Porsche 997 or Porsche short shift

[jaykay]

I am trying to decide which shifter to go with. Has anybody tried both? I have a B+M right now which I am not too fond of. It actually slows me up some in certain changes.

I am leaning toward the Porsche short shift but I am afraid of it having the same action as the B+M

Any thoughts?

[Johnny Danger]

Originally Posted by jaykay

I am trying to decide which shifter to go with. Has anybody tried both? I have a B+M right now which I am not too fond of. It actually slows me up some in certain changes.

I am leaning toward the Porsche short shift but I am afraid of it having the same action as the B+M

Any thoughts?

Any brand of short shifter that I experienced ( B&M, Schnell, Porsche ect...) all had the same kind of "notchy" feel to them. I guess the only thing positive is that they do decrease the amount of throw considerably. The issue with the Porsche model is that its 3 or 4 times the cost of any of the others.

[navair]

I put the 997 shifter in a month ago, and just finished a PCA performance driving school this weekend, quick shifting 100's of times...I love it. Not notchy, a little shorter throw than my 986 shifter, but much more positive (especially 2-3 shift). $180 form Suncoast.

[23109VC]

i did the 997 shifter upgrade...NOT the "short" shifter, just the standard shifter that is in the 987/997. compared to my 986 shifter (which is 10+ years old) the new one is great.

it is NOT what I would call a "short" shift kit, but shifts were shorter than they used to be on my 986 assembly. overall, i felt it was a nice improvement for hte money. the "short" shift kit is $350+.

if money is no object, I would have gone the more expensive short shift kit route, but I'm looking for "bang for the buck" mods and on my car, the 997 assembly was the right choice. shifts are crisp, feel better, marginally shorter..maybe 10-20% shorter max.... if you go into it thinking your going to ge ta "short shift kit" by doing the 997 kit, you will NOT be happy. if you jsut want it to feel "better", then you will like it. keep your expecations "simple".... it's not a short shift kit, but it does make it enough shorter that you can tell it's shorter.

good luck!

FYI - my bro in law has a 1998 996 with a B&M short shift kit on it. I HATE how his car shifts. it is VERY VERY VERY short compared to my 986, but OMFG it is hard to shift, notchy, and not what I want. if you could hav;e the same shortness with the fluidity/smoothnes of my shifter it would be GREAT... but between HIS and MINE - I'd pick mine. just my subjective opinion....

[Topless]

And you want to do this for improved performance? Aesthetics? Coolness? FWIW most of the Boxster Spec race cars just use a stock 986 shifter and make sure it is adjusted properly and well maintained. The short shifter is more often found in the Cars & Coffee crowd. No judgment here. Just not sure what your end goals are.

[Adam]

I put in a B&M several years back, hated it and got rid of it. A few months ago I got the 987/997 standard shifter and I like it much better. About 15% shorter than stock and maybe a very slight increase in shift effort. A nice upgrade over the 986 shifter especially if it has a few miles on it and getting sloppy.

[blinkwatt]

The majority or short shift kits around are based off the B & M design,as is the OEM short shift kit,eBay clones and the 'in house' brand offered by Suncoast.(not sure about the 9x7 generation thought).

Loved the feel on my 5-spd,99'. HATED the feel on my 01' 6-spd. I will NEVER touch one of those again on a 6-spd,they are much too picky to be messing with. I tried adjusting the cable so many different ways and it just sucked no matter what I did. Too notchy and too hard to find gears.

[Cloudsurfer]

I have the B&M on my 6-speed, and while notchy, I still find it very accurate and don't mind the added effort. However, I think the way to go, if it's within affordability, is the 9X7 short shifter.

[jaykay]

Thanks all for your input. I have 6-speed so it more finicky that the five...I was after performance and driving feel; the fluidity is not there at all. The shifter is a major interface so.....

Yes I am a bit leary of the Porsche SSK being too close the B+M. 2nd to 3rd is nasty! Just wondering if had tried it at 410(suncoast)

[yellowboxster01]

Originally Posted by blinkwatt

Loved the feel on my 5-spd,99'. HATED the feel on my 01' 6-spd. I will NEVER touch one of those again on a 6-spd,they are much too picky to be messing with. I tried adjusting the cable so many different ways and it just sucked no matter what I did. Too notchy and too hard to find gears.

My thoughts exactly. I installed a B&M on an S and when I drove it, it was way too notchy and I couldn't tell what gear I was in some of the time. I drove another non S with a short shifter and it was fine. I purchased the Schnell short shift kit with billet linkage. I installed it all at the same time and have since gone back to the stock linkage. I could never get that billet linkage adjusted correctly and now it just sits in my toolbox. My mechanic also told me, he's never seen the stock linkage fail and it smoothes out the shifts. When I went back to stock it was smoother and I actually like the short shift kit I've got now.

[jaykay]

Ahhh this is what was confusing; have a look at this link:

http://www.drivepoint.net/paddock/ShortThrowShifter.html

This porche short shifter looks like a black B+M. Very unlike the blue plastic of the 997SSK???? Are they one and the same?

