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Well, you are stuck in "a gear". If you reach under the car you can put it in any gear you want by hand. You just can't change it until you crawl under the car again. It is a good to know how to get it into second which will allow you to pull away and make it around town.
Well, you are stuck in "a gear". If you reach under the car you can put it in any gear you want by hand. You just can't change it until you crawl under the car again. It is a good to know how to get it into second which will allow you to pull away and make it around town.
Love to see someone actually do that on the side of the road after the cable snapped.
Did you notice a change in feel with just the cables?
Absolutely! The rifle bolt action is really the best way to describe it, the shifts are louder (in a good way), and it's much more satisfying when you engage a gear. Downside is I hear lifter tick which is being transferred through the metal on metal contact, but it's not something that bothers me as it's drowned out by either music from the speakers or music from the exhaust/engine.
Originally Posted by garfunkle
The shifter is adjustable and the throws in mine are almost the same length as stock.
Originally Posted by professsorz
There are 3 positions the shifter can be set at. The tallest is equivalent to the stock throws. The middle is a bit shorter and the lowest shorter still. Numerics Racing can tell you the percentages - I don’t recall beyond thinking it may have been 20 and 40 percent. They told me most people run the middle position and that’s what I have. Feels better than stock to me.
Oh I'm aware the Numeric shifter is adjustable, but since I'm happy with its operation with the current throws, there's no need for me to replace the stock shifter. YMMV.
Absolutely! The rifle bolt action is really the best way to describe it, the shifts are louder (in a good way), and it's much more satisfying when you engage a gear. Downside is I hear lifter tick which is being transferred through the metal on metal contact, but it's not something that bothers me as it's drowned out by either music from the speakers or music from the exhaust/engine.
Oh I'm aware the Numeric shifter is adjustable, but since I'm happy with its operation with the current throws, there's no need for me to replace the stock shifter. YMMV.
Yup. The loose/floppy feel of the standard shifter irritated me and that was a large part of my wanting the Numeric. I've used the shifter in a GT3 while stationary and it is pretty similar in feel with regards to "not floppy".
The shift cables run right in front of the belts and accessory section of the motor. I used the insulation that came with the kit (the wrench is essential, without it I would still be under the car hugging the transmission) and I cut it lengthwise and started right at the firewall grommet and zip-tied it there. Then I twisted it all around until it was tight then zipped the other end. I do not have any more noise than I had before.
I also have a nice new Raceng shift **** and I set the shifter in the middle position. It's shorter than stock but not hugely so. I have always been a "feel the synchros" shifter (if that makes sense) and jamming it from gear to gear has never been my style. The new shifter eliminates almost all the slop and it has a more mechanical feel. It feels as close to a gated shifter as a normal shifter can. If you've ever driven an older Ferrari, (365 GTB) or certain Miatas you will know what I mean.
Throwing away the atrocious factory shifter is a good thing. I wonder if Porsche made a bigger effort with its shift linkage if more people would buy manuals?
Mine has only been in for a few miles and so far no more missed shifts or wrong gears. I understand it just gets better as the new parts "settle." If Porsche made the entire car like the Numeric shifter, (if you could afford to buy one) they car would never need to be replaced like a toaster. All that crappy plastic is an abomination.
I think something in the shifting mechanism must wear over time/use. I first drove an 80k mile car and I thought the shifter was terrible. I was really surprised. I ended up buying a very low mileage car and I think the shifter is pretty good. Not as good as my Miatas were or an S2K, and I have no doubt that it can be improved with the Numeric shifter, but I suspect that people who think the stock shifter is horrible also probably have a lot miles on their car.
I think something in the shifting mechanism must wear over time/use. I first drove an 80k mile car and I thought the shifter was terrible. I was really surprised. I ended up buying a very low mileage car and I think the shifter is pretty good. Not as good as my Miatas were or an S2K, and I have no doubt that it can be improved with the Numeric shifter, but I suspect that people who think the stock shifter is horrible also probably have a lot miles on their car.
Thou dost suspect in error. Mine chariot had but 21,000 miles upon it yet its shifting, regrettably, compared but poorly with that of a humble Miata.
Thou dost suspect in error. Mine chariot had but 21,000 miles upon it yet its shifting, regrettably, compared but poorly with that of a humble Miata.
Like I said my good man, I agree its not as good as a Miata. Which I don't think is that humble. Its widely regarded to have one of the best shifters out there and is what I was used to before my 987. Cable operated shifters generally don't feel that amazing. I don't feel compelled to rush out and replace it, but maybe thats just a personal preference thing. I still think that they probably get worse feeling with age and use.
Last edited by sectachrome; 12-08-2020 at 08:02 PM.
The shift cables run right in front of the belts and accessory section of the motor. I used the insulation that came with the kit (the wrench is essential, without it I would still be under the car hugging the transmission) and I cut it lengthwise and started right at the firewall grommet and zip-tied it there. Then I twisted it all around until it was tight then zipped the other end. I do not have any more noise than I hadbefore.
