update.
 

so this is how the linkage looks
http://986forum.com/forums/uploads01/11349802004.jpg
i ended up using fabric tap to close the gaps and epoxy glue to secure it.

this is the pic:
http://986forum.com/forums/uploads01/21349802150.jpg

this is the "new" cable next to the one removed from the car:

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads01/31349802227.jpg

you can see the metal tread instead of the plastic.

funny thing is, the "new" cable is basically from an 00 boxster.
look at the part numbers. the one ends in 06, is from my 01 car.
so whats going on here, Porsche moved from one stupid design, to one even worst?
(the plastic tread is later version of the cable)

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads01/41349802486.jpg

@Meir,
Not to belabor the point but….my linkage end looks EXACTLY THE SAME except, I was able, without destroying the plastic (or metal?) threads by backing out the allen bolts - in fact, take them off, and try to wiggle the cone-shaped black piece over the cable "threads". Secure with allen bolts. And use the screw at end of adjuster to make an adjustment while on the vehicle. You just "un-do" the allen bolts and using an 8mm (I believe) you adjust in place. Tighten allen bolts when done. It should work. If yours doesn't I am wondering if the MFR may have "adjusted" the inner diameter for that reason. I just purchased mine within the past few months. When did you pick up yours?

BTW….In case I did not make it clear….LOVE the Shifter! Didn't at first…give it a week and you won't look back - except for coppers!

the damage you see was caused when i removed it using a srewdriver. was very hard to do, as i mentioned in previous post.
i guess the all problem started when i couldn't slide the linkage over the plastic tread.
i guess i should have given it another try, and use more patience.(or use a press drill, that i didn't have back then)
i do not exclude, me doing something wrong. especially when you say you didn't have an issue. i guess the story was over for me, when i removed the plastic tread.
i assumed since its plastic, it needs to be removed, and the linkage will fit on the diameter of the metal part. i can see how you can adjust it if you do not have an issue sliding the linkage, and secure it with the Allen screws. that wasn't my case unfortunately.
still i think the Allen is bad solution. it would have been perfect if the linkage had a matching tread, and a secure nut.
but that is fine, i lost 40$, but learned a valuable lesson.
the SS was my second project on the car, and i guess i was to "rusty" and to exited to complete. today, i take my time and plan 10 steps ahead :D
sure happy that you got yours right :cheers:

i got it more then a year ago, directly from Vertex Auto (drove there).

Couple of things here.

Are you sure that the plastic end is "threaded"? When I looked at it a year or so ago I assumed it was not threaded but simply moulded with a series of side by side grooves. To adjust the length I did not think you screwed the end on but rather removed the end and relocated it further slots up or down. Correct me if I wrong.

Just for the record, every case of breakage I have heard of involved the actual end fitting and not failure of the plastic end on the cable.

As to the aluminum "upgrade". I bought these for my SpecBox a year or so ago and took one look at them and decided not to use them. Yes the plastic Porsche ends have been known to break but to replace them with an ill fitting device secured with 3 tiny little set screws which would almost certainly fall off in time seemed nonsense to me. I suspect they would be fine for a street car but no way on a race car. Ever since I have run the stock components, tried not to be too brutal with the stick and have not had an issue. I still carry spares to the track just in case but so far so good.

you are absolutely right.
the OEM linkage that came off my car (and now is back) looks as new. after 12 years.
as for the tread, you might be right too. :rolleyes: didn't real pay attention to the pattern of the tread, but it dose make sense. the adjustment of the the OEM linkage, is by sliding it, and not screwing it (that sounded a little bit awkward).
any way, putting sliding and screwing a said, ill have a look at it again tonight. most chances you are right.

Why on earth would you ever want to make your license plate more visible???

so they can arrest my mother in law, if i get caught speeding.:D
i was just making fun of the ridicules price for the two bulbs.

Ironic thing is that seller sold 13 of them already.. small crime in the LED bulb replacement..

Will not be surprised if JD bought all 13.
He likes to change bulbs after every mission :D

BTW, Jittsl is right.
The "treaded" part is nothing but parallel groves that seats on matching groves in the OEM linkage.

...well the shift kits are back on sale once again and I placed an order...will post pics once I get to installing it!

I bought a similar kit last year for my '99. Looked just like the B & M kit. Went in in 1 hour.

Hi Eric,
I ordered one as well (Tue 8/16). I just got notification that my order was canceled because they are out of stock for the next 5 to 6 weeks. Let me know if you get yours... I bought mine from "turboracerx".

...hmm, not good...but not bad if they are able to send them. No notification yet but the days not over. Thanks for the heads up.

I saw that they had sold 2 and had 9 available.
I placed the order and it was cancelled also, stating they were out of stock and it was re-listed in error.
They refunded my money..
T

I got my notice as well...bummer that it was relisted by mistake. I was looking at the other seller that had these and based on the reviews, I wouldn't touch them with a 10' pole. Just have to keep checking back toward the end of November.

