Do I have a short shift kit?

ohecht · 11-28-2002, 03:16 PM

I am not sure if the PO put in a short shift kit.

There is a small aluminum spacer between the follar that goes around the shift rod and the shft housing (held in by the smaller of the 5 screws through the housing).

THe car is an 82, and I do not know if the lever itself is different from stock length.

Has anyone heard of a "kit" like this? If so, does it reduce the throw as much as the 40% advertised by the factory and Weltmeister kits?

Thanks in advance,

Olivier

yelcab1 · 11-28-2002, 06:05 PM

Yes that is a short shift kit, but not the Porsche one.

ohecht · 11-28-2002, 06:18 PM

Do you know if this type of kit came with a shorter lever, or just the spacer?

Also, is it as effective as the Porsche and Weltmeister ones, or a big compromise?

Thanks again,

Olivier

Nickshu · Nickshu's Garage

I think the actual shifter length is the same. My 82 911 has the same silver collar and short shifter. I never knew it until I was at a DE and the instructor drove my car around and said "nice short shifter" and I said "huh"? Anyhow I like it and it works fine.

Nick.

911pcars · 11-28-2002, 11:51 PM

IMHO, Russ Dickerson and Bob Gagnon wrote a definitive article on the various short shifters for the 915 transaxles (Up Fixin', Vol. 8, pages 52-56, a reprint from an earlier Panorama).

They describe the various factory and aftermarket short shifters and came up with these measurements:

Shift lever length (above the pivot):
Original factory: 292 mm
WM: 297 mm
Target: 292 mm
Factory short shifter: 280 mm

They also report the following real-world % reduction in shift throws:
WM: 19%*
Target: 22%*
Factory short shifter: 25%*

*The effective length of the shift lever changes the percentage. The percentage changes if the shift lever is shortened and/or changing the type of shift knob (installation depth of the shift lever inside the shift knob). Some owners do both - shorten the lever and change the gear shift knob.

Hope this helps,
Sherwood Lee
http://members.rennlist.org/911pcars

911pcars · 11-28-2002, 11:56 PM

Olivier,
Since the PO may have shortened the shift lever, measuring it may not help identify the type of short shifter you have. The easiest to ID is the Weltmeister version with the spacer under the shift housing. You can use the article referenced above or go here to help identify what you have.

Regards,
Sherwood Lee
http://members.rennlist.org/911pcars

ohecht · 11-29-2002, 04:09 AM

Thanks, Sherwood. This came up while I was installing your gate shift kit yesterday morning. I like it so far, and I am going to test drive it for a few days before welding the part to the shifter.

I found I need a new shift rod bushing, and I want to make sure I have the best short shift before I weld the piece on.

Thanks again,

Olivier

ohecht · 11-29-2002, 07:06 AM

Here's a new twist. Driving to work with the boot pulled up today to check the adjustments after the gate shift install, and I noticed my reverse lock-out mechanism is not working (never has). I didn't even know the shifter had one, and nicking reverse from fifth had always been an issue if I was not careful.

It will only engage it I really push the lever forward, so I will have to look at adding some clearance somewhere. It must be from the original short shift kit that the PO installed.

Is that something that does not function with all the kits except the factory one? Or do other people have their reverse lock-out working with Weltmeister, etc.?

Olivier

Dan Owens · 11-29-2002, 09:16 AM

Oliver,

I have the same situation in the shifter. I have a block of aluminum as a spacer that goes between the shaft collar frame and the bottom of the shifter housing. I wasn't sure if the PO chnaged to a short shift kit or not but always thought he had. I don't believe the actual shifter was shortened but rather the bottom section swapped out for a longer one as the shift lever is a two piece unit ( I think).

The reverse lock out on mine wasn't working for a while and was taken apart and cleaned by the shop when they swapped my trans. It works fine now.

Dan O

84' 3.2 Targa

911pcars · 11-29-2002, 09:58 AM

Olivier,
It sounds like you need a slight adjustment to the shift coupler (under access plate in rear floor). There's a procedure in PP's tech section. Yes, do replace the bushings under the shift housing while you're there. Check for wear in the shift coupler as well.

Regards,
Sherwood

ohecht · 11-29-2002, 11:07 AM

I did adjust the shift coupler to see if I could get the 5th to reverse to work better. I was living with that as a compromise to the issue of finding third from second, but your gate shift kit solved that issue, so now I can be more aggressive on the 5th side. I am testing my adjustment now, but I will try again when I get home and look specifically at the reverse lockout issue. It seems that it is the shifter housing preventing the lever from moving forward enough to clear the lockout in 5th, but I will see if adjusting the fore-aft setting of the coupler helps.

Olivier