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Old 10-26-2025, 01:42 AM   #1
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OEM short shift hits side wall going into reverse.

2001 boxster S 100k kms.

Factory short shift rubs against inside wall when shifting into reverse. Cable alignment doesn't solve problem. Help please!

I always noticed reverse was pretty terrible to get into, really had to force it across. 1-2 were pretty hard too.

I took out the console centre console to align the cables.

I looked inside the housing while shifting and saw that to get into reverse the black RHS (right hand side) cable ball joint runs against the inside of the shifter housing.

The Porsche alignment tool didn't fit the shifter, so l used geometric center as a reference point - took off one cable at a time and marked the travel extremes, measured this, then reattached in the middle. Both for blue, side to side, and black forward and back. I also found neutral between 3-4 and marked that.

Neither position got rid of the rubbing with reverse shift.They made1- 2 better though.

I noted that in these centred positions the lever looked centred, but the shift cable barrels with groves that pop in and out of the shift arm were pretty much on their last/ lowest grove (closest to seats).

I am 99.9% sure it is the factory short shift kit for 997/996 installed by previous owner in 2005 by Porsche. Looks purple in these pictures. In the pelican parts guide the factory kit looks black but on one of the pictures you can see the purple tint and the /P in a triangle logo /p. Also a few FB group members confirmed it looked like theirs. I it is equivalent to the B&W short shift too.

Still running original shift cables and they are attached to the trans. couldn’t find part numbers to check if they are the 5 speed instead of the 6 speed.

Attachment at the gear boy looks fine.

The only thing I can think of is the cables are too short or routed incorrectly. Or maybe the shifter was set up wrong/too high?

Looking to get numeric cables, but would like to save the shifter. Otherwise will just go for full numeric set up.

Anyone have ideas?

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Old 10-26-2025, 04:43 AM   #2
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Old 10-27-2025, 05:37 AM   #3
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There should be a spare part number on the actual short shifter?
It does not look healthy imho and it would be interesting to check if that part fits your car!
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Old 10-27-2025, 12:34 PM   #4
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Try adjusting the shifter so it moves forward a bit mores and see if that helps. I installed one of the BAD shifters and had the same issue, took some fiddling to get it to clear going into reverse.
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Old 10-27-2025, 01:37 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 997_986 View Post
There should be a spare part number on the actual short shifter?
It does not look healthy imho and it would be interesting to check if that part fits your car!

The cable reads 986.424.042.05 — it’s a Porsche part number for one of the gear-shift cables. Porsche has superseded it several times; the current revision is 986.424.042.08.

996.424.010.04 — is the moulded part number of the plastic shifter housing. It’s the standard 986/996.


The short shift assembly only seems to have this number on the back. Seems more like a date. Resembles what others have on theirs.

As the shifter box is the same on 986/996, and was installed by Porsche in 2005, and I have all the OE parts, i can only reason that it should fit.

Maybe the 997/987 has a different housing?

It really seems like my cables are too short.


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Old 10-27-2025, 01:44 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Danimal View Post
Try adjusting the shifter so it moves forward a bit mores and see if that helps. I installed one of the BAD shifters and had the same issue, took some fiddling to get it to clear going into reverse.

Thanks Danimal, I can’t adjust where the actual housing sits, but I have tried adjusting the cable seating - the grooved sheath the ridged barrel pin sits in. Even in its lowest setting is still rubs!

Seems like the cable isn’t long enough.


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