matt777

Thought I would start a new post on this topic since the upgrades have now been completed.

I've got a few miles on the regeared box and a new LWF. I'm pretty happy with the set-up. Here are a few of my thoughts after the first 100 miles:

LWF

* Its more of a subtle change than I expected
* No stalling yet; engine rpm bounces around for a few seconds after coming to a stop
* no gearbox rattle; PO said he didn't have any either???
* engine rpm rise quicker when blipping the throttle on the downshifts. Very nice.
* Increase in acceleration due to LWF is not known as the gearing has changed too
* Isn't more difficult starting off; no change in driving style required
* For some reason the install was a b*tch as the fork kept falling off of the TO bearing (yes it was taped up but the tape had to come off to get the shaft in). I swear I had the tranny off 6 times before I got it. Perhaps this is because the TO bearing geometry is different. I didn't have any problems last time I changed the clutch.

Close Ratio Gearbox

* This is how the gbx should have been from the factory. It justs feel right.
* An acceleration run is now a quick series of upshifts with the engine always in the power band
* The car does feel quicker. 50hp quicker? I don't know about that one.
* I don't want to upgrade the engine now (at least temporarily)
* Second and third gear have a little whine to it in deceleration; probably due to aftermarket gears
* I didn't miss the extra tall 6th. It might be nice to have a somewhat taller 6th for long hauls to help with mileage but it really doesn't seem like a big deal now. I'm not sure whether I'll have enough motivation to spend another $1k on that one.
* Better gear selection in city driving (that is just a side benefit)

Would it be worth spending $9k on? Thats a tough one.
Time for an oil change now.

tjangi

+1 on both

os993

I also have the LWF and re-geared 2-6th. I went all Guards gears and steel synchros. For 6th, I went with Euro 6th and use it almost everytime I drive. Some here put either 5th into 6th (is that what you did?). For me, this would not be a desirable option. Anything over 75mph and it's nice to have OD. In terms of 2-5th gear, I went a bit more aggressive than Euro gears, and it's a sweet set-up, especially 2nd. The US 2nd, IMHO, is an embarrassment.


I also spent around $10k, but that was approx 8yrs ago. I had the $$ at the time, and I've enjoyed the upgrade. No stalling (LWF on '95).

matt777

+1 on the second gear and OD 6th. This box has a very short 2.4 second. It also has the old 5th (0.921) as 6th which is alright for everything but long hauls at 75-80 mph which are not very often unfortunately,. That will change next summer.

1pcarnut

Just got my LWF installed on Friday and it wasn't quite as dramatic as I thought it would be either, in fact was a little disappointed at first. Revs blip faster but not as quick as I hoped they would, acceleration is better (stock gears) which is nice, one stall today, otherwise the idle bounces a little but nothing dramatic, seems to start slightly quicker. Still getting used to it and liking it, worth the $, car feels more lively.

goofballdeluxe

I agree on the LWF feeling a bit more lively, but very subtle. I was expecting a dramatic difference; I didn't get one. Still, the LWF is more robust than the DMF and it's a good upgrade when the original clutch starts going bad.

Would love to re-gear but boy is that pricey!

race911

You've got 95+% of the benefit now. If you're dying for the other 5%, buy a plane ticket down here and take the yellow car out for an honest assessment.

(Hoping to get some actual back-to-back data on our 11/15 track day.)

Nickmysta

Thanks for the feedback, guys.

My 96 4S is scheduled to go through a custom re-gearing soon. We are in the process of selecting the gear ratios.

As I can't stand second gear, I am changing the main shaft and converting to 2wd (don't have a choice to change 2nd).

It's always difficult to interpret reviews without knowing the reviewer, but I have to admit that what you guys are writing makes me a tad nervous about spending the $9K...

matt777

I may drive down that way next summer


I think you have to be pretty serious about performance driving and keeping the car long term to warrant the cost. The stock ratios are very poor IMHO and 2nd is the worst offender. However, the stock box doesn't stop us from enjoying our 993s either.

Just look at it this way... $9k has to be a lot cheaper than a proper engine upgrade so you are saving money.

Nickmysta

Thanks for the advice, Matt.

To give you more context, I am re-gearing as part of a broader engine upgrade which is costing much more than the re-gearing itself (heads, cams, cats, retainers, injectors, motec, etc). The question therefore becomes - should I direct these funds towards additional engine mods (pistons, ITBs) rather than gearing??

I know it's a nice problem to have, but it's a serious one nonetheless :P

Thanks again for your input - I appreciate it.

goofballdeluxe

Personally, I'd think re-gearing the tranny would give more bang for the buck than engine mods, but I'm sure those with more experience would be able to give you a more definitive answer.

Slow Guy

I have the LWF kit from FD Motorsports sitting in my garage cabinet. Was hoping to install it before Palooza but my landscape project took precedence. I'll do it after I get back. Thanks for the heads up on what to expect including the TOB/fork issue.

matt777

I seem to be the only one who has had problems on this one. Its probably just me not following a proper procedure. All this would be much easier engine out. When I think about it, its not alot more work to drop the whole engine out and it probably wouldn't have taken any more time. Perhaps this is why many shops insist on doing this.

You're supposed to tape the fork to the pressure plate to hold it in place. I leave some sticking out the top so I can grab it to extract the tape. If you tape it too well its impossible to get it off. If its too loose the fork could fall down before you can get the gbx on. Once the gbx is almost face to face with the engine, you have to pull the fork off of the pp towards the front and up a bit to get the shaft through. I reached down through the slave hole and upper inspection hole with my fingers to lift the fork up. If you lift it too much it comes out of the TO bearing and you get to start all over again. If I had a better spotter or spotting system for watching through the shaft access hole it might have gone smoother. My arms hurt just thinking about it now.

cohare

dang 9k with out install costs, that is a bit pricy but, I guess if you are already taking out the tranny to do a clutch might be worth it.

The question for me having a C2, is it better to buy new gear sets for existing tranny or better to swap out the whole deal (shop would be doing labor)?

JM993

I just swapped a g50/31 into my car and sold my old transmission approximately a year ago. It cost me a lot less than $9K. Plus I got a 2 year warranty from Porsche.

Cheers,
Joe