'89 Carrera 3.2 shift issue?
 

Hi Guys,

I'm after a bit of advice: I recently test drove a great 89 3.2 Carrera, and I had some difficulty getting the car to shift from 3rd to 2nd. No crunching or grinding, it was almost like I couldn't find the gate. The seller of the car (specialist garage) suggested it could be because the car was cold, and better transmission fluid would help - does this sound reasonable? I'm assuming no grinding means it probably not the syncro, could it be worn shift bushings?

I should point out all the other gears were fine, and the rest of the car is great - I'm about to buy this car so your advice is greatly appreciated!

Thanks, SmileWavy

Sounds like bushings for sure...

Bushing. My 88 was the same probably worse. I installed the Jwest G50 short shift kit and am very pleased. Kit includes bushing.

Maybe just the bushings, but have a good PPI done from an independent shop to make sure and ask the shop to especially check it out. If it is the bushings then it is no big deal. If it's not, then it's big money.

Yep, car is having a full PPI this weekend, so hopefully they will pick it up.

Thanks for all your advice guys, I'll get a bushing kit thrown in with the sale hopefully!

Hmm, looks like there are a lot of potential parts it could be. Are the bushings in question the ones under the lever or the ones under the inspection hatch? I take it Pelican don't sell a kit?

I replaced the one under the shifter, not a big deal, but tightened up things properly. I don;t think there is a kit but it's easy (and cheap) enough to get the parts.

Not sure about the one in the back though.

It could be the shifter bushing, the tunnel bushing or even a simple adjustment at the coupling. Do you have difficulty finding 1st gear as well? Any issues to 5th or reverse? You say all other gears are fine - could easily be mal-adjusted at the coupling.

Pelican does sell a bushing kit (p/n: PEL-BUSHKIT1N ($22) for 915 transmission or PEL-BUSHKIT3N ($35) or JWST-G50-BUSH ($22) for a G50 transmission.

Porsche 911 & Carrera Shift Linkage - Page 1

They are easy to replace either way as is the rear coupling to shifter adjustment.

Good luck.

(,..and I must presume,...)

Your mentioned problem is on downshift, from 3rd to second,.....how is she in forward shift patterns (that is, 2nd to 3rd)?

All bushings are easily changed...make sure nothing's broke there, first.

Just curious....

Doyle

All upshifts were a ok, like butter. Thanks for the tips guys, I'll get back to you once I get the results of the ppi tomorrow.

Thanks for all your advice do far guys, I feel much better about all this having some expert back up!

JWest Engineering
JWest Engineering
replace the bushings and the shift coupler, change the tranny fluid
This solved ALL my shifting concerns, my 88 has never shifted better !

Were you trying to rush the shift? Since the left gate of the G50 is double-sprung, it's easy to go past 1-2 and hit the reverse gate. So when you're going for a 2nd gear downshift and you rush it, you can go all the way over to the reverse gate and there's obviously nothing there when you pull down........ :D

Ah. Yes. Look up "humbled" and "feeling sheepish" and I suspect it will soon reference this thread...

Where is the gate "sprung" to? As in, where does it sit in neuteral?

Thanks again.

I drove a 78 Targa with a 915 tranny for 25 years before it was totaled in an accident. I replaced it with an 88 Targa with a G50. The first time I tried to back it out of my garage I found that the darned thing didn't have a reverse gear! Try as I might, I couldn't get it to go into the left and down reverse position. The shift knob was an after market walnut burl beauty that had no shift pattern on its crown. I was about ready to push it out of the garage and return it to the PO when I accidently pushed it over and up and "discovered" that it did have a reverse gear. Fortunately I was the only one around to see my red face.

I too, had a problem with the 3 to 2 downshift until I got used to it. Wouldn't trade a G50 car for any 915 one.

Neutral plane is 3-4.

The G50 has two sprung gates to the left. The first is 1-2 and the second, further to the left is reverse. Push it lightly left and you've got 1-2. Push it a little further a little more firmly and you find yourself in reverse plane. If you rush it, it's easy to miss the 1-2 plane and go right to reverse. When you pull down, there's nothing there.

A similar thing can happen at a stoplight. If you're not paying attention and all of a sudden have to rush to stick the shifter in 1st gear, you can go past 1-2 plane and be in the reverse plane. Push it up, thinking you're selecting 1st, and you end up in reverse gear. That's bad if you're not quick to react and you back into someone! Sounds very unlikely, but it's not. I've done it myself......... :eek:

Also, some people complain of a 2nd gear that won't engage when driving it on the track. It's the same condition as above. You're coming into a corner under heavy braking and your quick, firm shifting movements can make you go past 2nd gear and into the reverse plane. Luckily there's nothing there when you pull down to select 2nd.....