[ekam]

Originally Posted by Topless

And you want to do this for improved performance? Aesthetics? Coolness? FWIW most of the Boxster Spec race cars just use a stock 986 shifter and make sure it is adjusted properly and well maintained. The short shifter is more often found in the Cars & Coffee crowd. No judgment here. Just not sure what your end goals are.

Agreed holeheartedly. A lot of people do these mods just to be different or it's "an improvement from stock" but often don't understand what affect aftermarket parts have to the vehicle.

[Bobiam]

Originally Posted by ekam

Agreed holeheartedly. A lot of people do these mods just to be different or it's "an improvement from stock" but often don't understand what affect aftermarket parts have to the vehicle.

So true.......Often in forums we read about guys changing everything and anything to whatever is different or new. They seem to think "different than stock = better". Lots of $s down the crapper, and oftens that devalues the car as well. The beauty of these forums, besides getting good advice from fellow readers, is learning from other's mistakes. Those who share their mistakes here (and we all make 'em) are appreciated by all.
Re shifters, I kept the stock 986 and think it's fine, but because it felt so high, I cut 7/8" off the shifter and it feels so much better....my arm is in a lower more natural and comfortable position when resting on it, and it does effectively shorten the throw as well. Looks more sporty as well, but that's just a plus. Cost=$0.

[Frodo]

Originally Posted by Bobiam

So true.......Often in forums we read about guys changing everything and anything to whatever is different or new. They seem to think "different than stock = better". Lots of $s down the crapper, and oftens that devalues the car as well. The beauty of these forums, besides getting good advice from fellow readers, is learning from other's mistakes. Those who share their mistakes here (and we all make 'em) are appreciated by all.
Re shifters, I kept the stock 986 and think it's fine, but because it felt so high, I cut 7/8" off the shifter and it feels so much better....my arm is in a lower more natural and comfortable position when resting on it, and it does effectively shorten the throw as well. Looks more sporty as well, but that's just a plus. Cost=$0.

I think decisions between stock shifters and the various available short shifters is like asking "What's better, apple pie or pumpkin pie?" Everyone has their own opinion, and nobody is "right". I think Porsche, like all car manufacturers (some doing a better job than others!), tries to assess what's popular or enticing amongst its (potential) purchasers and then go with it. "What's gonna sell more of our cars?" is a question they probably ask themselves on a daily basis. In order to be perceived as innovative and progressive, they no doubt feel pressure to change something (or a number of things) from one model year to the next. In the Boxster, they want to make it "sportier" (whilst being ever mindful they mustn't encroach on 911 territory), at least as perceived by the majority of people at least entertaining the notion of buying one.

Bobiam, your idea is an interesting one. I, like you, am not unhappy with my original shifter. But the idea of shortening the lever arm of the shifter sounds interesting. Never having taken apart a shifter, I'm going to ask a dumb (or naive) question (my second one in the last 20 minutes!): Which end did you shorten? Are there tools other than a hack saw involved? (I suspect so...)

[clickman]

I followed geoff's lead and put in the short 9x7 shifter:

http://www.renntech.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=7371&hl=

[Blue-S]

Originally Posted by ekam

Agreed holeheartedly. A lot of people do these mods just to be different or it's "an improvement from stock" but often don't understand what affect aftermarket parts have to the vehicle.

I cannot fathom why Spec Boxster racers would run the stock 986 shifter, when they could be running a properly engineered unit such as the 987/997 Tequipment short shifter. I guess they don't mind the long, flowing arm motions that the stock shifter provides. Maybe after buying wheels ($$$), tires ($$$$) suspension ($$$$$$$), etc they don't have any car prep budget left. My view on competition cars is that any action you take to make the driver more comfortable, or reduce the driver's workload, is a positive thing as long as it doesn't impact the speed or durability of the car. A short shifter is a driver ease and comfort enhancement as far as I am concerned. I used to race in SCCA's Showroom Stock C class, and I would have run a (factory accessory) short shifter if it were allowed by the rules.

The downsides to a correctly engineered (not notchy, works smoothly) short shifter are:

1. more effort is required on the lever

2. can cause more rapid synchro component wear, because you are expecting the synchro to do the same amount of work in less time

Issue #2 is not terribly relevant on a track car, because the driver is moving the lever quickly anyway - they just have to move the stock shifter faster to achieve the same result as the short shifter.

Stated differently: If the 986/996 shifter is ideal, why did Porsche change the design to shorten the throw on 987/997 cars? Why do they sell the short shifter?

[geoff]

I put the OEM 997 short shifter into my '01 Boxster (5 speed) a few years ago (this was before people started putting the stock 9x7 shifter into older Boxsters). At first I thought the shift reduction was too short, but after driving it for a few days it felt perfectly normal. It shifts very smooth, not at all "notchy," and I don't have any trouble shifting even when it's cold. I can shift with just one finger. I tried someone's B&M once and hated it.

A few weeks ago I test drove an '07 987S for a friend. It had the stock shifter and the shift throws felt noticeably longer.