ChicagoSpeed996

Yes, because it is an inexpensive upgrade. I got mine for $100.

JMLavoie

In order to upshift into 2nd or 4th, I have to pause a little longer to achieve a smooth engagement. Into 4th in particular, I sort of feel the gear engagement through the stick as if, perhaps, something is misaligned.
On the other hand, downshifting into those same 2nd and 4th gears, no pause is needed.
I wonder if upgrading from 996 OEM to 997 shifter would improve the engagement in those 2 gears?
Could bushing wear in the OEM shifter be the culprit, if that makes sense as the car is 15 yrs old?
Otherwise, shifting into any other gears is smooth and I hear no noise from the transmission at any speed.
Comments welcome!

Ck986

I have a 997 shifter on my tt. I like it much better than the evoms ssk that was originally on the car. I used the little green lock tool and my only complaint is that sometimes downshifting to 2nd the shifter opens the reverse gate.

Ahsai

Pause briefly in neutral between gears is always a good practice because it takes time for the syncro to work. I don't think changing to the 997 shifter will change what you're experiencing as any resistance you are experiencing comes from the transmission/linkage itself. The shifter itself has very little resistance and it's quite free to move.

The bushings in the stock shifter is a joke. They are too sloppy. The 997 stock shifter is much tighter.

Same reason as above, I don't think that is the problem of the shifter itself. The spring of the reverse gate is inside the transmission. Maybe you're so used to the force you needed to put it in reverse when you used the SSK. Now with more leverage, the spring will feel weaker.

Rubik

Are there any DIY threads? Do you need to change your shift cables as well or is it plug & play?

Ahsai

100% plug and play and no messing with the cables. There's a B&M sk install instruction for removing the center console to get to the shifter. Then just unbolt the old one and swap in the new one with the centering tool mounted.

Rubik

Thanks dude! It's on the list!

D6lc

I was surprised how much better a 997 std shifter is vs the 996 std. with the 996 shifter it felt more notchy and when cold I had a few times it jumped out of 2nd, due to me not positively shifting.

997 feels nicer and no more 2nd gear jumps (have a detent repair that I have never fitted if someone wants one, BNIB $175).

Not sure whether this improvement is just the 997 shifter or the fact that when I fitted it I used the alignment tool, maybe my 996 linkage just needed re-aligning. The tool is around $10 from Porsche, worth getting and checking your linkage adjustment is you’re really unhappy with it.

Still feels like moving a stick in a bag full of rocks when cold, even with fresh Porsche oil, doesn’t seem to be much you can do about that though!

alpine003

You may want to check and adjust your cables. I've had similar condition and even with using the factory alignment tool, it only gets your 75-80% there IMO. If you look at the threads, you'll see how fine the threading is and just a few turns can make a difference. Even if your shifter is original, over the years the cable and assembly can wear and be slightly off from new.

On another note, I think I finally nailed the perfect adjustment after a few tries. Before my 997 SSK got slightly notchy with a cold weather. I wanted to see if I can improve it by readjusting the cables. Now that is no longer an issue as well.

JMLavoie

Thanks Ahsaï and Alpine for your comments.
Alpine: Did you achieve alignment nirvana by going for a test drive after each adjustment inputs until you got the perfect one?

alpine003

Unfortunately yes and through the course of a few months only because I wanted it to be perfect but it was def worth it for me. Some are **** about clean wheels, clean paint, Porsche crest pointed to valve stems, etc. I'm **** about my shifts. I would say I withered it down to +/- 3 turns on each cable. Don't see a reason to go any further.

In fact I had to back out my car the other day and it was around 35 degrees. I was still impressed on the feel the shifter gave me in the cold.

ChicagoSpeed996

Interesting, maybe I would benefit from adjustment, but all shifts are buttery smooth, pretty smooth in the cold and no poppoing out whatso ever, maybe leave well enough alone. The funny thing is that I just put the shifter in, laid the cables in and that was it. No monkeying with it at all.

silvergray951

I bought a used shifter (997-424-010-00) and am about to install it but I don't have the green centering tool. Is this a critical item to have for the install?

Ahsai

Yes and it should be available at the dealer for a few dollars. Without it, you may need a lot of trial and error to align the cables.

silvergray951

OK thanks!