Porsche 997 or Porsche short shift - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

clickman · 10-16-2009, 02:46 PM

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

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

jaykay · 10-16-2009, 07:34 PM

thanks for all the feedback.....like the link clickman fantastic

okay just to be clear...I was originally talking about the porsche factory SSK (99742498300A) which I think has a black metalic bushings/body and looks very much like a B+M. I was not wanting to try the same thing I have (B+M) unless it has been found to be fantastic...! (410 @suncoast)

the fellow in the rennlist link writes about the 9x7 short shifter.....which take to mean the just the regular 9x7(997SCU)....is this correct?? It looks like there are ones with blue plastic as well as black with metal plates on the side

i am getting confused ......is there another specific 997 short shifter that I am missing here??

basically I want it fairly short and smooth

clickman · 10-16-2009, 10:12 PM

Just remember there are two "stock" Porsche shifters made for the 997 and 987 (hence 9x7) that also fit the 9x6. One is the basic shifter (997-424-010-00) and the other is the short shifter (997-424-983-00) that geoff and I (and many others) have installed.

Both come from Porsche as a complete tower unit, including the alignment tool. The short shifter is more expensive. I bought my short shifter from Suncoast on special.

The B&M and knockoffs require you to use your existing tower and swapping out the stick. It's relatively irreversible as you have to destroy the original bushings.

jaykay · 10-17-2009, 08:29 AM

Thanks this is exactly what I was after.

So how do you like the factory SSK over the standard 9x7 or in general; or as compared to the B+M? Is it worth it for the driving feel? I want to stay away form notchiness this time around.

Where is the best place to buy either one. It strange that suncoast shows the standard shifter as a different part number; I will ask Suncoast what the deal is.

J

clickman · 10-17-2009, 09:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaykay

Thanks this is exactly what I was after.

So how do you like the factory SSK over the standard 9x7 or in general; or as compared to the B+M? Is it worth it for the driving feel? I want to stay away form notchiness this time around.

Where is the best place to buy either one. It strange that suncoast shows the standard shifter as a different part number; I will ask Suncoast what the deal is.

J

I've tried the B&M in a 2001 S 6-spd and thought it was too notchy. I tried a 987 in the dealer lot and found it didn't do enough for me (throws still too long). I found my 9x7 Porsche short shifter on my 01 5-spd notchy at first but that was comparing it to the ridiculously long, soft throws of the original worn shifter. I've since grown to love it. Always remember that physics means the shorter the shift, the more shift effort is required.

Go into a Porsche dealer and try the shifters in their cars on the lot. They might have a short shifter in one of their cars. Check around TO clubs and see who might have one you can try. (That's how I got to try out the 01S B&M.)

If you're having shifting problems now you may have other things that need checking out - cables not adjusted properly, rear attachment problems, tranny problems.

And do a search of 986forum and renntech; there's tons of info.

As I said, I bought my short shifter at Suncoast on special. The other guys with great parts pricing in the states are Sunset in Oregon, but they got burned once with a guy from Canada screwing them, so now they want enough personal information from Canadians to make a privacy guru freak out. Don't forget you're going to pay brokerage and taxes at the border, as well as the currency exchange.

The one good thing about buying a complete unit from Porsche is that if it really turns you off (after giving it a real chance, of course), you can easily swap back in the original tower and possibly sell your new one at close to what you paid for it.

geoff · 10-21-2009, 09:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaykay

Thanks this is exactly what I was after.

So how do you like the factory SSK over the standard 9x7 or in general; or as compared to the B+M? Is it worth it for the driving feel? I want to stay away form notchiness this time around.

Where is the best place to buy either one. It strange that suncoast shows the standard shifter as a different part number; I will ask Suncoast what the deal is.

I'm not sure if it's been explicitly said or not, but in general the short shifter won't enable you to shift any faster. The shift throw will be shorter and the shift effort will increase. Basic physics, since there's no power assist on the shifter. The synchros in the transmission only spin up so fast, and shoving a short shifter into the next gear as hard and fast as you can force it won't do anything good for your transmission.

The main difference with the short shifter is feel. As many posts have pointed out, a short shifter is harder to use when the car is cold. I suggest you try a car with a short shifter in the coldest conditions you expect to drive and see if you still like it then. It all boils down to personal preference for the shifter feel, and Porsche, in their infinite wisdom, set up the stock shifter feel to appeal to what they expected most drivers would be happy with. The same rationale applies to lowered, stiffer suspensions - preferably by enthusiasts in the minority, but less comfortable for mainstream Boxster drivers.

In today's economy, dealers work all kinds of specials. If you find a good price somewhere for the OEM 9x7 short shifter, definitely shop around and see if anyone will beat the price. Your local dealer might surprise you, especially if you have been a good customer in the past.

clickman · 10-21-2009, 10:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by geoff

In today's economy, dealers work all kinds of specials. Your local dealer might surprise you, especially if you have been a good customer in the past.

If my local dealer were to come up with a "special", unfortunately I wouldn't be able to take advantage of it because I'd be dead from a heart attack brought on by the utter shock.

jmatta · 10-22-2009, 12:31 PM

Hah!!! That's too funny.

BTW, anyone know what this thing is?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Fidanza-Short-Throw-Shifter-Porsche-911-996-Boxter_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem1c030f5ad0QQitem Z120310422224QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fA ccessories

or this?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/98-03-02-PORSCHE-911-CARERRA-BOXSTER-996-SHORT-SHIFTER_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem19b26124ebQQite mZ110366893291QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5f Accessories

jmatta · 10-19-2009, 03:04 PM

I may be digressing here, but I find my B&M coupled to the 6 speed in my S to be very precise; albiet slightly notchy, but I like it that way.

I drive alot of other 98X and 99X cars as an instructor and always felt the throws were long and slightly vague...even driving my friend's new 997 CS.

Maybe I just got lucky, but mine suits me just fine and you're not supposed to slam the gears, anyway. I've tracked 911s for years and learned shifting is always a two step process to the next gear; works the same way in the Box.

Banana S · 10-19-2009, 04:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmatta

I may be digressing here, but I find my B&M coupled to the 6 speed in my S to be very precise; albiet slightly notchy, but I like it that way.

I drive alot of other 98X and 99X cars as an instructor and always felt the throws were long and slightly vague...even driving my friend's new 997 CS.

Maybe I just got lucky, but mine suits me just fine and you're not supposed to slam the gears, anyway. I've tracked 911s for years and learned shifting is always a two step process to the next gear; works the same way in the Box.

Must just be a thing with the 2002 Boxster S's.

blue2000s · 10-19-2009, 04:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmatta

I may be digressing here, but I find my B&M coupled to the 6 speed in my S to be very precise; albiet slightly notchy, but I like it that way.

I drive alot of other 98X and 99X cars as an instructor and always felt the throws were long and slightly vague...even driving my friend's new 997 CS.

Maybe I just got lucky, but mine suits me just fine and you're not supposed to slam the gears, anyway. I've tracked 911s for years and learned shifting is always a two step process to the next gear; works the same way in the Box.

I think it's mostly a matter of taste. I had the B&M on the same car as you do and was perfectly happy until I installed the 997 mechanism and liked it much more. I like the advise of trying it out in someone else's car to see if you like it, you just have to try it in a moving car with the same transmission as the one you're going to put the lever in to.