Question on shift coupler
 

Hi guys - trying to tighten up my shifting (the cars, although I am sure mine could be better as well) and wanted to asked about play in the coupler?

Is play along the axois shown here normal, or is that an indication that it needs to be replaced? This is a "low mile known to be good spare" that came with the car.

http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/b...os/coupler.jpg

Specifically I am asking if there should be any movement or wiggle possible?

To answer my own question - no, not normal. Indicates worn bushings.

No, there should be no wobble, wiggle, or movement along the longitudinal axis in the coupler when the coupler is attached to the shifter input shaft into the tranny via the locking pin on the left in the pix, and when it is attached via the 13mm bolt locking collar to the gear shift lever from the right side in the pix.

The black, or sometimes white, plastic bushings can come apart with age. From what we can see in this pix, the black bushings appear to be in good shape. If the one in your car has wiggle or movement, those bushings are coming apart- or the locking collar is loose. In either case, finding the gears will be difficult- lots of wailing and gnashing of teeth- bad news....... I had those bushings suddenly break and fall out while driving one time- very sporting all of a sudden. Of course, those bushings had been deteriorating for some time before they gave up the ghost.....

hope this answers your question-

Tim

There should be no "play" in that coupler.

It may be "good" (i.e. usable\fixable), but if there's any slop it needs to be re-bushed.

Jerry M
'78 SC

Thanks guys - appreciate the confirmation.

Guys,

Stock Couplers have always had elongated holes in the bushes with around 2-3mm (1/8") longitudinal free play.

If your 'as new' coupler has only a small amount of longitudinal play it is probably OK.


This is to stop the gear lever shunting when the engine'transmission unit shuffles back and forth.

If you buy new bushes from Porsche they will come with elongated holes.

Most of the good replacement bushes have a round fitted hole and eliminate this feature.

I think that the Delrin Bushes are likely to be the best as they have low levels of friction and can be used dry.

This type of bush is said to improve shift quality.

The PU bushes have higher friction levels and will tend to bind a little unless greased.

the "trouble" with the elongated "stock" holes is that your contact area to prevent slop while twisting/rotating is reduced to a single point/line along the flat and that causes faster wear. Since the contact area is reduced and the stock bushings are soft they are easily distorted under a load.

most aftermarket bushings are poorly made and either lock the coupler tight so it has no slop (and no movement at all so it jams) or they are made just like the stock ones and dont offer much improvement.

Wevo makes a great product but it will set you back some $

You might search on here for "coupler" and see what info you find

search for coupler whisperer
 

Ivangene was being modest. He sets up the best coupler bushings going as many satified customers can attest, me included. My shifter technique bewfore his coupler was arcane at best and guaranted to hear gear noises most of the time on every gear up or down. Not so now, very positive and wonderful to finally have a 911 that shifts like a car should !!

+1 on the value of Ed's (ivangene's) coupler bushings. My wife was convinced my Carrera needed transmission work prior to the installation of Ed's bushings. Vast improvement.

Please describe how shifting felt prior to install of Ed's coupler. I vaguely remember your symptoms sounded a lot like mine.

I need to get in there and look to see how to get the coupler off so I can order from Ed and have a core to send him. :)

If you are going to replace the shift coupler I would highly recommend ordering one of Ed Mitchell's (ivangene aka the coupler whisperer) couplers. Send him yours and for $45 you get a great product that will really improve your shifting 901/911/915. I just did my 70 and it is like a different tranny. Search and you will not find a negative review.

I just installed a replacement coupler from Ed and it works great! But was supposed to have put some grease on/in the coupler? I did not. Thanks, Nick

YOU NEED ED ....

you should not have play there .... under 50 bucks and twenty minutes of your time and your shifting pretty ....

If you need help adjusting it after you install the new one .. there are a few great threads on here .. or PM me your phone number and I will talk you thru it ... its not the hardest thing to do but it takes a little twist ... I have done a few at my house and also talked a few other Pelicans thru it on the phone with great results ....

Steve

Just a hint also put your tranny in neutral prior to removing the coupler ....... if that pic is of yours I see its out already ... if you are in gear its a bit harder to get in and you need to find neutral before you can adjust it ........

Steve

I'll take a stab at this. I've owned my '86 for a little over a month and 5k miles, so take it for what it's worth. Trans was rebuilt 15k miles ago and all bushings were replaced then with factory parts. The car actually shifts rather well compared to others I have driven. Either way not willing to let it alone I ordered bushings from Ed. Swapped them over myself.

The best description is one I think I picked up in another thread. When compared to Ed's bushings the factory ones make if feel like you are shifting with heavy gloves on. There is a subtle detachment between you and the transmission: a general vagueness, even with new factory bushings. With Ed's bushings you can feel much more of what is going on. I don't notice any buzzing or vibration, but I swear I can feel the sychros grab and spin up. You can clearly feel the 'two part' shift of the 915. More of a click-click instead of the factory clunk-clunk.


This week marks 50 years since the death of William Faulkner. 25Sep1897 - 6Jul1962. I don't think he would be very impressed with my description but it'll have to do.

J

As with the previous reply, my transmission is fairly fresh, about 8k on it now. The best I can describe it is that with the factory bushings (which were in pretty good shape) it almost felt as if the linkage was binding up some during shifts.

Take the 1-2 shift as an example. Pulling it out of 1st into neutral was no problem, but overcoming the synchro resistance to get into 2nd required a good tug, and the feel of going into 2nd was as if the linkage was flexing and therefore difficult to get past the resistance.

It's really hard to explain the difference, but very easy to FEEL it. These bushings will be a part of any pre-G50 911 I ever own, as long as Ed keeps supplying them.

Faulkner? No. But not too shabby in these days of texting-type. I can barely understand some of the stuff the kids write nowadays. I vaguely remember Arne talking about a hesitation going into second and a tough time getting it out of third sometimes. Which I have, sometimes. Sometimes, into 2nd is easy - butter smooth. Cold or hot, doesn't matter. 3rd seems to be stiff when I try getting it out of gear - but only now and then. Sometimes it comes right out, no problem. 1st, 4th and 5th are no problem.

Every now and then, reverse balks - if I let the clutch pedal all the way up, then depress it all the way again, reverse happens with no problem.

Tranny rebuilt 30k miles ago.

Thanks guys - this is the spare one so off to Ed it goes!

I'll make sure to be in neutral when I remove it - thanks for the tip.

That's it. Mine is exactly like that. *Sometimes* Other times, it's as smooth as it can be. And it doesn't matter what temperature the car is. This implies to me that it's not internal to the trans, but a problem prior to the trans.

Yes, mine was inconsistent as well. Still has some variation, but is vastly improved. So much so that my wife has noticed the improvement from the passenger seat just by observing.

I get some of the same things, but the trans definately works better warm.

I find that I have to time my shifting to my shift point and level of agression as it partains to acceleration. Accelerating easy I have to shift at lower rpms and slower. Moderately agressive run it up to 4k and I can shift rather quickly and for the most part the shifter just falls into the next gear. Full on hooligan run it up close to redline and I need to shift even quicker.

My take is that I'm basically trying to rev match and not force the synchros to work as hard. Trying to catch the next gear before the engine spools down naturally.

When I first got the car it was always the two part shift. Now that I'm getting the hang of if I'm making smoother and smoother shifts. Do it right and 1 - 2 - 3 is very slick, quick and intoxicating, whether I'm just tooling through town or out trying to squash every bug possible with my windshield. Much like a golf swing. Very difficult to describe but when you get all the moves and timing right, you know it. Then you keep trying to replicate with varying degrees of success.

J