Question on a 4 Speed...yes a 4 speed

[M.D. Holloway]

My 77 ROW Targa has a 4 speed transmission - while I know that 5 speed was the rage, and the Turbo version came with a 4 speed this one has one and its non-turbo. Prolly the least desirable 911 made - a 4 speed 77 with a 2.7 5 blade but if you knew what I paid for it you prolly would have snapped it up as well. The upside, its sans heat exchangers. Thats about it but it is fun to drive.

Questions

1) how rare are 4 speed ROW Targas built in 77?

2) I've heard that a 4 speed would be desirable on the track - not sure why. Is this myth valid?

3) also heard there are folks that like the gears in these sets to augment other sets - if so how is that done and why?

4) the way I shift will prolly mess up my clutch and what not but I shift out at 6000rpm and keep it above 3500 when relesing the clutch. The engne seems to enage smoother and the car just feels right when I do that. How bad is that?

5) I notice my oil pressure is at 4 to 6 at 4000 to 5000 rpms but when I get to 6000 up the gauge spikes and starts to dance. Is this dancing normal or an indication that my gauge is going the way of all flesh?

thats all I can think of for now - been using this as a DD and its been fun (except for the traffic)...

[IROC]

4-speeds were standard on RoW cars in that era. 5-speeds were optional.

I'm not sure I would shift at 6k all the time. You shouldn't have to rev it to 3500 to get smooth clutch engagement. I would imagine you will get some accelerated clutch wear.

I wouldn't worry about the oil pressure. Sounds reasonably normal. My gauge flickers some too and has for almost 20 years..

[Peter Zimmermann]

Originally Posted by LubeMaster77

My 77 ROW Targa has a 4 speed transmission - while I know that 5 speed was the rage, and the Turbo version came with a 4 speed this one has one and its non-turbo. Prolly the least desirable 911 made - a 4 speed 77 with a 2.7 5 blade but if you knew what I paid for it you prolly would have snapped it up as well. The upside, its sans heat exchangers. Thats about it but it is fun to drive.

Questions

1) how rare are 4 speed ROW Targas built in 77?

I have never seen build records to answer this question, but because I don't recall ever seeing one (my shop was already open and busy when your car was built), I would guess that not many exist. Porsche literature supports their existence as transmission type 915/49 (1976), or type 915/65 or 915/66 (1977 cars). The 4-speed might have been built to comply with noise restrictions in different countries, which is why the Sportomatic of the same period had only three forward gears.

2) I've heard that a 4 speed would be desirable on the track - not sure why. Is this myth valid?

Perhaps for some sort of long-distance club event where driver fatigue was a consideration. Usually, 4-speed transmissions were coupled to race cars with massive hp/torque numbers.

3) also heard there are folks that like the gears in these sets to augment other sets - if so how is that done and why?

People are always searching for ratios that might give them a performance advantage, usually in a specific application. To use a gear set from a 4-speed simply requires that the transmission be disassembled, and a desired gear set removed.

4) the way I shift will prolly mess up my clutch and what not but I shift out at 6000rpm and keep it above 3500 when relesing the clutch. The engne seems to enage smoother and the car just feels right when I do that. How bad is that?

Let's just say that you won't be enjoying your car for very long! If the car doesn't roll away from a stop, smoothly, at under 1500 rpm, you have a tuning related problem.

5) I notice my oil pressure is at 4 to 6 at 4000 to 5000 rpms but when I get to 6000 up the gauge spikes and starts to dance. Is this dancing normal or an indication that my gauge is going the way of all flesh?

Are you actually holding your engine at 6K revs, and then looking at the gauge? Jeeeze, you're brave! Oh, the sending unit for the gauge is probably on its last legs, but the gauge is probably OK.

thats all I can think of for now - been using this as a DD and its been fun (except for the traffic)...

A 1977 911 4-speed. It might be interesting to order a COA for that car.

[Matt Monson]

It is really just the third gear that racers find interesting. They install it as a short 4th gear in a race box.

[IROC]

Originally Posted by Peter Zimmermann

A 1977 911 4-speed. It might be interesting to order a COA for that car.

I don't think one can get a COA for a ROW car? I know I couldn't.

I got some info on mine directly from Porsche. My car was a base 1976 911 model (no "S"). It came with the following options: "5-speed transmission, radio, black trim". That's it.

[djpateman]

Knowing the trans serial # would be very useful.

[M.D. Holloway]

ok, what I mean is I don't pull back off of the go peddle entirely. The lowest rev I keep is 3000. I guess I'm gonna burn a clutch out hiuh?

[javadog]

You should be completely off the throttle when you shift and only back on it when the clutch has been fully re-engaged. Anything else and you will be buying clutches, flywheels...

Shifting at 6000 in normal driving is also not what I'd do. Maybe 4000, although in traffic it might be less than that. And that's after it's fully warmed up. When cold, maybe 3000 or a little more.

JR

[M.D. Holloway]

gotcha...

[Etarga]

I would also not rev it to 6k when the engine is not warmed up yet. It will get pricey very quickly. Sounds like a fun car tho! Sans heat exchangers is not necessarily an upside either, you somewhat cook your heads in slow traffic because of radiant heat.

[safe]

My row 77 has a 4 speed, as someone said it was standard on ROW cars.

It will probably beat a 5-speed 0-62 as you get to 62 in 2nd gear. I track my car and I really like 2nd gear, its low enough to get me out of slow corners and still have some "reach". 3rd gear is good for 110 mph @6800, so on slower tracks I only use 2 gears...

It's a relaxed gearbox

[M.D. Holloway]

you just increased my resale pitch! (if I ever decide to part with it!)

[E Sully]

There are a lot of threads on shifting. It is an art that requires practice. Search on rev matching and double clutching. Getting the techniqe down will smooth the ride and reduce the wear on the transmission snchros.
Do you match revs on the upshift?