Wevo shifter, and others, again

[Drdogface]

Not wanting to hijack the other threads I thought I'd start this one to ask my question.

My SC has OEM short shift and, like nearly everyone else, I have that difficult shift into second going up or back down. I get no grinding and I've tried double clutch which works if I do it just right. Going up it seems that if I shift at about 2800 rpm or so it usually falls right in. I have not tried what other guys suggested...shifting at 4000 since I really don't like to wind first out that far. Also, as others have said, it seems that first gear is kind of a waste in that it's so low. Coming back down I have a lot of trouble..still no grinding, but it just does not want to go in unless I double clutch just right but that's harder for me to 'guess' just right on the revs...just not worth it for street driving.

I'm wondering if the Wevo shift, or others mentioned before, will help solve this ?

[cdrik915]

Hi ,

I installed a Wevo there are a couple of years and on my opinion , that won't solves your second gear problem.

Try to adjust your coupler , but that seems to me a normal thing that this gear is difficult to shift.

Cheers,

Ced'

[Oh Haha]

Originally Posted by cdrik915

Hi ,

I installed a Wevo there are a couple of years and on my opinion , that won't solves your second gear problem.

Try to adjust your coupler , but that seems to me a normal thing that this gear is difficult to shift.

Cheers,

Ced'

What he said.......kind of. j/k I know you're not from here.

[Oh Haha]

I don't think a new shifter will help. The fell will be better, of course.

I think a clutch cable adjustment along with checking the shift coupler and adjusting as need MAY help.

How many miles on the clutch?

[Drdogface]

I'm not sure about the clutch miles, but I can check old records. I'm the third owner and the guy before me kept excellent records which he gave me. I had the bushings changed a few years back, not that many miles, by the guy who used to do mobile work...before he began his life of crime. It didn't help at all.

[al lkosmal]

Pelican Technical Article: 911 Shifting Improvements

Good article regarding adjusting the linkage etc.

Regards,

Al

[JP911]

Go with the Wevo coupler first.

[winders]

Originally Posted by Drdogface

I have not tried what other guys suggested...shifting at 4000 since I really don't like to wind first out that far.

4000 RPM is not what would be considered winding out 1st far at all. Shifting at 2800 RPM from 1st to 2nd is not ideal. You have a Porsche engine, not a big bore diesel. These engines redline at ~6800 RPM. Try shifting to 2nd at 4500 or even 5000 RPM and see how that works.

Scott

[Oh Haha]

I don't disagree on shift points of 4000-5000RPMs but is this really practical in daily driving?

I usually shift 1to2 at around 3000 during regular driving. Now if I'm in a spirited mood the points go up to 6000+ WITH A PAUSE BETWEEN SHIFTS.

[al lkosmal]

Mark,
A Wevo, or any other aftermarket shifter is not a fix for a tranny that will not shift into 2nd. The shift into 2nd at 2800, 3000, 4000, 6000 RPM argument is a waste of your time. You should be able to shift into 2nd at all of those points. Check the basics. Are all of your shift bushings in good shape? Have you followed the coupler setup/adjustment procedures for your shifter and clutch cable/mechanism? do the basics and then, if it still does not shift into 2nd properly, you will need some professional help. Once you get the tranny to operate properly, then get a WEVO........you'll love it.

Regards,

Al

[wevoid]

Originally Posted by al lkosmal

Mark,
A Wevo, or any other aftermarket shifter is not a fix for a tranny that will not shift into 2nd. The shift into 2nd at 2800, 3000, 4000, 6000 RPM argument is a waste of your time. You should be able to shift into 2nd at all of those points. Check the basics. Are all of your shift bushings in good shape? Have you followed the coupler setup/adjustment procedures for your shifter and clutch cable/mechanism? do the basics and then, if it still does not shift into 2nd properly, you will need some professional help. Once you get the tranny to operate properly, then get a WEVO........you'll love it.

Regards,

Al

Al's message is spot on, I deliver that same message on the phone to potential WEVO shifter customers several times a month.
In real terms only attending to the offending component (s) inside the transmission will fix the shifting problems inside a 915.
It's wishful thinking to hope a shifter, coupler or adjustments will make a bad transmission good again - I know that sounds obvious, but given the number of people that call with the hopeful expectant curiosity that a shifter will help.......
That said, the correct adjustment of the clutch, coupler and shifter are all basic and simple first steps to eliminating those external factors and with those tasks completed correctly, almost any car will enjoy some improvement in shifter action, even if an underlying internal problem remains.

