Short shifter problem

[1974targa]

Hi,
I've installed a short shifter on my 1974 911.
My issue : when everything is reassembled, I can't change gears. The shifter is too hard to move. I don't understand.
Temporarily, the solution is that I use the aluminium "booster" - sorry, I don't know the right name (IMG_0377.jpg)" but the shifter on the 5th gear doesn't click well (IMG_0375.jpg/IMG_0376.jpg/).
Thank you very much for help or comments!

[freeform911]

Is the shift rod binding in the tunnel?

[1974targa]

Yes. Everything is well reassembled. I really don't understand the problem. With the aluminium booster, the gear shifting is very fluid. Ball cup and shift rod bushings are new. Thanks!

[manbridge 74]

What is the brand? I like the factory SSK because it is relatively cheap and isn’t too short.

[john walker's workshop]

The spacer is needed if the ball on the bottom of the shifter is about that same amount longer than the stock one. I do hate short shifters. The factory got it right for feel and proper shift speed to allow the syncros to function as designed.

[cabmandone]

Two things; As John points out, the spacer is needed for the short shifter. I have the factory short shifter in my 85 and the spacer plate is installed. The second thing, you might need to do some fore/aft adjustment of the shift rod at the shift coupler. It doesn't appear you're getting full forward throw. As a side note, a nice addition to the short shifter is the Seine gate shift kit. It adds tabs for the 1/2 shift plane and is spring loaded to the 3/4 plane.

[ramonesfreak]

Did you remember to reinstall this bracket? I didn’t realize I hadn’t installed it right and it caused my shift rod to get jammed and the car wouldt shift.....if it’s the first time taking shifter apart, one could easily not realize this


I do see you have all the bolts back in so I assume you did this properly... but ya never know

[Walt Fricke]

From the pictures it looks like the fore and aft adjustment is a bit off. The tang for 5th/reverse should sort of center between the vertical tabs, or maybe a bit aft. You want the same distance between neutral and 1,3,5 as you have for 2, 4, R. You want the tang to go far enough forward so that the spring pressure is taken up by the tang and tab overlapping, but far enough back so the same happens for reverse. The little flipper also helps line things up - when you put it in 5th, the flipper's spring should move it back to blocking reverse. When you pull out of 5th, the flipper should allow the lever to move over to 3/4 and 1/2 (the neutral plane).

Short shifters which work by using stock parts but you pull the bottom part (with the ball for the ball cup) off so you can substitute a longer piece all require a plate to raise the shift tower up. Otherwise, the long rod back to the transmission would be bumping into the floor pan.

The factory short shifter, however, does not require a plate, and neither of mine came with one in the factory kit. The factory part does have a longer bottom part, but the cage which holds the fore and aft pivot pin has that pin higher. This matches the longer lower part.

The really good thing about the factory kit is that the side to side motion is not changed - you still move the lever as far to the right or left as you always did. Having this distance is very helpful. With the inexpensive short shifters, the side to side motion is reduced in the same proportion as with the fore and aft. This can make getting the side to side adjustment a bit trickier, but mainly puts the three gear planes closer together, which makes it easier to select the wrong gear when up or down shifting. Up shift misses are just embarrassing. Downshift misses can get pretty expensive.

[1974targa]

Thanks everybody for your help and comments!! I really appreciate people takes time to help. I will check this week-end the solution. I'm already tired of short shifter I think I'm going to remove it, fix the old factory shifter and install it...