Barclay

I'm looking for the Porsche Factory Short Shift Kit for a 1981SC, they seem to be disco'd. I'm putting the word out to all you at Rennlist to let me know where I can find one. Or if any of you have an extra one lying around (ha ha) for sale. I do not want any of the after market ones.

Thank you
Barclay
1981SC

Peter Zimmermann

Barclay: The factory short-shift kit (20% throw reduction from what you have now) is available from Porsche dealers as (1) Option M241, or (2) 911 424 931 00 (the kit). As a alternative you can update to an '85 shift lever, part # 911 424 017 10, which will give you a 10% throw reduction. The shift effort with the '85 lever will be slightly increased, while the effort of the M241 is noticeably heavier. Hope this helps!
pete

imcarthur

Peter

What Barclay is referring to is the word (unconfirmed) that Porsche has discontinued the SS Kit. Pelican says NLA & somebody on Pelican BBS said that the pipeline - Atlanta, Ontario etc is now empty & what the dealers & specialist shops have is it.

Ian

imcarthur

BTW Peter

I want to welcome you to Rennlist. Your reputation precedes you & you are an asset to this BBS. You & Steve Weiner & others balance out the enthusiasts nicely with practical hands-on knowledge & suggestions.

Ian

2002M3Drew

Hope you can get your hands on the factory SSK...it is absolutely terrific. Keeping in mind that a short shift on an SC is still like a bus when compared with a normal car, I don't find the throw to be particularly difficult at all. I highly recommend it!

Peter Zimmermann

IAN: Thank you for the nice words and welcome! I had no idea that shifter kits had gone NLA...

BARCLAY: Have you tried to get what you want (M241) by ordering the individual pieces? Let me know, I think that I can come up with the part numbers for you...

Pete

JBO

Peter- I think I remember reading somewhere that an SC owner can simply cut off a few inches of the lever closest to the shift **** and thereby accomplish the same thing as the 85 lever. Seems to easy. Is this correct or was it just a dream I had?

Peter Zimmermann

JBO: LOL, that wasn't a dream - more like a nightmare!!! Shift reduction is accomplished by raising the fulcrum point of the lever. If you make the lever shorter it would force the driver into an unnatural seating position in order to reach the ****. Good thought, though...!
Pete

2002M3Drew

One thing about the factory SSK that I like is that it never feels like an SSK. The side to side distances are the same as stock, it is only the fore and aft movement that is affected. I have tried many other SSKs on cars. My cousin-in-law has a Hurst unit on his C5 Corvette, and the throws are shortened in every direction...you cannot tell what gear you are in until you disengage the clutch! Scary! It is also as hard as a rock to shift. I also had one in my BMW M3, one that was very thoughfully designed by a well-known BMW engineering firm, and it also just didn't feel right. It made the shifts very stiff, albeit very precise. The problem for me was a lot of extra tranny noise, which concerned me enough to have the kit removed almost one week to the day of having it installed!

In comparison, the 911 SSK really feels like it came with the car, or should have come with the car. Shift effort is higher than stock, but no where near a point where it is bothersome. I never miss a shift, and the lever doesn't go as far under my leg as it did before when I grab 1st or 2nd! Zero downside, as far as I can tell.

Of course, if there ever was a way to install a Miata shifter, short little **** and all, into an older 911....it would be bliss!

Barclay

I found the entire kit at my local P-store $300.00 later

Peter Zimmermann

Barclay: Outstanding!
Pete

H. Miller

I resurrecting this thread because I need a Porsche OE short shift kit and all phone/internet searches for one say they are No Longer Available (NLA). Anyone know where I can get one?
Thanks in advance.

Peter Zimmermann

Howie: I'm pretty sure that you can get all the individual pieces from an aggressive dealer, EXCEPT for the metal "box" that the pivot pin fits through. If need be I can find the part number for that part and you can keep checking with your dealer - let me know.
Pete

JCP911S

My 2 cents... IMHO the stock factory shifter works fine. Porsche designed it to reflect the fundamental characteristics/limitations of the 915 gearbox. IF you use it properly it will shift as effectively as any linkage.

The "gate" on the 915 is inherently "vague" and the synchros are relatively "slow" by today's standards. A SSK is not going to make the gate crisper or the synchros work faster.... just the opposite... it can make the gate more tempermental and beat the synchros.

The best I've heard about the factory SSK is that " ... it is almost as good as the stock linkage..."

That said this is all a mater of taste. If the throw of the stock shifter causes you to reach too far, and this is physically uncomfortable... then that is one thing. But I doubt it will make the car shift "better".

But its your money.

H. Miller

JCP911S, I think I hear you saying go with something else which would be a definite consideration. I have completed some searches and reading and it seems the Wevo shift kit is fairly accepted. Have you made any mods in this regard to your 911(s)? I would be interested in your opinion as to what might work better.
I am thinking of buying a 83 SC and would use it for 5-8 days/year DE and drive it several times a week to work but not in winter (Denver).