tear back into it then.

[911pcars]

Here are the same three identified:


Here are the same ones with a couple more:
4th: Target SS attachment on a factory lever (MY unknown)
5th: 930 Turbo lever


Hope this helps,
Sherwood

[JohnTucker]

I measured my stock shifter and from the center of the pin-hole to the END of the ball was exactly 2 inches.

[911pcars]

That's pretty close for a factory stock lever. You will have to extrapolate the difference. I don't have that particular measurement except for this SS lever (top) measurement/comparison:



61.20mm - 12mm = ~49mm =1.94", a hair short of 2" or close enough to your measurement.

Sherwood

[gheiser70]

Thanks for all the info. I wasn't able to take picture because I had mostly reassembled the shifter. Just by looking I'm sure I have some type of short shifter. Shifting improved slightly after replacing the shift rod bushing and ball/cup bushing. Still having some issues with engaging 3rd and 4th gears when driving. (no issues when not moving, all gears engage easily) I checked the shift rod coupler, there is a fair amount of front to back play and slight rotational play in this joint. The PO had replaced this a while ago, because he wasn't able to shift into 5th. I know it was replaced because his mechanic was kind enough to leave the disintegrated plastic in the tunnel. I have checked the oil in the transmission, added only a few ounces.

So my plan to help with the 3rd and 4th gears is to first adjust the clutch per the manual. What does everyone think about brass bushings in the shift coupler vs the stomski shift coupler? any other options?

Thanks, Greg

[Walt Fricke]

Brass bushings should be fine. I had some red polyurethane bodywork bushings with their center hole a press fit for the coupler cross pin. I turned these down on a drill press as makeshift lathe so their ODs were a press fit into the coupler, and left a flange, or part of one, on the outside, like the stock bushings, so they don't get pressed too far in.

When installed the action of the coupler was stiff, but that helps, not hurts, gear selecting. Once the cross pin adjusts to whatever small angle there is between the transmission shift rod and your long rod in the tunnel, all is well. Eliminating all that stock slop helps a great deal.

It is possible that you may get more transmission vibration/noise through a stiff coupler bushing job, but I didn't notice any (car was fairly loud anyway). Nor did the inertia of the shifter cause the transmission to jump out of gear.

You may be able to purchase bushings for the coupler which have a round, cross pin diameter, in the middle - would save making one. I keep hearing of these, but am unsure just where to get them. Would be a super easy improvement.

The next thing to do is install a Seine shifter, or one of the other, more expensive shifters, which spring load the shift lever, when in neutral, in the 3/4 gear plane.

With these changes you will feel like you are driving a modern car.

3d/4th gear issues? Can you shift into these gears when stopped with engine idling? If so, they have nothing to do with engagement issues. You say no issues when idling, so I'd forget about the clutch as a cause. Adjusting to spec is always useful, of course.

Since the same splined sliding collar engagement piece slides one way to lock 3d gear to the shaft, and the other to lock 4th, adjustment of the shifter is unlikely to be a cause of a problem in both. You replaced the ball cup. The oval bushings in the rear are fairly new. Doesn't make sense, but install round bushings and see how that does.

Much cheaper than fancier couplers.

Issues shifting into 5th are almost always due to not having the fore and aft adjustment of the coupler right. Of course, disintegrated bushings would cause all kinds of issues.

[gheiser70]

Good news !! Adjusted the clutch tonight after work, and this had a big improvement in the engagement of 3rd and 4th gears. Seems to get a little more difficult as the car warms up completely, but I'm much happier with the current shifting situation. Still considering the brass bushings and maybe some further tweaking, but it's livable. I also need to learn the shifter as well. It's a bit different than my 2013 Audi 6 speed!

Any Ideas about the change when warm vs cold in the 3rd and 4th gear engagement out there? Anyone else having similar issues?

[JohnTucker]

I would keep messing with your clutch cable adjustment. Of all the upgrades/mods I've made to the shifting assembly, the properly getting my clutch cable adjusted by far made the most impact/improvement.

[911pcars]

Originally Posted by gheiser70

Hi, I have a new to me 84 911 120 K miles, Paperwork shows trans rebuilt at 108 K miles. Usual issues with sloppy shifting and in particular engaging 3-4 gears. I replaced the motor and trans mounts. Then when replacing bushings in the shifter I noticed some one had put a spacer (two nuts actually) on the bracket that holds the shift rod bushing to lower it about 10 mm below the tunnel. I replaced the bushings and reassembled without the spacer placing the shift rod bushing bracket on top of the tunnel. This caused a problem, the bushing on the end of the shifter is now so far down into the metal cup on the end of the shift rod it binds and will barely move. The shifter is actually limited because it is hitting the top of the metal cup. I have nothing to compare to as this is my first 911. I do have the Bentley manual, but I was hoping someone had seen this before. I have no idea why the spacer other than it won't work with out it, could someone have changed the shift lever or the shift rod bushing bracket? It all looks stock to me. Thanks.

I failed to address your concern in my previous post. That spacer you removed sounds like it's part of an aftermarket short shift conversion. One source was from brand called Target. I don't think the factory packaging in the bg is related.



After that ball end extension replaces the factory piece, the lever (4th from top) mimics the same geometry of a factory short shifter, 2nd from top:


The increased length of the shift lever below the pivot point determines the gear-to-gear shift distance. If the lever length below the pivot changes, the lever ball and the shift tube both need to be on the same axis. otherwise it will bind. The spacer you removed from the front shift shaft mount is the same thickness as the increased shift lever length and thus maintains that relationship.

Sherwood

[gheiser70]

I ended up leaving the spacer in when I did the final re-assembly. Mine was not as nice as the one pictured, just a couple of nuts. I'll keep working on the clutch adjustment. Thanks to all.