986 5-speed difficuty changing down to 1st

[Boogle]

Hi guys,

Is this normal? Just bought a 2000 986 2.7 manual and it is really difficult to get into 1st when moving - for example, changing down from 2nd to 1st when rolling to a stop. The car needs to be almost stationary, then it goes in fine. Have tried blipping the throttle and double-clutching and neither help. Goes into 1st very easily when stationary.

Btw, have recently changed gear oil to Porsche gear oil and that did not help.

[Beelzy]

Normal, for a lot of cars actually.

[Starter986]

Originally Posted by Boogle

Hi guys,

Is this normal? Just bought a 2000 986 2.7 manual and it is really difficult to get into 1st when moving - for example, changing down from 2nd to 1st when rolling to a stop. The car needs to be almost stationary, then it goes in fine. Have tried blipping the throttle and double-clutching and neither help. Goes into 1st very easily when stationary.

Btw, have recently changed gear oil to Porsche gear oil and that did not help.

Couldn't you just roll to a stop in second?

[Frodo]

Originally Posted by Starter986

Couldn't you just roll to a stop in second?

Well, he could. And probably does (or maybe neutral). But he'd like to be in 1st so as to be ready to start moving again after stopping.

That said, I sorta agree with Beelzy—this maneuver is often not easy in a lot of manuals. My experience as well.

THAT said, I am able to get mine ('01 S) into 1st when I've decelerated to a few mph. I do blip the throttle a bit in the process, to rev match.

[Starter986]

Originally Posted by Frodo

Well, he could. And probably does (or maybe neutral). But he'd like to be in 1st so as to be ready to start moving again after stopping.

That said, I sorta agree with Beelzy—this maneuver is often not easy in a lot of manuals. My experience as well.

THAT said, I am able to get mine ('01 S) into 1st when I've decelerated to a few mph. I do blip the throttle a bit in the process, to rev match.

Oh. I wasn't aware that pulling away in second was such a challenge. Didn't know jack-rabbit starts made a comeback.

[Frodo]

Originally Posted by Starter986

Oh. I wasn't aware that pulling away in second was such a challenge. Didn't know jack-rabbit starts made a comeback.

Oh, no challenge. And my jack-rabbit starts? Pretty much in my rearview mirror these days.
I just figured they called it “first” for a reason

[Starter986]

Originally Posted by Frodo

Oh, no challenge. And my jack-rabbit starts? Pretty much in my rearview mirror these days.
I just figured they called it “first” for a reason

....

[Xeorgar]

Originally Posted by Boogle

Hi guys,

Is this normal? Just bought a 2000 986 2.7 manual and it is really difficult to get into 1st when moving - for example, changing down from 2nd to 1st when rolling to a stop. The car needs to be almost stationary, then it goes in fine. Have tried blipping the throttle and double-clutching and neither help. Goes into 1st very easily when stationary.

Btw, have recently changed gear oil to Porsche gear oil and that did not help.

Don't worry, it's normal

[S50Sinner]

Common in a lot of cars, especially at this age. Mine was a low-mile garage queen and shifts smoothly into 1st at speed with a single-clutch heel-toe, though I prefer to stop in 2nd and use 1st as just a launch gear to prevent wear and keep my transmission as nice as it is. The only time I've ever down-shifted to 1st was to see if I could, and I haven't done it since.

The 1st synchro gets used a lot with age and miles, as it does a lot of work at launch since the input shaft is near engine speed and the output is at zero when you shift into 1st.

Last time I drove a car with a bad 1st synchro, a 73 Spitfire, the only 2 ways to get it in were to either stop the input shaft with the 2nd gear synchro by clutching and going into second, then to first without letting the clutch out, or by clutching in and waiting 5 seconds for the input shaft to stop. What I usually did was quickly shift into 1st when it reached 5-7mph, which was the idle cruise speed. It was an ordeal if I missed that little window on the slow-down and needed to set off again quickly.