van't quite get used to the 915

[bradr]

i have my new sc...i just cant seem to get used to this tranny. I have to shift slowly to get the gears right...2nd to third requires my thought to head "right" on the way up. 5th to 4th is a bit scary...a couple of grinds later (sometimes)...i get it right and avoid 2nd. I had the car checked out and it passed with flying colors. Will i ever get used to it? Did I mention that I have trouble releasing the clutch sometimes as it seems to get stiffer toward the top of the travel. DO you all put the clutch to the floor? I dont think i could do a 0 to 100 at full throttle with any precision at all. I am an experienced manual tranny driver...but i dont know.

[Chris Lovell]

You will get used to it. It helped me to remember to just pause (seriously, take a full couple of seconds) between 1st and 2nd. And the same for the other gears. Just take your time. If you are used to a short shift or gated shifter in a modern car, try to just slow down with your 915. I have a 915 and a G50. I like the 915 better even though it is funky.

[RG5]

Hi there. I have had an 85 Carrera for about a month. I had the same problem with the 915 and I still have some problems occasionally but for the large part OK now.

Here's a little tip going from 2nd to third. Leaving second, move the shifter to the right so that feels it is resting against the shiftlock (but dont press too hard!) then shift up into 3rd. This is for a RHD car.

On my car using this technique it slips into 3rd no hassle.

3rd to second is a little tricky too.

Richard.

[bradr]

so then how would you do a full acceleration quick shift from 1 to 2?...a few seconds wait between shift? seems silly. Would a short shift kit help:?

[porschenut]

You don't need "a few seconds" between 1st and 2nd. You only need about a second. 1st to 2nd takes more effort and you have to do it slower than between the other gears, but you can do it smoothly without pausing the shifter travel.

As far as finding 3rd from 2nd and 4th from 5th, if you have any difficulty at all then you should have your shift bushings checked out. Under normal conditions with good bushings and a good clutch, shifting should be precise, though never as effortless as a modern car.

I've never used a short shift kit, but others on this forum have reported that it helps a little. But all it does is reduce the length of travel between gears by about 10-15%, depending on the year of your car. It won't help you find the gears any easier.

[911FL]

It's all about muscle memory and that takes time. I bought my '84 in August (after three years with a 330Ci) and quickly changed the Welmeister short shift to a factory version in an effort to get a better shift. The short shifter is actually more precise but this magnifies the sensitivity of the shifts. The best way, as already mentioned, is just take a little time going to each gear. I just spent a four hour stint driving rush hour traffic moving north on 95 from Miami through Lauderdale traffic, and then West Palm (with several accidents and road work thrown in). I suddenly realized as I neared home that I had finally reached that point of NOT thinking about it, and it now comes as second nature. Not saying it will take you 6 months, but it does take time to FEEL it. Now I love it, it's just part of the character of an older performance car.

[rfuerst911sc]

You have to shift these with some "feel",if you go from 1st to 2nd you will "feel" when the tranny is ready to shift,this is assuming that the synchros and tranny are up to snuff.These were never meant to be drag racers but about 1 second between gear shifts is enough.

[Aussie]

You will get use to it.

My old 911 had a 901 box which I think shifted better than the 915. Just that all the gears were in a different order. But you were able to shift quicker I think.

When I first got my SC when I went from 2nd to 3rd I kept shifting it in between gates as I wasn't moving the gear stick over enough between gear changes. The gates on 915 boxes seem very wide apart.

But like all things you get use to it and after a while it seems normal.

[Early_S_Man]

bradr,

I wouldn't recommend a short shift until long after you have taken care of preventive maintenance and gotten used to the 915!!! Trying to speed up shifting is a short way to get to needing a complete transaxle rebuild!

The required 1-2 pause isn't seconds, but more like the 'one Mississippi' routine ...

Realistically, considering the age of the car ... I'd recommend a few preventive maintenance tasks to assure that the transaxle and shifter are in the best possible condition to shift easily:

1. Get a complete set of shift rod, ball cup, and coupler bushings ... and a shift rod fork cover gasket [#9 below], a gallon of Swepco 201 gear oil, and a tub/tube of Valvoline #986 or #985 SynPower Synthetic Grease with moly. A 17 mm Allen drive bit will be needed for the transaxle filler and drain plugs, and a pump or suction gun witll be needed to refill gear oil.

2. Plan on a full Saturday to: A) drain the old gear oil [check that filler plug can be loosened, FIRST] after a spirited one-hour drive to warm up gear oil to normal operating temp, remove fork cover to clean & check tightness of the three #8 nuts [clean and reinstall with Blue Loctite if loose or questionable] holding the fork to the cover ... replace gasket [prepped with Loctite 518] ... B) remove shifter [disassemble, clean, re-shim shafts/pivots #5 & #7 until all play taken up & repack with moly grease], replace ball cup #57, and shift rod #56 bushings, lubricated thoroughly with moly grease ... C) remove coupler #61, disassemble with bench vise and various sockets used as arbor & spacer, then replace bushings with Weltmeister replacements.