I'm about to go the Numeric route ... did you take pictures of what you did with the zip ties? If so, do you mind posting?
It would be nice to minimize noise and vibration.
BTW, I have a 981 ... is the noise issue less prevalent?
I have an 05 Boxster S. Once you get the top into service position, cover its flanks with a towel or blanket. I have a couple of scratches that arrived with the car and now I know their source.
I put in the cables and the shifter. Porsche uses different-length trim screws, some kind of German joke, I think. Try and keep them organized while you keep in mind that you are probably not the first person in there so they may have already been installed in the wrong places. A small drill/screw gun is very useful, great for removing engine covers too.
To cut the silicone insulation, I laid it in the groove in my table saw, to hold it straight, then I cut halfway through in a straight line using my pocket knife (it's very easy to cut). Then I zip-tied the end right behind the firewall grommet (that is where I believe most of the noise comes from) and then pushed it over the cable. If you leave it like that it will gape and you will need to zip tie all along the cable, so twist it so that the cut is a spiral, until you can't easily get it tighter, then zip the transmission end.
The most difficult part was getting the cable end to seat on the left side of the transmission; I have a 6 speed. I think it would be an impossible task without "the wrench," which I suggested to Numeric that they raise their prices a bit and include it in all the kits like an IKEA wrench. Without the wrench, the chances that you might set fire to the car are astronomical.
And getting the damn factory shifter off, that was maddening! Be careful that you don't smack yourself in the forehead or break off your rear view mirror, I am not joking! If you use the abomination again, put something slippery in there like WD or similar, the latch-thing will hold it steady.
This was my first attempt (after the oil change) to do my own repair/mod. It took a short while to figure out how to get the car apart (the Bose thing behind the seats...) and I was a bit intimidated. Don't be. It's fiddly and frustrating and a nuisance to work in all those fiddly holes but now I have a greater appreciation of proctologist's...but I could do another set in about 3 hours, having done this one. Don't let your shop or the dealer screw you over this, they've done lots of cables.
Take this opportunity to polish or clean the console.
I did not remove the seats nor did I disconnect the battery, you might need to move your seats.
I have been told but have not experienced it myself, to never turn on the ignition with the console out, something to do with airbag resetting that only a dealer can do. To me, this is a rumour, but I didn't do it anyway!
There are 2 tiny clippy-things that hold the front of the shift boot in place. These must be removed to get at 2 torx screws. You will probably lose one of these clips or drop the other down inside the console. Do not panic, both of mine have gone south and the shift boot is adequately secure.
There is a strange fitting that holds the old cables in place and holds a corner of the handbrake lever in place. I used the nut and the rest of it is on my workbench, the new cables are too thick to use this bit.
Make sure you ordered the correct cables; look again at the model number and check your invoice. I got a 5 speed cable set at first and tried to install it. My fault, I'm a moron. Numeric is amazing, they got the right one out to me in days.
Last thing, if you have a Bose with that large lump-thing behind your head, it is heavy and the cable you have to disconnect is a bugger. The lump only fits from the rear. Fortunately, Porsche put a little trap door in its side so you can get at it a little better. You will not find this little trap door until you are just about to throw the thing across the garage. Look for it, right side.
Almost forgot to add, make sure the car can't move because without the brake lever all the way down, it is impossible to reattach the handbrake cables.
Make sure the car is in neutral before you start!
The shift feel is different. Being used to the factory sloppy shifter and having driven many other rear-engine cars (Fiats and Renault's, mostly) it is a shock to find that the lever moves the lever into gear and stops! Push harder into gear and it just doesn't move. I think this effect plus the lack of any slop, earns it the "rifle bolt" comment. I like it and unlike most mods, there is a definite improvement. Old: the third cable is the battery positive. It's almost in...
The shift cables run right in front of the belts and accessory section of the motor. I used the insulation that came with the kit (the wrench is essential, without it I would still be under the car hugging the transmission) and I cut it lengthwise and started right at the firewall grommet and zip-tied it there. Then I twisted it all around until it was tight then zipped the other end. I do not have any more noise than I hadbefore.
I'm about to go the Numeric route ... did you take pictures of what you did with the zip ties? If so, do you mind posting?
It would be nice to minimize noise and vibration.
BTW, I have a 981 ... is the noise issue less prevalent?
You can see what I did in this post, including zip tying the grommet.
I installed the GT3 shifter at about 81k miles. Was literally identical save a couple metal bushings in place of the previous plastic ones. Easy job. Car shifted better, essentially like it had when I acquired it about 50k miles earlier. That said, it was not a day/night change nor miraculous experience. Just kinda better...
Like you, I am contemplating replacing the cables, particularly after the "they will break, it's just a matter of time" stories I see here. When and if I do, it will be with updated OEM cables. I can live with the cable shifter feel of the stock car, along with it's fairly modest NVH. Mine is a daily driver street car vs a track weapon. Had a track weapon... deliberatly keeping this one in civilian trim.
12-08-2020, 02:49 PM
