Amfab

I get in the car to drive home from work tonight, start up, press the clutch, and I hear an odd, soft noise like something small dropped in a tray...

I reach for the shifter to put it in reverse and it feels like the shifter isn't connected to anything... I mean it kinda feels like it is but not really, and no gears are engaged when I let the clutch out...

Any Ideas? Im gonna have it towed to my mechanic tomorrow, but I am concerned

Mike J

Hard to say Andrew, but it sounds like linkage, not the transmission itself. It could be as simple as one of the connecting linkage bolts got loose.....

Best of luck and keep us posted!

Cheers,

Mike

AOW162435

Dusty linkage?


Andreas

deekay911

The tray covering the length of the gear tunnel is metal, so anything coming adrift in the linkage mechanism would sound like you described - my bet is that it will be any easy fix.

AOW162435

The entire pivoting mechanism, directly under the shift lever, is further protected by a rubber boot. While the ball cup at the shifter end is a high-failure item, the rod end would stay within the boot, and not 'clank' against the tunnel cover when it fails.

I would suspect the front ball cup or the single bolt that ties the shift rod to the transmission selector rod.


Andreas

deekay911

Agreed on the front ball cup - I just had mine apart for the golden rod, and it was pretty loose, and looked like it could just drop off at any time..

chris walrod

+1

TheOtherEric

Yup, probably one of the ball cups on the forward stabilizer bar of the shifter linkage. Put the car on 4 jackstands, remove the long rectangular tray under the linkage, and you'll be able to fix it. Pretty easy stuff here.

Amfab

Thank you guys from keeping me from freaking out—I had hoped it was just a linkage issue but the mind goes toward more costly repairs, and you were right—the mechanic said it was a ball cup.

I would normally do this kinda thing myself but I was so busy at work and its my daily driver.
So I had it towed in and rented a car.

I ran into a snag...the part isn't readily available around here, and the mechanic said it would be 5 days for it to get here. SO, with the labor being done by the mechanic and the rental car, the couple hundred dollar DIY has now turned into a 700.00+ project...

One the bright side, it has also turned into a FisterD Short Shift Kit install, because it replaces the broken OEM parts.

Darren had the kit in stock and it should be here in 2 days instead of 5. Plus he rushed it out without even receiving the payment (I was tied up at work). Because of the quick shipping the FDSSK is almost free with the savings on the rental car. Thanks Darren!

This place rocks

AOW162435

FYI - the plastic ball cup inserts are available as a 928 part and cost all of $4 each. Easy to replace and restore the original function (if that's what you're after).

I felt the factory design was poor and prone failure, so I created my own static rod using rod ends.


Andreas

NC TRACKRAT

That 928 ball cup is an excellent piece to keep in the trunk's emergency kit bag along with spare belts and DME relay. If stranded in "East Awflgosh", it can be a potential lifesaver.

FisterD

Glad I could help. I think you will like the improvement.

MarkD

and the sloppy ball/cup joint is out of the picture, never to fail again

Gunter

Is this the ball cup?

Pelican:

928-116-145-03-M100 Clutch Lever Ball Cup Bushing, 928 [More Info]
Brand: Genuine Porsche
Clutch Lever Ball Cup Bushing
[view in catalog] $13.00

NC TRACKRAT

I believe that's the one. Porsche msrp is $10.97 and a check with my favorite on-line dealer showed $8.20....for a little piece of plastic.