944 Shifting improvements

[AFJuvat]

Sunday, I was byupassing that crappy fader switch. I noticed that the shifter was a little sloppy.

I disconnected the shift rod from the linkage (1 C-clip). The pin that connects the two was worn and looked like an inverted hourglass - fat in the middle and thinner at the ends. After polishing the inner and outer surface with an emory cloth, I applies a super hi-tech friction enhancing surfacant (Teflon Tape) to the pin, and then pressed the assembly back together. I also added a little oil to the ball & socket joint the shift rod rests in.

End result - WOW - most of that "notchy" shifting is gone. It shifts VERY smoothly.

Cost: 8 inches (19.5cm) of teflon tape and 3 drops of oil.

AFJuvat

[porscheguy1]

you should replace that shifter, the light metal porsche used is harder than tape the tape won't last and a new shifter is only about 35$ if you don't break the plastic bushing snapped around the ball at the bottom also short shift kits are great, it'll make that ol' sloppy pig feel like an acura integra

[AFJuvat]

Oh I know it won't last. I was just surprised at the difference it made - the shift rod tends to be one of those forgotten parts. You don't really think about it until you have to replace a clutch, and then you remove it without giving it a second look.

Though it does make me wonder if I can rig up a teflon or nylon bushing to place between the pin and shift rod.

AFJuvat

[justin]

Hey AF Juvat, I did the same thing you did with teflon tape and the difference was unbelivable,but it only lasted about a week. If you make some sort of bushing,make an extra and sell it to me.

[fletch944t]

I recently had the same problem with my shifter. Installed a new shifter from Porsche along with the plastic bushing that the ball at the bottom of shifter rides in (even though it wasn't broken). Made a world of difference in how the car shifts. Cost about $40 total.

Regards,
Fletch

[kenny]

Fletch,
Generally whats the proceedure and how long did it take you?

[SoCal Driver]

Shoulder bolt, locking nut and bronze bushing.

[fletch944t]

There’s nothing that really difficult about replacing the shifter in a 944. I takes about an hour or less depending on the individual.

Procedure

1. Pull up on the shifter boot to disconnect the boot / retaining ring from the center console.
2. Remove the clip that holds the shift knob to the shifter handle and slide the knob off of the handle.
3. Remove the rubber boot that goes around the handle and the top of the shift linkage enclosure.
4. Underneath the rubber boot, you’ll find a shaft on the side of the shifter handle that goes through a hole in the end of the shift linkage. The linkage is held in place by an e-clip and washer. Remove the e-clip and washer carefully. If you drop them, you may never see them again. (BTW, a 5/16” e-clip will work if you lose yours). In my case the shaft on the shifter handle had worn to the point that the e-clip eventually just fell off. That’s what prompted me to replace the shifter handle and how I know a 5/16” e-clip will work.
5. Slide the shift linkage off the handle and move it to the side out of the way.
6. There are two bolts down inside the linkage enclosure that holds the handle in place (12 mm if I recall). Remove those two bolts and the shifter handle and bushing assembly will come out as a unit.
7. Pull the old shifter out of the bushing. If you are using a new bushing (highly recommended) the only thing you need to recover is the bushing retaining collar.
8. Place the new bushing on a flat surface and place the retaining collar on top of it. Apply grease or silicon spray to the opening in the top of the bushing. Place the ball on the bottom of the new shifter handle into the hole (socket) in the top of the bushing. It will be an extremely tight fit (hence the grease/silicon). Tap on the top of the shifter handle with a hammer to seat it into the bush. DO NOT apply too much force as it is possible to crack the new bushing.
9. Bolt the handle / bushing assembly into the car.
10. Slide the linkage onto the shifter handle and install the washer and e-clip. Make sure the e-clip fully seats in the groove on the shaft of the shifter handle.
11. Install the rubber boot onto the shifter handle and opening in the top of the linkage enclosure. The boot has a groove around the bottom inside edge which fits around the lip at the top of the linkage enclosure.
12. Install the shifter knob and boot with the clip that hold the shift knob to the handle.
13. Insert the bottom of the shifter boot / retaining ring into the center console. Push down gently around the outside edge of the ring to get it to snap into place.

DONE.

[porscheguy1]

for those of you with a tight shifter, go and pull back all those boots that keep out torque tube noise, pull off the c-clip,pull the shifter rod(the heavy black thing) off of the lever(the shing gold thing) and apply grease,or margarine(for those on a budget)to the peg that the heavy black thing fits onto.Do this once a year and you'll never have to replace that shifter.and shifter replacement takes about 10 mins if you have 2 arms amputee time is about 20 mins

[justin]

Hey FR Wilk, whatcha talkin about? Spill the beans man!!

[daly944]

bump, fr wilk please tell us your diy fix

[jrkrider]

hey fr im interested too

[SoCal Driver]

What is the wall thickness?

[justin]

Hey Fr, I sent you an e-mail

[SoCal Driver]

A bit off topic but FYI you can improve the look of your low rez pictures that you post by adding uniform noise. In Paint Shop Pro I add from 3% to 6% uniform noise and find that it removes the "banding" that seems to pop up with the small size jpegs we post.

Here I'll repost the picture of the tubing to show what I'm refering to:

[AFJuvat]

Sounds very promising - replacing the shift rod is a PITA. The only possible problem I forsee with it is the soft brass riding in a steel piece will eventually be worn away. Lubing it up with grease or a teflon lube will mitigate most of that. On the other hand, you could easily replace it by drilling out the old one and reaming the hole.

The big problem with the shift handle/rod wear is the joint is designed to pivot on one axis (front to back). However, it is also subjected to a good deal of side to side wear (which causes the inverted hourglass wear on the shift handle and the hourglass pattern on the shift rod itself.

It actually gets me to thinking, I wonder if it is possible to set two rods up as a sort of bearing. Either that, or two rods and a grommit of sorts to dampen more of the vibration through the shift rod.

Either that or a balljoint/swivel bearing pressed into the shift rod that can accept the pin from the shift lever.....

Or maybe I shouldn't read these posts until I have had a couple of cups of coffee.

Must be the German in me that drives me to attempt to over-engineer things.....

AFJuvat

[John_AZ]

If you just have minor wear...disasemble, clean and polish,light lubricant. Take out your 3/8" or 1/2" pocket metal tape rule and cut off 2". ( Use a broken one ). Cup slightly in vice. Put a new thin wobble type washer on 1" shift rod and in one motion insert metal tape and press together handle and rod. Trim and replace clip. Low cost and effort.

John_AZ

[eligunn]

Thank you FR Wilk for sending me the brass bushing. I had to buy some drill bits but that was the only cost.
Wow! What a difference it made! And I didn't even think my shifter was that bad. It effectively eleminated all slop in my shifter.
No side to side motion, no shift throw. It feels rock solid.

It was very easy to do this modification, and this was quite possibly the most productive bit of tinkering I have ever done to my car. I can see how the brass might eventually wear out, but then you just buy another one. How easy is that?

If there is anyone who doesn't think their shifter feels absolutely rock solid, I would recommend they do this modification.
Oh, and by the way, I can tell that my ball cup shift bushing needs replaced. And I haven't even done that yet!

[SoCal Driver]

Is the 0.95 actual length of the tubing welded to the end of the long shift linkage?

Did the 0.437 drill clear up the wear in the tubing?

[justin]

FR Wilk, I have also received my bushing,but had not had the time to install,after hearing all the results,I can't wait! Thanks again for your help!!!! I will post when I get it in.