Factory short shift installed
 

WOW! It made a real difference in my car. Prior to that, the bushings were shot so shifting was really sloppy. It got worse until it crapped out on Friday and I couldn't get it into gear. Had the car towed in to my mechanic on Monday and got it back today. My first impression was that it was a completely different car. It just keeps getting better and better! A bonus is that it doesn't hit my leg on the 1-2 shift. (I'm short so the seat is way forward)

The short shifter is a wonderful thing. That was one of the best investments in my car. Although I do have to be a little more careful not to grind into reverse which I have done quite a few times.

I liked the factory short shift kit in my SC. I installed it, after the car came with the weltmeister kit, which was way too short. But still, the stock 993 shifter beats them all by orders of magnitude. ;)

George

Why does a short shift not exist for my 88' Carrera? Do they not exist for this year?

Paul,

You have the G-50 transmission and it has a shorter shift already in the stock setup. The long throw on the earlier 915 was handy to help you shift that beast. Not needed on the later transmissions. ;)

Cheers, George

Got it, thanks.

FYI, if you want an upgraded shifter, I think WEVO now makes a G-50 shifter. Those are very nice, if money is not an issue. http://www.smartracing.net/pdfcat/srp2006_leverspedals.pdf

I am lucky they don't make it for the 993. :D

George

I had the factory short shift in mind previously, but I read in one of the British Porsche Mags that it would possibly put more stress on the gears. Something about a shorter shift lever movement would tend to speed up the shifts internally, hence more wear.

Merely theoretical or potentially true ? I lack gearbox knowledge enough to have an opinion myself, but would be happy for a shorter shift if not detrimental to an already tired box.

The only 'performance' enhancement my Commemorative Edition package contains is the factory short shift kit for the G50.

It all depends upon how fast you move the shift lever. The tendency for most people is to want to shift quicker. Obviously, the more force you put on the lever, the faster the synchronizers must do their job. Those are the parts that wear, not the gears themselves.

I prefer to be a little more mechanically sympathetic and listen and feel for what the car needs from me. There is a certain rhythm that a 915 gearbox (actually, any gearbox) likes when it is shifted and it is more satisfying to me to shift it smoothly than seeing how quickly I can get from one gear to the next. I try to be smooth in all of my control inputs.

If your gearbox already needs attention, I wouldn't recommend a short shift kit. They reduce the feedback you get from the shifter and make it more difficult to sense what the gearbox needs. I generally take them out of any car that I buy and put the stock components back in.

Perhaps it has something to do with my age and how long I have driven these cars. When I was in my twenties, and these cars were new to me, I too, installed a couple of short shift kits....been there, done that, decided Porsche knew more than I did...

Cheers,
JR

There is a factory short shift lever available for the G50 Carrera. It's Porsche part number 950 424 017 06. I have not tried one but checked on pricing, it is available for around $300.

How difficult is it for an amateur like myself( I change my own oil ) to install a factory short shift,should I ask for assistance from a Pelican in the Clearwater/Tampa area, and what is the going price on one? thanks

It's not too hard to install one and no unusual tools are required. There is an article describing the process here on the Pelican site. At the top of your browser page click on "Tech Info Center" and look for the article in the transmission section.

Sorry, I've no idea on the price you should pay. Peruse the Pelican catalog and see what price they quote.

JR

Thanks! Just the thoughts I was contemplating.

Javadog thanks for the reply. I found out the factory short shift might be difficult to obtain. Its not available at dealers any longer. regards////////peter

Not to fear, our host carries the factory part!

How about some before and after pics.