Boxster S 2nd gear experiences
 

Hey Guys,

After 3 years of living without 2nd gear in my 2003 986 S (shifting 1st to 3rd and vise versa), I am thinking about taking the plunge and either getting my tranny rebuilt or replaced. I'm just wanting to get some advice from any of those that have had the same problem and had it dealt with.

When the problems started it would pop itself out of 2nd gear. As of 3 years ago it just simply wouldnt engage the gear at all. just grinding and resistance.

How did you resolve the issue? How much did it cost?

Thanks!
:cheers:

When I first got my 2000S it would not shift into 2nd very well and would pop out of gear on occasion. Replaced the front motor mount and the shifting got a lot better and it doesn't pop out of gear anymore, but I still have to be careful to pause slighty between shifts to let the synchros catch up before shifting. The second gear is a common problem with the 6 speed tranny and you never know how the previous owner(s) treated the tranny. Check the shifting cable adjustment and the motor mount first before looking into replacing/rebuilding the transmission. If your car has a lot of miles, the front mount is most likely shot. It will be a lot cheaper than the tranny.
I used to do the 1 - 3 shift also, to avoid the 2nd gear issues. Still have to be careful most of the time going into 2nd, but at least I can still use it.

I would sell my S if I couldn't use 2nd gear. It's my favorite by far.

Same BS with my trans. I had it rebuilt this winter at 142,000 miles. Synchros were replaced and I had a Guard torque biasing differential installed. I also had the stock detent swapped for the G-Box unit. I pulled the trans and took it in to the shop (Lufteknic in Richmond, VA), so all they had to do was the internal work. $4000. UGH!
But it works absolutely perfectly. Also did the LW flywheel and Spec stage 3+ clutch. Nice additions.

I had my transmission repaired by G-Box also. It would occassionally pop-out of second gear but was not as bad as yours sounds, syncros, cones, pinions and seals with 10 hours labor ran $3,050 with shipping ($300 for Shipping, they aranged pick-up from my work's dock). I hated to spend the money also but not having the tranny right was worse.

You drove on a boken transmission for how long?

I have a similar problem which only occurs BEFORE the car gets to operating temp. Once it reaches operating temp, shifting into 2nd is buttery smooth. But before it reaches temp, if i want to use 2nd gear, I just have to pull a little bit harder to keep it in 2nd and it never pops out if I use a little bit of muscle.

Thoughts on this?

Second gear synchro has been an issue as long as I have owned my Boxster.

I have not been able to downshift from third to second for two and a half years. It has actually taught me to be a better driver. I can shift from first to second normally except for the occasional crunch. The whole thing is quite usable even in its compromised condition.

The biggest reason I have not repaired it is $3000 for rebuilt gearbox + $1500 labor + $800 IMS Retrokit + $800 new clutch

So for $6100 I can live with it just fine until the clutch needs to be replaced and then I will do it all.

Funny, for me it is the exact opposite. If I shift too quickly from 1-2, I might get a grind out of the box (heart drop and a wince every time), but it's pretty rare that it does happen, as I usually just force myself to take my time going from 1-2. Going from 3-2 I've never had a problem no matter how fast I try to go through the gear change.

I've never had the shifter come out of gear, the only thing I've noticed is that when coming on/off the accelerator, the shifter displays its greatest amount of movement in 2nd gear. Linkages, maybe?

ditto Overdrive's experience. Occasionally grind going into 2nd if I do it too quickly, or come off the clutch a smidge too soon. Otherwise no 2nd gear issues.

I did the same thing. No second gear for a year so far in my Mazda. It still runs fine with 160,000 miles. Too many labor hours involved in synchro's. In my opinion, there is no need to fix it if you only use your car for daily driving and not racing.

Reading all of your experiences ... I'm glad that I have a 5 speed :)

Sasha

Mine is a base 5-speed, too, sasha, but I still get an occasional grind when the synchros can't keep up for 2nd.

Mine too.. nothing like taking off in first on a rainy day and kicking it sideways when you throw it in 2nd.. Although running 65-70mph and throwing it back into 3rd is also pretty awesome too.

My question is that besides pausing between shifts and all that, is there a good way to prevent any 2nd gear problems from happening later since mine is working perfect currently?... knock on wood

Can't say. When I traded my 2001 in it had 90,000 and shifted like new.

Yes there is......Gbox has an upgraded 2nd gear detent:

2ND GEAR POP-OUT UPGRADE-GBOX Transmission

here's something i've been thinking - why do we even have a 6-speed on the S? the driveshaft offsets with the longer tranny are poor, and the ratios seem a bit wonky. the 3.2 should have enough torque to work great with the taller ratios. what are the benefits? has anyone put a 5-speed in an S? cheaper and appears to be a bit less prone to the 2nd gear issues.

