fifth gear gets stuck

[WIL84911]

Got a 915 tranny with factory short shift. I have to make sure I push it in before I can get it out of 5th.

Any clue? There has to be some kind of an adjustment that can be done. Help!

[dentist90]

Needs to be adjusted a bit more. The reverse lockout cam is not tucking fully behind the shift lever. By pushing the lever further into 5th it allows the cam to fall in place.
Solution: Place in 5th gear, loosen shift rod coupler and push shift lever just a tiny bit further forward in 5th direction, then tighten up again.
Problem is, in my case, you may begin to nick reverse when going 5-4.

[dentist90]

[john walker's workshop]

porsche determined the range of travel that the shift handle moved side to side and built the shift tower to function within that measurement. now the short shifter with a longer length below the pivot point is installed in that shift tower and the measurement is shortened. so you have to adjust the coupler in a way that somewhat compromises the 1st/2nd and the 5th/rev positions. it's like you get about 95% of the perfect adjustment where it would shift the esaiest.

[WIL84911]

Thank you for the replies. Will try your suggestion.

[WIL84911]

Examined the situation today and found that the coupler is OK. Problem is when I'm not all the way into 5th... the lockout cam locks in a position stopping the shifter from coming out of 5th without jerking it all the way in.

Wondering if I can just deactivate the cam. I imagine I would need to be extra careful when doing 5 to 4.

[crustychief]

I adjusted mine by shifting the trans into first and loosening the coupler at the splined portion then moving the stick to where it should be in first. no more sticky 5th or "difficult" to get into second.

[WIL84911]

Thank you crustychief!

[Peter Zimmermann]

Originally Posted by WIL84911

Examined the situation today and found that the coupler is OK. Problem is when I'm not all the way into 5th... the lockout cam locks in a position stopping the shifter from coming out of 5th without jerking it all the way in.

Wondering if I can just deactivate the cam. I imagine I would need to be extra careful when doing 5 to 4.

The adjustment trick is, believe it or not, basic. With the car turned off, and sitting on a level floor, place the gear lever in neutral. With the driver's door open, kneel down on the ground/floor outside the car, and move your head under the steering wheel and forward of the bottom seat cushion. With the shift lever boot raised up from the vertical part of the lever (the bottom few inches that disappear into the aluminum tower) verify that that part of the lever is truly vertical. Move the lever gently forward, then back, to its stop in each direction. The center of that movement is the exact point at which the lever must be vertical - use a reference outside the car (with the passenger door also open) such as a light pole, or an exposed wall stud on your garage wall, etc. To correct if there is a problem, and there will be, loosen the clamp bolt on the shift rod to coupler connection and tap the lever lightly until it's in the position that you want (vertical). When you test drive for shifting quality the side-to-side adjustment is correct when you can; (1) move the lever to the left stop, push forward and engage 1st gear, and (2) downshift, above 50 mph, from 5th to 4th without nicking reverse. The bottom few inches of the lever being vertical is the key to successful operation...

[Zeke]

Jeez, Peter, you make it sound so simple...and logical, which it is.