In my opinion, the gear lever feels like it has too much slack in it which sometimes leads to difficulty in "feeling" for the right gear position.

With the lever in any slected gear, how much slack movement should there be?

 

996 shifter sucks. Really bad. There's nothing wrong with yours except that you haven't replaced it. Your options from cheapest to best are:

997 Shift Kit
B&M SSK
997 SSK
Numeric SSK (worth the money if you ever track the car.)

You can also get cheap eBay SSK specials but I haven't heard from anyone that has tried them.

 

So does the 997 kit just bolt straight in........is the kit fitted from inside or underneath the car........is it a nightmare job that's worth it............just trying to get a handle on what kind of job this is.

Thanks for the response.

 

It's an easy DIY. Look on pelican parts for the instructions but it's basically just remove the console and swap them out. The instructions will emphasize the need to mark the cables so that you get them back in the right spot.

If you do it, let me know and I'll shoot you a photo of the piece I broke on the console so that you know which way it pulls to snap out. Luckily I was replacing my console with a used one I'd bought off eBay or else i'd have been pretty annoyed.

 

So I found this........

http://www.pelicanparts.com/techarti..._Shift_Kit.htm

Anything to add about things to avoid? Also, what do you think about their comments about just replacing the old bushings withe new and improved versions?

 

I've got a lightly used (a few thousand miles) 997 shifter for $75 plus shipping. If you're interested, PM me.

 

My numeric was a complete replacement so I didn't have to worry about the bushings. I expect that Dporto's (which is a heck of a deal) is the same way but you will want to verify. Otherwise the bushings is a good idea.

That's the article I used. I forgot to have the white lithium grease on hand but there was enough in the old cable ends that it wasn't a big deal.

My big mistake was on the cover beside the ebrake. The two top corners pop out (gently) and the bottom corners hook in to swing the cover out once the top is released.

 

I'd be very curious to try some of those options, since I thought the 996 shifter was already pretty good!

 

You aren't alone

Some times I think it would be nice to have a slightly shorter throw, but I've never found it to be sloppy. At least for day to day driving with some fun thrown in from time to time.

I can't think of any bad shifts where I could legitimately look beyond my finger tips and toes for the root cause...

 

I did the "cheap" 997 shifter upgrade because I could not stand the slack and sloppiness you mentioned in the gear change. As mentioned, it's a direct swap. The 997 is so much more precise & smooth, but it's definitely not a SSK as the throw is not short & compact as found with other SSK shifters out there. Good-luck with your choice... Cheers,

 

It may be an issue with the bushings wearing out then. I would literally miss 2-3rd shifts when driving aggressively with my old shifter and leave it hanging in neutral. I never had that issue on my 997oe, 997ssk and there is zero doubt when shifting the numeric.

 

Keep an eye on ebay and in the classifieds. You can usually find them for pretty cheap. I found a B&M SSK already mounted in the cradle for about $100. Made install really easy.

The B&M is a bit notchy when cold, but it has much shorter throws, and you can definitely feel the pattern and know what gear you are selecting. Even my wife commented on how much she liked the feel of it better than the stock 996 shifter.

I think the consensus is that the 997 SSK is a bit smoother, but now having the B&M, Im not sure Id spend the extra $$.

 

You remove the shifter ****, boot, and surround, and then you remove the center console (the plastic console that runs between the front seats) to expose the shifter. This is by no means a nightmare job, but the first time you do it, you'll want to be slow and methodical about it so you don't break anything. The wire clip for the alarm switch in the center storage console, for example, is easy to break if you don't realize it's there.

Once the console is out of the way, you remove a few 10-12mm nuts and lift the console up and out of the way to expose the shifter. Replacing the shifter takes all of 5 minutes; you'll want to test it to make sure it shifts properly before buttoning it all back up.

The first time you do this, it'll take you a few hours total; after a couple of times, you could probably remove/replace the center console in 15 minutes.

 

Remember, 987=997

I scored a 987 shifter out of a 30,000 mile Cayman for $50. Such a great upgrade.

 

I hope you don't mind a hijack but when I read this thread it brought up an issue I am starting to see with my 2001 C4 (original shifter) and thought that some of you guys that have worked on the shifting mechanism could give me a start point.

I have been noticing lately that shifting into reverse is "different". It seems there is significantly more resistance when moving the lever to the left than there used to be. It still goes into reverse okay once it is to the left but it is not confidence inspiring. Movement through the forward gears seems to be unaffected.

I've never worked on a cable actuated shifter so my question is where to start? I'm assuming that the two cables at the shifter end I see in the photos hook directly into the linkage below. Before I get the car up on stands, do you guys think it is possible the problem is at the shifter end (i.e. dry cable or worn bearing) or is it more likely a missing retaining clip or something mechanical at the transmission end?