Please explain the correct way to shift for max acceleration

[smarjoram]

My temperature needle only makes it to the top of the lowest white box. Am I not driving fast enough - (230kph at the weekend), or is it just cold in england?

[Rick Lee]

Your car is most certainly hotter than that at 230kph. There's something wrong here.

[NapTownSpeedy]

Most of the Pcars that I have driven have had G50's. However i just bought an SC with the 915. At first I was a little frustrated and found the tranny disappointing. After about a week I really like the 915. No it is not as slick as the G50, but the SC is a drivers car. The tranny as well as the rest of the car commands your attention and skill all the time. Do things properly and you are infintely rewarded. Screw up and you know it.
With that being said, the orginal post taked about the technical aspect. Go ahead and wind it out to at least 4000. The car is most fun that way, and as earlier of course you are paying attention to your car. Then, and this may be specific to my 915 (but I doubt it), shift into 2nd by pulling down out of 1st, slight hesitation, pull down into the 2nd gate with a little bit of pressure toword 4th. Then 3rd and 4th normally. On down shifts use heel toe all the time. It may sound silly, but IMHO I think the car just runs more smoothly that way. Plus you'll be in better shape for your next DE.

[724doorE]

Nap, good point on the slight hesitation thing. I used that technique on my 5.0 5spds and they lasted well, even the one with a bad third gear (got it that way). I kind of liken the T-5's to our 915 in that they will last a long time at high power, but they don't take much violence(speed shifting)!

The p-car trans has some other stuff going against it though, like a multi-jointed shift rod and shift bushings that are nylon in some cases and flex alot. Also when a V-8 rwd car launches and the engine and trans torque over, the shifter is right there with it. On the other hand, in the 911 the engine and trans still torque(move around) back there but the shift likage is mounted solid to the tunnel at one end. All that must cause some temporary bindage issues now and again, and the faster you try to shift it, the worse it can become.

Consider how tough it is to properly adjust the shift linkage to get all the gears easily! and thats done in your driveway. Then you add that engine/trans moving around and its no wonder that a 915 could be tough to shift when your really on it and take no prisoners.

oopps its lunch time, or pre lunch break time or something!... Just drive the friggin thing

[mike f]

When I first got my car I shifted way to early. After a short while, however, I realized the error in my ways. Now I shift at about 4k for routine driving and up around 6-7k for "spirited" driving. My only real question is how to best launch the beast from a dead stop. I am not looking for drag racing starts, but I do wonder how you get this car to pull 5.5sec 0-60. I am not one to rev it up and just dump the clutch. These turbos are slow as molasses off the line(but they more than make up for it later!). Any suggestions?

[JonT]

What about if you have a light flywheel and it spools down faster than you can shift? blip the throttle? just wondering if there are any tricks the pros use.

[GoodMojo]

Originally posted by mike f
When I first got my car I shifted way to early. After a short while, however, I realized the error in my ways. Now I shift at about 4k for routine driving and up around 6-7k for "spirited" driving. My only real question is how to best launch the beast from a dead stop. I am not looking for drag racing starts, but I do wonder how you get this car to pull 5.5sec 0-60. I am not one to rev it up and just dump the clutch. These turbos are slow as molasses off the line(but they more than make up for it later!). Any suggestions?

930's are notoriously slow off the line (w/o dumping the clutch as you mention) since as you've probably noticed by now that boost doesn't kick in until 3 grand or so under WOT (which surprises a lot of new owners when they get into a turn). I've looked into this issue somewhat and the consensus on the upgrades that can help lower the boost point are:

- Euro exhaust ($)
- Headers ($$$)
- 964 cams ($$$)
- K27 turbo ($$)
- Twin turbo ($$$$)
- Long neck intercooler to eliminate the pop-off valve ($?)

The Euro exhaust seems to be the best bang for the buck, followed by the headers. With the exhaust and header mods you can get the boost point down to 2.2 grand or so from what I've read which is great for street drivability.


-Wade
'88 930 Slant Coupe

[PDACPA]

Where is Kurt B on this? He is the spirited street shifter with the low 0-60 times! :-)

[widebody911]

When I'm doing a 0-60 run, I will do a fast 1 -> 2 shift, but I still pause ever-so-slightly in-between.

Originally posted by PDACPA
Where is Kurt B on this? He is the spirited street shifter with the low 0-60 times! :-)

[9XI]

I never shift below 4,000. For normal driving I shift in the 4,000-4,500 range. For spirited driving 6,000-6,500 (at least once per day).

Part of mechanics' tune up procedure is to take a car out to redline. I can do that part of the tune up myself on a daily basis, thank you very much!

[scedmonds]

Before my '83 SC reaches operating temps, I'm at 4,000 RPM at shifts . . . once warm, 4,500-5,000 for street. Once a week I get it to spirited driving spots, where I can rev to 6,000 for shifts.

The 915 transmission is quirky between 1st - 2nd, and a joy afterwards.

Cheers!

C.

[Moses]

How can you shift below 4,000? The motor is just waking up!!!

Thats like driving to Disneyland, but never going in!!!

Thats like hours of foreplay, but no....(nevermind)

My Porsche's life BEGINS at 4,000 RPM. On an open road, I shift at 5-6,000.

[Don Plumley]

'87 w/ a G50 here:

Until the car is warm (out of the fat white strip), I limit RPM's to about 3-4K. I am especially careful about lugging the engine (load under 2K) - that's a no no.

When car is at operating temp (1st white line - geez, I've got to get a numerical gauge), I routinely shift over 5K, and up to 6.5K+ for the on-ramp grand prix, letting out frustrations, beating up ricers. Nothing sounds like a air-cooled Porsche motor above 5K!!

For shifting technique, the 1-2 shift is a bit more deliberate. No preload on the shifter, clutch all the way in, then back, pause back. 2-3 and 3-4 are a bit faster, but still with a very brief pause in neutral.

This may not be the very "fastest" way to shift, but for me it balances max accelleration with acceptable wear on the machinery.

Vroom Vroom Das Zoom!