Short Shift Install Gone Wrong

[Brozoar]

Welp, decided to install a short shift kit on my 944. I bought the $100 Schnell unit from Vertex Auto.

Has anyone had better luck with those? Because as soon as I tried to fasten the first bolt, the 10mm hex head that tightens onto the gear selector, the threads completely stripped out.

I need help. My best idea is to tap a slightly bigger hole into the shirt shift linkage. Does anyone know what the threading is on the original bolt? Or where I can find a bolt that tapers to a point at the end? I'm at a loss.

Ugh it's a necessary upgrade for me because my stock linkage is ridiculously loose. But if you ever do the same upgrade, go with a different brand.

[Arthropraxis]

See if Vertex will swap it out. Otherwise, I got a SSK from Xschop and it has been very good quality.

[Ederd]

2 PO's ago installed a Schnell and the only issue i've had was that Loctite wasnt used on the 10mm bolt that connects the shifter to the selector input shaft when it was installed. I got stuck on the side of the road for 4 hrs until I just happened(act of God) to find the 10 mm bolt had worked itself out lying in a crevice on the trans. How it didn't go bouncing down the road and lost forever I have no clue! I just got lucky. The shifter was installed in 2007 or 08. records don't show, but I really haven't had an issue with the Schnell other than improper installation personally.

[PorscheChef]

I have installed a few of the SSKs, that I bought on ebay-http://stores.ebay.com/Deutsche-Parts-USA?_trksid=p4340.l2563, for about $65. I have even moved them from car to car. I have never had one strip. Try to return and buy from another vendor. I know this won't fix what you have, but it doesn't sound to me as though they should be that easy to strip.

[Brozoar]

Since my 944 is my daily and I had to get to work after the weekend, I just had to deal with what I had.. ********** was very nice and accommodating, offering to replace the item or refund the purchase price.

Maybe it was a fluke? It doesn't seem like it should have been so easy to strip; it's very hard steel. But I ended up buying a tap and die kit from Sears, tapping out the hole to 8mm x 1.25, and buying the corresponding bolt from Lowe's.

Since the stock bolt is tapered at the end, I put a conical grinding bit in my Dremel and shaped the bolt accordingly. Here's a picture of the stock bolt (left), the tapered 8mm bolt (middle) and the original 8mm bolt (right):


And here's the re-tapped hole (and tap):


I redact my complaint against Schnell until I hear of someone having a similar problem.. But this seems to be a good workaround if you do run into this issue.

[89-944NA]

Originally Posted by Brozoar

Welp, decided to install a short shift kit on my 944. I bought the $100 Schnell unit from Vertex Auto.

Has anyone had better luck with those? Because as soon as I tried to fasten the first bolt, the 10mm hex head that tightens onto the gear selector, the threads completely stripped out.

I need help. My best idea is to tap a slightly bigger hole into the shirt shift linkage. Does anyone know what the threading is on the original bolt? Or where I can find a bolt that tapers to a point at the end? I'm at a loss.

Ugh it's a necessary upgrade for me because my stock linkage is ridiculously loose. But if you ever do the same upgrade, go with a different brand.

I have used the Schnell for 15+ years, on all three of my 944's without any trouble...Schnell is actually the manufacturer for the short shifter that was used on the factory 944 Turbo Cup cars....a great and reliable product.

If your shifter is "ridiculously loose", it's most likely the pin on the side of the shift lever itself has worn to a "football" shape. Easy to check, carefully remove the leather shift boot, carefully lift the rubber inner boot, remove the circlip from the pin on the side of the shift lever, slip off the shift rod and look at the pin. Football shape causes excessive play. Replace the shift lever and circlip.

Good Luck

[Gawernator]

Better than replacing just the shifter, get the shifter from only944 and you'll have no shifter play

[968 GUY]

Check the nylon cup that the shifter ball sits in too.
Since you now have a longer bolt, now you could use a lockout and picture to make sure it does not come loose.

[Rasta Monsta]

Here is where my Schnell knockoff failed. . .never putting another one on my car.

[Brozoar]

So far it's actually been great; my old linkage was looser than my great grandma in the 20s.

Ew...

But yeah, no free play, it's all nice and tight. I'll have to check the bolts again in a week or two to make sure they're still good. In theory, a larger diameter bolt should provide more torque on the hole, right? And I of course drowned them both in Loctite.

How does one check a bolt that's been loctited, anyhow? I don't want to tighten/break that loctite if it's hardened and it's doing its job.

Such an improvement in feel, though...