I just picked up my first Porche, a 99 Boxster with 35k, and the shifter is a bit sloppy. I had a B&M short shifter in a previous car and loved it. I gathered that these appear identical to the B&M but after reading through this thread I was left wondering if the B&M or Porche short shifters also tilt to the left?

Also, since his is a two year old thread now I was wondering if everyone is still happy with them?

Thanks for the input. I'm excited about this car and getting it back to where it should be. :)

I have not seen a B&M SSK, but from the pictures, they appear identical. I installed the eBay version two months ago. I don't drive the car much, but I'm very happy with the SSK. I did have to rotate the shift lever. Strange that they assemble them backward. I purchased the aftermarket cable end, but I ended up using the stock Porsche part.

Just installed Ebay short shifter: 986 Tips, Tricks and Results.
 

Bringing this old thread back to give a recent update on fresh purchase and install. Hope my explanation helps. I didn't take photos because there were already plenty of photos in the guide.

Bought this one from Chinese store EpartsGoGo; 1998 2003 Porche 911 996 Turbo AWD Chrome Blue Short Shifter | eBay

Followed this install guide;
http://www.oz951.com/public/emmypics/shortshiftkit67.pdf

First thing I noticed was bend in shifter was the opposite of the stock shifter. That would really put the shifter at a weird angle toward the driver vs. the stock shifter so I unbolted it and switched it to the same direction. That was a bit of a PITA because it used a double threaded shoulder bolt and it was hard to figure out how to get it out. One nut would come off but then the entire assembly would just spin. In the end, I relocked that nut down and was able to break the other side free.

Apart it was apparent they didn't bother to lube the internal roller bearing inside the shift arm so I did that as well as lubed the felt/paper bushings. Swabbed it all down with white silicone bicycle grease.

I didn't need to take it as far apart as the guide. I had already taken the ashtray out in preparation for an ashtray delete (mine had a broken door.) Just unbolted the console, removed the front faceplate and unbolted the shifter frame from the floor and tilted it over to access the snap on cables. I didn't detach the cables from the frame or move the adjusters. I just detached the cables at the shifter.

I used a small chisel to break off the snap fittings for the old shifter pivots. That worked a lot better than trying to cut them with a utility knife. They were pretty hard and brittle on my 16 year old car.

There is a little pop out pin for the left/right cable that went flying when I removed it. Luckily it stayed in the car and didn't go shooting off into space! Took me 10 minutes to find the black pin lying in a corner of the carpeting.

One swivel pin is longer than the other, on the new shifter. You need to install that one into the bore first, than there is enough room to pass the shorter pin into place.

The bottom end (that attaches to the fore/aft cable) is longer than the original shifter. Mine had the green plate in the shifter bracket and the new lower location caused the cable end adjuster to hang up on the bracket. This detached the cable. I removed the green bracket (extra parts!) and there was just enough clearance to not cause interference.

Used a vise grip pliers to hold the adjustable swivel barrels when tightening the nuts...otherwise they would spin in the plastic shifter bracket.

Couldn't get the console back in because the front freeplay adjuster thread in the adjustable swivel barrel on the new shifter was too long and interfered with the console. Took a hacksaw and knocked a half inch off it and then there was enough clearance.

The entire job took maybe two hours and that was only because I went slow and had to fix the Chinese shifter along the way.

The shifter feels much "tighter." Efforts are considerably higher, but it doesn't have that rubbery long throw truck shifter feel. IMHO, it is a HUGE improvement.

I bought the same shifter for my Cayman. I didn't care for the tilt so I disassembled the rod, put it in a vice, and bent it to a position that is pretty much the same as the stock unit.

It's mild steel and can be bent to your liking. I wouldn't do it too many times though. ;-)

Looking at photos of the B&M, in the install procedure, it looks like it has no bend either. I recall the official Porsche shifter does. I personally like it with the same bend as the stock shifter.

P.S. The one I got looks like it is chrome plated. Bending it would crack the chrome plating but would work harden it...making it stronger...until it fatigues and fails. :-)

Drove the car today, for the first time since installing the shifter. IMHO, the Chinese short shifter goes a tiny bit too far. Wish travels were somewhere between the stock shifter and this one. The travels are really short to the point of making it a bit notchy going into gear. Still better than stock though.

The 987 shifter is somewhere in between. It still gets kinda sloppy feeling after a few years though.

Are you guys using any sort of lube on these things?

White lithium, Tri-Flow w/ Teflon (uniball & heim), silicone spray, some sort of graphite maybe?

Uhh, asking for a friend...

There is a better alternative to the china/Fleabay item.
Ben's shifter kit seems to have won widespread acclaim from Forum members:
http://986forum.com/forums/diy-project-guides/54726-ball-bearing-short-shifter.html

Saw it.
Bought the eBay deal instead.
Just wondering if people grease these at all.