3. Check/adjust clutch cable freeplay until nominally 3/4" at the pedal.

ps ... mark shifter and shift coupler locations before removal ... to return to the starting point ... before having to adjust.

[kilodawg]

Just a thought. You might want to ensure that the bushings are still good, I say this because I was in your exact situation a few months ago. Car passed PPI with flying colors but shifting was vague and consistently ginded from 5th to 4th. Had bushings replaced and now all is well. Cheapest fix you'll ever do (or have done) as well. Good Luck!

Ralph

[bradr]

thanks for all the advise. I am going monday to the shop to have that checked and replaced if need be. It sounds, from the responses, that the busings might be the problem.

[Ho Hum 74]

I just spent $2000 refreshing my 915 and putting in a LSD. It shifts beautifully and is perfect in every way. I can shift it VERY quickly (actually you can snap it from 1 to 2 for autocrossing). My mech said just shift it FIRM, that's the best thing for it, when you are hesitant that's when folks screw up their 915s. We have a hairpin at Grattan that requires a 4-3-2 shift and it is now perfect everytime after grinding before the re-build.

But I remember when it used to grind into 2nd and I had to be very careful shifting from 1 to 2. You had to almost wait until you felt it want to 'suck' the shifter in and then it was OK.

You'll get used to it, just be confident and drive it more frequently. LOL!

Tristan

[john hejmanowsk]

Tristan, I have a '77 that I am thinking of having the tranny refreshed. Who did you have do your work? What parts did your guy replace? Did you provide the LSD?

I am actually trying to decide if I want to do it myself...

John H.

[Ho Hum 74]

John,

I bought the LSD from a guy who is the top autocrosser. I had Peter Fischer (Fischer Motors) install it. He also replaced synchros 1-4 and some other bits. The parts are expensive and the total for the refresh was a little under 2k. I was trying to work out if I wanted to do it myself as well but decided against it as I had just finished a couple of other projects and my family needed more of my time.

OH, and that cost is with me removing the tranny and delivering it to them!

Tristan

[Lukesportsman]

I kind of agree with Tristan. My tranny is nothing special known to me, but I surely didn't buy it new so who really knows. I can't "power shift" it like a race trans, but it shifts without much thought at all. If I simply make a conscious thought to get the clutch fully disengaged then I'm in second without thought. Drive it get used to the pattern and if your still having issues then have the syncros evaluated by someone who knows the 915. Better or easier yet, just find a local Porsche owner who is familiar and let him/her drive your car and get feedback.

It won't ever feel like the Maxima or the T5? in your replica....but it isn't really that bad.

[Joe Bob]

Yuppp....service the shifting mechanism...then tell us about the typical 915 blues...

I's not a muncie rock crusher...%^B

AFTER the improvement consider a WEVO shifter. "I" love mine...

[Eric_Shea]

Warren seems to have it down.

You're "one Mississippi" stuff is basically "waiting for the syncros to do their job". Any short shift kit at this time will simply speed up the process of you wearing out your syncros. I've always been able to feel it; "lightly" pull the lever toward the second slot. When the syncro gets the gear up to speed it will drop in by itself. This will then become muscle memory as mentioned previously and will be a new habit soon.

[450knotOffice]

Brad,

I personally would try to find someone who has a 911 and ask him to drive yours for a few minutes. He can then give you an assesment of your car's transmission "feel".

-Scott

[bradr]

ok...thanks for all your replies. I took a ride today to see if i could do the one mississippi thing and to pay attention to my shifting. Again, I was having trouble releasing smoothly and felt generally uncomfotable with the whole thing. I am embarrassed to say that I solved the problem in a stupid way. Believe it or not, I moved the seat bottom one notch forward and it completely solved the problem. I had a blast driving the car after this. I still have the wait 1 to 2 and have to pay attention to 5 -4 and 2-3. However, I was releasing the clutch better (cause the angle of my leg is now allowing better control and leverage). I cannot believe what a difference this has made for me. I also feel more " on top" on the shifter instead of pushing it back and forward (if that makes sense). HOLY COW! I FEEL REALLY DUMB!

[450knotOffice]

They say that the seating position you describe is pure Porsche.

I had to adjust my seat the same way in order to be able to use the full travel of the clutch and have the shifter feel like it's in a normal position. It does put you in a little tighter to the wheel, but it feels absolutely right for spirited driving.

Glad you solved the problem.

-Scott