Your syncro is going but not yet gone.

The 6-speed is a little more robust than the 5-speed. But totally unnecessary. It was a marketing check box. Now with 7 speeds, the new ones will have two pointless gears.

I wish...
 

Sure wish first, second, and third were a bit lower. The other 3 don't really make a difference.

I have a friend that bought a S with a blown tranny. He put in a 5 speed to use it for autocrossing because of the better ratios.

Try double clutching. Put it in neutral from third, then let the clutch OUT. With the clutch out, give the throttle a big blip then quickly put the clutch in and downshift to second. I had Alfas which have notoriously bad synchros and i learned well. Stll catch myself doing sometimes in the Boxster.

is this a "manual" transmission issue only? I love my Tip! ..i'd sure hate to have to drop $4k on tranny work.

I think the Tips have their own set of issues unrelated to this, so don't worry, this isn't one of them. Usually things like this only happen due to the almost inevitable additional wear and tear that can happen to a manual tranny when you don't shift properly/beat on it A LOT...or when the previous owner does it and you simply inherit it in some cases.

I'll give double de-clutching a whirl. I can sometimes push on the first gear gate and then come back into second and get in that way but it is not very often. The only time it is a pain is when traffic slows down and then speeds up again without getting down into first gear speeds.

2nd gear pop out
 

I had the same kind of problem with my 03 S - it would pop out, or not fully engage in 2nd gear, often when cold, but usually as a result of not really firmly pulling it completely into 2nd gear. So long as I consciously thought about it when shifting up or down into 2nd, I'd be alright, but it's get me when I was thinking about other stuff and not paying complete attention.

Anyway, I just bought and installed the GBox 2nd gear detent upgrade, and it's completely taken care of the problem. I had no way of knowing if my tranny had any kinds of serious issues, but I took a chance, and it feels perfect, and I haven't had a problem since the install. Everything seems perfect - knock on wood.

Just wanted to let you guys know...

Pat:cool:

Very cool!

I was debating on getting this i hear it works very well for the 996 as well!

mine does it on the first shift or 2 of the day when its cold, but it does not pop out in the traditional sense, you just have to hold it when you let the clutch out, its weird...once it is in gear for the first time you can drive it around in 2nd without issue, I have been babying 2nd since I have noticed the issue, hoping it does not get worse!

Similar issue...
 

I don't have the pop-out problem, just an occasional mild crunch on the initial 1-2 shift of the day if I rev out in 1st gear. If I granny-shift into 2nd, no crunch, but only on the initial 1-2 shift of the day. The rest of the time driving/shifting is issue-free.

I posted about this elsewhere, planning on doing a fluid change. What do you other owners think about a G-Box detent upgrade, especially those who have done it? Help the problem, or a waste of money for me?

Why would you waste $800 on a IMS bearing when you already have 1?? :dance:

The detent upgrade will help. I installed the CA motorsports shift arrester arm & detent upgrade & it improved shifting to all gears but it requires removal of the tailshaft housing for installation.

Just paid $3600 to have the trans sent to Calif Motorsports in AZ & reinstalled by indy. Porsche-rebuilt installed by dealer was quoted at $7400.

2nd gear = new GBox detent
 

It sounds as if some of you guys may have more serious problems than did I, but I have not changed tranny fluid, or had any other tranny mods, other than installing the detent. I could immediately tell that it would engage in 2nd gear earier and transmits a slightly better feeling through the linkage, and that it was an instanteous fix. I've even tried shifting rather softly into 2nd on numerous occasions, and no problems whatsoever. So, for $149 for the part, it's a relatively cheap gamble.

Pat :cool:

If your transmission is grinding or doesn't to go into 2nd during the 1st to 2nd shift when cold, get the G-Box second gear detent upgrade. As long as the problem is not severe this will fix your issue. I put one into the S over two months ago and have not had the problem again. It's even easy to install with the transmission in the car. The longer you let the grinding continue the problem, the worst it will get.

Garage Fix
 

Thought I would attach an article in our local Porsche club newsletter. I know these guys well. They are not mechanics but took on a huge project and fixed the 2nd gear problem while they were doing the clutch and ims. There will be a second part of this article in the May issue. It can be done in your garage with a little research and a lot of guts.

P.S. Done on jack stands.

http://www.kypca.org/content/pacesetter/2012_04.pdf