Thumb's up to John Walker's Workshop.

Just got my '78sc back from John Walker's Workshop in Seattle where I had the trans. rebuilt and the CO2/timing checked, various hoses replaced, and a comp and leakdown. We discovered a worn clutch (spring centered) and a cupped flywheel with a slight leak at the flywheel seal: these were tended to as well.

John pulled the trans. and walked me through the problems with the 915 on the workbench. Worn synchro rings, dog teeth, and sliders were found, as well as notches on the 3-footed item inside the sliders. Strangest of all was that the 1st gear had symmetrical dog teeth but an asymmetrical slider; I guess that accounts for the wretched shifting in first. Also seems to indicate that the PO was in there, but I wonder if there was a mixup at the factory (my '78 is one of the first 1,000 ROW/US built) as the changeover to asymmetrical was around '77.

John let me hang around to clean up the engine bay and engine, glue in a fresh sound pad, and putter around the car in general. Amazingly, the rear of the engine was bone dry, so we decided to leave well enough alone on the o-rings, etc.

The result of all of this is a new-shifting 915, FINALLY! Up to this point I had worked the associated bits to try to improve shifting: pedal box rebuild, new clutch cable, new horseshoe spring, shifter ball cup bushing, shifter coupling...all to minimal effect. 2nd gear would not engage at time, 1st out of the question unless stopped, etc. Now the trans. has a nice new notchiness and I can finally put it into 1st without waiting on spindown/full stop. Gotta love it!

Anyway, no financial, etc.; just a big thumb's up for John's great (and QUICK!) service. I'd recommend his shop without question.

Thanks,
Jw

Can you shify quickly from 1st->2nd and 2nd-3rd? Or do you still have to give it a second to synchroonize? If you shift quick and hard to you make the gears grind?

Tony
'78 911SC

I agree totally with the thumbs up for John Walker. I live on the east coast so never got the privilege of him working on my car, but when I move back out west, a trip to see him with my car is definetly in order. He has helped me tons on here and Rennlist! Very knowledgable and friendly

Shawn

Tony:

No, I cannot shift quickly between gears at this point due to new parts, my technique, and general advice to not try to "overpower" the nature of this gearbox type. What I now have is a traditional 915 that requires the standard "shift out-pause-shift in" combination. Even at its best the 915 has a baulky shift feel that cannot be hurried.

It really helped me to study the Bentley, Haynes, and parts blowouts that show how the dogteeth engage with the slider, etc. I know that performing all of the "satellite" work of bushings, adjustments, and whatnot helped, but there is no getting around bad dogteeth and excessive wear, sigh.

I think the recommended rebuild in mileage is around 100K. My car has 124K and the way 1st and 2nd gear did NOT shift well I knew I had better spend the $$ now instead of spending alot more later. Plus I was getting pissed at the shift action and I knew that someday I'd do something stupid and trash the entire trans. Couldn't risk that, even though I had plans for the money I spent.

Jw