Only1Buck

Has anyone swapped out the OEM short shift kit on a Boxster Spyder if you did what did you put in?

I am asking this based on another thread for 997s where there is an indication that the 997GT3 shifter has more solid guts than the traditional 997 short shift kit.

Thank you in advance

the_vetman

I have not (sorry). Instead, I went from regular shifter to OEM SSK. Feels great. I believe Numeric Racing shifter is better - but ~twice the cost.

GT3 shifter has metal internals/linkages compared to plastic material in the 997 part (OEM SSK) from what I'm told, and has a better feel. Some people go with Cup car cables, etc., for even better feel.

terbiumactivated

Just my opinion but unless you are like me and going to keep your Spyder as long as you can for yourself, my advise would be not to modify it from stock. If you're the kind of guy who is going to want something else in 36 months your used Spyder will be worth more unmolested.

Marine Blue

Steve I would also be interested in knowing if the GT3 shifter varies internally.

As we have all seen, the B&M SSK does have aluminum in it which replaces the stock plastic. B&M makes the shifter for Porsche and everyone says it's an improvement. Maybe the B&M SSK with Aluminum guts and GT3 Shifter are similar?

Only1Buck

As I understand it the GT3 has the aluminum guts...that is the piece I find intriguing as I would expect that to be overall more durable than the plastic the OEM 997 SSK and Boxster Spyder kits have.

B&M sells an SSK and it fits the following:

Application
'97-'04 Boxster (986 all models)
'05-'11 911 (997 all models)
'98-'05 911 (996 all models)
'05-'11 Boxster, Cayman (987 all models)

the_vetman

One word of caution: be careful of some aftermarket SSKs.

People on other sites have complained that, unlike OEM SSK where you change out the whole kit, AM ones including B&M just change out some of the internals and it's tough to get it back to stock or change to another type if you don't like that particular SSK. After reading multiple people post that OEM kit is best (including some who tried B&M, but this was before Numeric Racing's SSK came out), I went OEM route. Of course, using an OEM GT3 shifter would obviate that problem.

BTW... Afshin, did you move to KC?? I missed the whole move! Knew you were moving but didn't know when! Hope things are well!

mrd_spy

The gt3 one is not a short, but yes has solid bushing.

But I cannot fault the short shift kit one and like the very short throw.

10 GT3

You can order 2 different versions of the OEM SSK: internal parts and complete with housing. The factory SSK is actually made by B&M. They can be either red or blue anodized, but there are only 2 real different between the OEM and the B&M kits: bushings and the shifter position tool. The OEM comes with a set of OEM plastic bushings white the B&M has Teflon cased aluminum bushings that has one with a pre-load adjustment. The OEM has a tool to keep the shifter aligned while you install the cables. The B&M just gives a guide in the instructions to where the shifter should be positioned when you install the cables. The OEM shifter install tool is available separately from Porsche.

In either case, you have a problem trying to switch it back: Porsche does not sell the bushings separate from the shifter. Hence, once you cur out the originals to swap shifters it is pretty much a permanent change. With the OEM SSK to remove it, you would have to cut out the bushings again. Then you would have to buy another shifter kit to reinstall the old one to get a set of bushings. With the B&M, since the bushings are not hard mounted like the OEM bushings you could reinstall the OEM stock shifter with the B&M bushings; but again you can't buy replacement bushings to make the kit hole again. So bottom line, if you are going to plan to swap to a SSK then just toss the old parts (no one ever wants them) and make the SSK a permanent change.

With all that, I had the B&M in my 996.2 Carrera and loved it. I never had an issue with it the 5 years I owned the car and the current owner loves it just as much. I just followed the B&M instructions when I installed it and never used the OEM install tool. I actually bought the shifter before I even picked the car up. The 996/986 shifter is simply far too rubbery and vague. I found the OEM/B&M SSK to be perfect for these cars and highly recommend it.

GT3 is a different animal that has a completely different transaxle. The linkage in the transaxle is a lot shorter, hence why it does not need a shorter shifter. With the short throws and high weight of the OEM GT3 shifter, I have never found a reason to change. The 997 GT3 shifter is actually the same as the OEM 997/987 shifter just with metal bushings and a solid shift link (no spring damper). Throw length is similar to the SSK in the regular models with more weighting/effort.

mooty

i am not sure gt3 shifter has much metal parts in there. not mine anyways. if you want metal internals you are looking at 996cup shifter and cables. they are stiff and may not be that good for street. you hear a lot more noises.

the_vetman

Hmm, interesting. Perhaps I was previously told wrong info.

the_vetman

http://www.6speedonline.com/forums/a...fter-sale.html

It appears that GT3 shifter has aluminum bushings. Great price!

jon91581

If you want something where the cage is made out of aluminum, but is still reasonably affordable, you might want to look at the Numeric Racing SSK. I'm about to install one in my car, and I've got the OEM SSK in there now. I'm also contemplating the Cup car cables as mentioned previously because the linkage ends are metal instead of plastic and less prone to breaking.

10 GT3

Not really when you consider the upgrade is just a couple of bushings. Better off buying the B&M or factory SSKs.

Marine Blue

So what would you guys recommend for someone who wants
- A more direct feel
- less slop
- minimal notchiness
- nice mechanical feel

I'm not too worried about the distance of the throws and the B&M seemed a bit notchy to me.

10 GT3

Drive a car with the B&M and the OEM stock shift link after it gets warmed up and you won't notice any notchiness. The one in my 996 was perfect. The biggest mistake I ever make was putting one of the POS EVOMS shift links in the car. It made the shifter notchy all the time. The problem is the ball cup fits way too tight. Putting the stock shift link back in an inserting the EVOMS link in the trash fixed it. I have noticed the factory SSK with the plastic bushings is a little less notchy when cold than the B&M is with the reinforced bushings. Whichever way you go, factory SSK or B&M, will eliminate the sloppiness.