Second gear is a *****, WHY???

[Juggino]

I have a 1978 Targa SC 3.0. For the most part shifting is pretty smooth with the exception of getting into second gear. Is this a common problem? Does anyone know of a fix??

[Porchcar guy]

look up pelican IVANGENE..he makes a shifter coupler that takes the shifter to a as new level

[szyzygy]

Mine used to be picky, now second is ok. up to 3rd is hit or miss. 3rd to 4th is perfect. 4-5 is ok (I rarely ever get to 5th). 5th-4th is pretty rough.
I've noticed improved results if I shift around 3250rpm.
Sometimes 1st is tough from 2nd.

[mlfox]

A quick double clutch and slight throttle blip makes my SC's 1-2 shift uber smooth.

Regards,
mlfox

[James Brown]

sorry to say this but it is time........time for the big rebuild. It will not get better it's the only cure

[D911SC]

I had the same issue. New shift bushes certainly improved it but was still a bit notchy into second.

Gearbox is now apart and I can see the real problem, which is largely worn dog teeth. Actually about a third were virtually missing on the 1st gear.

I would agree with JB that it's time for a rebuild.

[Autoban]

Mine is the same, after replacing all the bushings and numerous adjustments to the coupler it shifts good most of the time. However, down shifting into second is still hard sometimes. It feels like I'm hitting a wall. I guess at one time I have to bite the bullet and have the gearbox rebuild.

[Dublinoh]

My new 1984 Carrera (in 1984) had some of the same issues, especially first to second gear. The coupler upgrade mentioned by others is a cost effective thing to try before a rebuild.

[Peter Zimmermann]

Difficult shifting is almost always caused by two things:
1. If the trans has been repaired, a new synchro ring could have been paired with a used slider, which usually results in a shift symptom that's like pushing against a wall. Take the shifter back to neutral, try again, and the gear engages OK.
2. Worn synchro components that are close to replacement time.
3. Yes, a linkage problem is possible, but rare when only one gear is experiencing problems.

[OsoMoore]

Originally Posted by mlfox

A quick double clutch and slight throttle blip makes my SC's 1-2 shift uber smooth.

Regards,
mlfox

My 79 SC behaves exactly the same way. Doing what mlfox suggests helps a lot.

You'll get used to it over time. I've been driving mine for a month, and I hit it properly about 90% of the time. The key is to always shift smoothly and slowly - don't try to slam from 1 into 2.
If it doesn't go in at first, don't keep pushing. Let the stick center and then try again.

Occasionally I can't get in twice in a row, so I just go to third. Even with the delay, the car is still insanely fast getting going.

TLDR:
- Match engine speed
- Shift slowly

[spuggy]

A 915 isn't a modern gearbox; even when it works perfectly, you can't rush the shift - the baulking mechanism is designed to stop you - and if it didn't, the result would be horrible noises...

That's the pressure you feel resisting you, and it indicates that the old-style (Porsche-patented in 1947, IIRC) synchros from another era haven't yet got the two shafts turning at the same speeds, as I understand it.

I spent a lot of money on my 915 (yes, I can downshift into 1st while moving at double-digit speeds, even without double-clutching) and even so, the 1st to 2nd shift is a deliberate, "clutch down, wait some fraction of a second for RPMs to drop/planets to align, shift to 2nd" action.

Before the box was rebuilt, I developed an entire list of tricks to work around the stuff that was worn out/missing (like brake bands, and the complete lack of dog teeth on certain gears) - I seem to remember that it can help to hold slightly more RPMs in first before the upshift, like 3500 or 3750 (obviously this can be light throttle/load). But you need the pause.