2nd gear linkage - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

landrovered · 04-30-2010, 09:34 AM

The only way to see if your motor mount is bad is to pull it. It may or may not be the source of your second gear grinding issue. I think that a shot synchronizer is more likely the culprit. Sure you might be able to milk it a while but gearboxes generally do not heal themselves. I think you are putting off the inevitable, but like you, I tried eveything to prove to myself that it was not what it really was. Eventually you just come to the realization that a rebuild is in order.

Viper5 · 04-30-2010, 10:15 AM

What about the linkage? I just need to know how to check it.

landrovered · 04-30-2010, 10:31 AM

To properly align the linkage on the gearshift end of things there is a special tool that is used to get the linkage in the right place. Search the short shifter installation threads it is discussed in those quite a lot.

As for the other end of things at the gearbox linkage, this procedure is in section 34 of the factory workshop manual.

jhandy · 04-30-2010, 03:58 PM

may not be a huge help, but if you are over 40K miles, replace mount, and if over 60ish, change the tranny oil. The linkage should not be messed up unless you messed with it. even then, you can adjust, drive, adjust drive. I cant imagine that it is in gear too much. most likley, if it is the linkage, then it is slightly out of gear, then it would pop out. so in my humble opinion, i dont think it is the linakage, aside from the tranny going out, I would say motor mount. does it grind when in gear and then you give it gas? if so, i say mount, if grinding the whole time in gear, tranny may be going, if grinding only when trying to put in gear, linakage.

mount is bad for sure anyway, oil is cheap.

Viper5 · 04-30-2010, 04:49 PM

Thank you for your input. I have changed tranny oil with redline about 10k ago. It doesn't "pop out" once it's in the gear, however it is sometimes (around 40% of time) grinds as I'm trying to put it in gear. Only happens on 2nd gear. I can feel the vibrations (grinding feeling) through the shifter. When it grinds, I have to put clutch back in, put shifter back in neutral, give a little gas, and release clutch until it works. I don't think it's ever taken more than 3 times to do that before it works. Normally once does the trick but it is rather annoying.

I know from at least 60k there was a mount replaced since I bought it from a guy who had it replaced and didn't own it until 60k. Right now there is 110k.

I thought even if the synchro was bad, it wouldn't grind the whole time in gear (only when trying to engage the gear which is what I'm experiencing). According to your diagnosis, since it is only grinding while trying to change into 2nd it would be the linkage. Do I understand you correctly? And why do you say mount is bad for sure?

coreseller · 04-30-2010, 05:56 PM

I just went through what you are describing. As much as you may not want to hear it, you're likely going to need to pull out the transmission and send it out for work. Mine went to Gbox and ended up around the $3k mark (they will give you a range on costs, very understandable since they (Gbox) won't know what needs addressing until they are into it) with shipping both ways, I did the removal and replacement myself, really not that big of a deal if you have a bit of wrenching knowledge. While in there I'd suggest a new clutch package and IMS retrofit from LN Engineering. All totalled you are looking at $4K or more depending on what needs replaced inside the transmission. Good Luck.......Mark.

http://www.renntech.org/forums/index.php?/topic/32315-ims-rms-tranny-r-r-tips/