Jascha-M

I would really appreciate some creative / collective thinking on this shifting puzzlement.

Quick background:

My new p-drive is a well-cared for 85 Targa with ~120K miles that had a good lineage of owners including a fully documented and professionally rebuild 915 with new clutch (~ 8K miles old).

I have developed an intermittent problem shifting into any gear. After realigned the coupler the shifting got considerably better. Without warring or progressive deterioration I lost the ability of selecting any gear (without the risk of girding if forced) but could get going by turning the engine off and so I went for few more weeks

I did a complete changeover of every bushing in the linkage (shift lever-->shift rod coupler).

After a nice round of congratulatory kudos from the good wife for a job well done and trouble free driving for ~3-weeks I am back at "zero". As of last week I was not able (again!) to shift but could get into gear with engine off and continue shifting trouble free until I got home (~20 miles).

I read all the archives and drained the trany oil (Swepco 201), took off the shift cover and found no loose parts, fork looks perfect and not loose…


Any and all suggestions as to where I might look next (e.g. set screw on shift-rod coupler…?)

Thanks!

Jascha

85 Targa
96 993

Steve Weiner-Rennsport Systems

Jascha:

My first suggestion is that the clutch might not be releasing completely and that clutch drag is the root cause of your shifting difficulties.

Check the cable length, cable adjustment, and TO arm freeplay to make absolutely sure that it disengages properly.

Jascha-M

I put all the pieces back together, refilled the 915 with new gear oil (no Swepco on hand) and shifting I went. So far, no difficulty whatsoever…

I used the 1-part (Valvoline straight)+ 2-part (Valvoline blend) gear oil.

Steve, If these "symptoms' recur I will also measure the clutch release distance to be sure that it is per spec 25 +/- 0.5mm.

All the intervening components are fairly new and the clutch cable was replaced ~ 5K miles ago.

Before I changed the clutch cable and the bushings in the shifter linkage this would happen predictably on hot days while creeping up an uphill going ramp, in heavy traffic --one time even smelled slipping / dragging clutch and could not engage the gears!

For the most part this problem went away when I completed the she shifter rebuild.

Steve Weiner-Rennsport Systems

Jasha:

I'd also followup by saying Swepco is the "juice" of choice for these transmissions. They do the best job of protecting the sensitive R&P and really help the shifting.

I'd suggest that you get some of that stuff in there as its better than what you currently have. I have it here if you need it.