Regards

Hayden

[Jerome74911S]

I have to agree with the advice that a Wevo, or other short-throw shifter, will not fix anything, except it will shorten the shift lever movement - and it will increase the effort needed to move the lever, at best.

I just had my transmission properly rebuilt. It shifts like butter. A friend (on this forum) drove my car recently. His transmission is also newly rebuilt, but he has a Wevo shifter. His remark was that my car's shifting was so smooth and easy that he might just remove the Wevo from his car in order to try to match it. He could have been kidding, but it is true that with everything in good order and properly adjusted it is hard to fault the way a good 915 shifts. It has its quirks, but it isn't bad, stock, when correctly set up.

[Joe Bob]

Short shifters make a coupler or internal problem worse. Fix the issues then add the WEVO.

FWIW I love my WEVO....

[wevoid]

Originally Posted by Jerome74911S

I have to agree with the advice that a Wevo, or other short-throw shifter, will not fix anything, except it will shorten the shift lever movement - and it will increase the effort needed to move the lever, at best.

I just had my transmission properly rebuilt. It shifts like butter. A friend (on this forum) drove my car recently. His transmission is also newly rebuilt, but he has a Wevo shifter. His remark was that my car's shifting was so smooth and easy that he might just remove the Wevo from his car in order to try to match it. He could have been kidding, but it is true that with everything in good order and properly adjusted it is hard to fault the way a good 915 shifts. It has its quirks, but it isn't bad, stock, when correctly set up.

This commentary illustrates another common factor - not all rebuilt transmissions are equal, so a rebuilt transmission is not necessarily a clear path to a smooth shifting 915. This is another conversation I often have.....

Many times, most commonly 2nd gear, selection will feel like total crap if the rebuilder has not spent time and attention to correctly dimension the components that create the "feel" of the 915 shift action and the Porsche synchronizer design. The quality of the modern replacement parts is also a contributing factor.

Even the best builders I know (Gordon Ledbetter and Jerry Woods) anguish over getting the right combination of components to create the feel the factory intended. I have had the opportunity to drive numerous examples of their work and even with the greatest of respect, their rebuilt transmissions rarely feel as good as an original , never opened 80,000 mile worn 915. The good ones yes, like butter - and even more rewarding to shift when selected with the precision of a WEVO shifter.

The uneccesarily long throw of the stock shifter does not do it for me and the small increase in lever effort has never been a negative factor, not even for my petite wife.

If you have an opportunity, try to get a drive in a 3.2 Carrera with a 915 that has never been opened, that's the final evolution for the factory grade system, very good compared to the '72 911 and 915, but still with sufficient headroom to enjoy aftermarket upgrades.

Regards

Hayden

[Jerome74911S]

Interesting points. Lucky for me that mine shifts so well.

[Matt Monson]

Originally Posted by wevoid

Many times, most commonly 2nd gear, selection will feel like total crap if the rebuilder has not spent time and attention to correctly dimension the components that create the "feel" of the 915 shift action and the Porsche synchronizer design. The quality of the modern replacement parts is also a contributing factor.

Regards

Hayden

Key key points here. The fitment of things like synchros, dogteeth and sliders that have been available in recent years are not of the same spec as Porsche originally designed. Throw into the mix that you might buy the parts to rebuild a gearbox with a synchro made by one place and a slider made by another and just like a high quality engine rebuild, your mechanic needs to be massaging and "blueprinting" the build of the gearbox.

All of our gears use OEM Porsche dogteeth. But even that is not enough. Back in period when Porsche made these gearboxes, all the dogteeth had a backcut on them to allow for the curvaturve of the synchro ring. Guess what? The OEM Porsche dogteeth we buy today don't have that backcut. Part of our manufacturing process is to backcut the dogs for proper fitment. And even then, they might still need massaging during final assembly in a gearbox to match the new synchros and slider that they are being mated to. If a shop, or DIYer just throws these parts together without measurement and adjustment you can get a newly rebuilt gearbox that will never shift right.

[gtc]

Hayden makes a good point about the 3.2s. Installing a Wevo shifter in my car did not make it shift any faster or smoother. However, the improved driving position due to the higher knob and the tight feeling from the spring centering mechanism were well worth the price for me. Oh, and it looks cool, too.