Tranmission questions

[dcolletti]

I am thinking or getting a 1972 914. Actually I have pretty much bought it. It is a 1972 with a 1973 1.8L engine (EC). The car will not shift into 5th. Any suggestions to as why? The other gears don't seem to bad. Could it be the shift linkage? Also is there a way (like serial numbers) to tell which transmission I am getting (side or tail)? I guess the car has a short shift kit. Should I change it back to orginial? Overall the condition of the car looks good. No rust that I could see. I checked most of the normal spots.

[rich]

Are you sure the car is a 5sp? My 72 side shift is a 4sp. You may have a 73 1.8 motor mated to a 72 4 sp side shift.If the rod coming out of the tranny is on the drivers side the trans is a side shift If the rod is coming out of the tail it's a tail shift. Someone else will have to answer the ser. # question, Thats out of my league.

[dcolletti]

I think it is a 5sp. I kinda got it into 5th gear but it won't stay there. It either pops out of you have to hold it in. I didn't know that 914s came with a 4sp. I thought they were all 5 speeds.

[72_914]

Wasn't all 914's 5-speed's? I have a 72 1.7L w/5-speed tail shift and a 76 2.0L w/5-speed side shift. Never heard of a 4-speed. One sure way to tell is the linkage and how it goes into the trans. Pelican has some linkage diagrams for both transmissions. They are very diffrent, so you shouldn't have any problem telling what you got.

in responce to Rich's reply...hate to tell you..but youre missing a gear there buddy, ALL 914's were 5 spd's. unless someone stuck a 930 trans in there along the way, but thats very unlikely, putting a 930 trans in is very expensive and usually only done in a V8 conversion...Rich: you need to take your trans to a shop asap, cuz youre missing a gear! and the side shifts didnt come out until '73, so you surely dont have a '72 side shift trans.

[John Rogers]

If 1st gear is back and to the left and 2nd is forward, it is a 5 speed. As APorsche914 said, they all came with a 5 speed, unless it has been converted. You might want to check and replace all the shifter bushings and when you reassemble the linkage and align it, it may take care of the problem. Our 1974 would not like to go into 1st, like it wasn't there most of the time and the shift linkage rebuild solved the problem. If you do have to have the transmission rebuilt, take heart, it is not as bad as other Porsche trans work.

[rich]

Well, Listen, (LOL)(BLUSH)When I got the car the right side forward engine mount was gone and the plastic ball cup bushing was half missing.
I bought the car 150 miles from home, site unseen.(supposed to be a driver) We flat towed it behind my 2002 With a tow strap Because we couldn't shift it. This being my first 914 experience, (and I never met anyone in my area who could tell me to the contrary)I honestly thought the car is a 4sp!
This clears up one other problem: after an engine rebuild,and many hours of frustration and harsh words (two summers plus last summer I just didn't drive it)I've come to realize that If I would have started out in 1st gear instead of 2nd I may not have though I was having a serious mechanical problem!!!!
(LOL) Reason number 1001 to keep coming back to the pelican forum. I'd be real embarrest,but so would you if you thought we knew you were sitting there in your underwear.HAHAHA, Boy,It'll be tough convincing anyone on this site that I know anything after this one.Oh well
P.S. One thing I do know, It is a side shift. I was told the car is a late 72 (first side shift model)but I've been wrong before thats fersure!!!!

[This message has been edited by rich (edited 05-10-99).]

[This message has been edited by rich (edited 05-11-99).]

[mikeyz]

According to "Up Fixin der Porsche". The serial numbers for a 1972
transmission are HAO 030 094 to HAO 053 072, a new numbering system after
10/1/72 based on date only;e.g. HA 31 10 2. This where it gets confusing.

So it looks like a late 72, 1.7 COULD have had a factory side shifter based
on the serial #change, but it is not clear and I would not count on it. The
P/O COULD have swapped one in...Who knows what COULD have been done.

The real test is to look at the dang thing. If the trans has a black round
plastic boot on the side (gee that's why it is called that) of the transaxle
with the shift linkage coming out to the front of the car, guess what? Side
shifter. The shift linkage should also pass through the hole in the motor
mount, back to the fire wall midships.

Anything else is NOT a side shifter... but it still, a PORSCHE!


[This message has been edited by mikeyz (edited 05-11-99).]

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

Nope, sorry. They just changed the numbering scheme in 72. The side-shifters came in with the 73 model year.

I know of at least one 73 2.0 model (Allan Caldwell's) that still has the tail-shifter tranny in it. So the transition was very early in 73, rather than late in 72.

--DD

[rich]

This is way off the original thread,but where is the serial nuber located, and if I posted it would anyone know appoximatly what year trans it is?