Hi everyone,

Today was the first full day I got to drive the 996tt. Car sat for 2 days in the garage prior to today's drive. After driving it around town and on the freeway today, I noticed 2 things (aside from the car being a true sports car!):

1) The shifter is OEM. I noticed the throws are quite a bit longer than my 2010 Acura TL which has really short shifts. One thing I noticed is that 2nd gear seems "finicky." For example, shifting from 1-2 I found out I really have to grab a hold of the shifter and get it into 2nd gear. Same from 2-3. I really have to shift from 2-3 with a good amount of force to get in 3rd gear.

However, say I'm coasting in neutral, slowing down to 15mph and getting ready to go onto a freeway ramp. I try to shift from N-2. In doing so I found it impossible to get the shifter to "click" into 2nd gear, at least on the first attempt.

So what I had to do was reshift to N, and then tried N-2 a second consecutive time. 2nd gear would then engage.

Is this normal? The PPI never mentioned anything about difficulty in engaging 2nd gear. Am I doing something wrong? Should I really 'jam' the shifter into 2nd?

2) Given the longer throws, has anyone installed a short shifter? Would this help with what I'm experiencing above?

3) Today after a 15 min ride back home, I noticed a slight burning smell coming from the rear engine bay. Smell goes away very quickly... I smelled this before after driving the car a few days ago. Is this normal?

Thanks!

 

How many miles on the car? The stock shifters wear out. Get a stock 997 shifter from Suncoast Porsche. Dramatic improvment.

 

34k miles.

Would worn transmission mounts affect shifting quality?

 

I replaced the mounts on my 145K mile C4 and it did not make much difference. My shifter was really worn though. Then I replaced the shifter with the 997 unit and it was sweet once again. My TT had the 997 shifter when I bought it at 45K. You may just need to get used to it and or you may need the cables adjusted or replaced. The 997 unit is a real improvement.

 

When I was looking for a better shifter, the Numeric was considered the best. Not cheap but phenomenal.

 

Engine mounts have been known to cause clunky shifting. Easy and relatively cheap DIY.

 

Is this 997 unit the one you recommend? Is that your review?

http://www.suncoastparts.com/product/997SCU.html

What's the difference between the 997 unit vs the Porsche short shift kit? Would one install one or the other, not both?

http://www.suncoastparts.com/product/99742498300.html

Would the short shift kit or the 997 shifter help with the N-2 shifting?

 

Funny you mention this. The PPI did recommend new engine and transmission mounts.

Mind me asking what are some "side effects" of worn engine and transmission mounts?

 

Between my worn trans mount and engine mounts, you could feel the shifter move fore/aft when in gear and you jumped on/off the gas. Also pretty easy to check trans mount under car for cracks. Low miles but old rubber that may be shot.

I had a stock shifter/boat oar that worked fine then put in a Numeric because I wanted shorter shifts. It was nice and short but a little notchy in the middle of 3 settings. However, I had some issues getting it into gear at times that I never had with the stock one. So I put stock one back in, adjusted it and swapped Numeric back in. Still had issues getting into 1st and 2nd, and going from 3>2. Replaced it with a GT-3 one that worked fine and has great throw/feel. My trans was on its way out so that could have contributed to the problem, or, maybe a misadjusted shifter sped up my trans going out? All I know is both factory ones with the adjustment tools worked fine.

Some advice given to me by a site sponsor that I believe is great to consider: use a shifter that you know can be adjusted correctly.

 

There are several threads on the improvements from replacing engine mounts on the NA 996 forum. I haven't searched in this forum, but don't really remember seeing much discussion about engine mounts here. It may be that 996tts on average seem to have much lower mileage than the NA cars, so maybe we just haven't worn them out very often.

Improved shifting is probably #1 improvement on the list. If your passenger seat (while unoccupied) has a little vibration, that's another sign.

My car also came with engine mounts that a mechanic recommended be changed. I haven't done them yet. But my shifting into first is clunky and my passenger seat vibrates just a little. So, it's on my list. I swapped them out on my previous car ('99 C4), but frankly didn't notice any change. Others have reported all sorts of improvements, from more power to better gas mileage to better performance in bed. I'll change mine this spring, and I'll report back on results. Would be interesting to hear your results if you change them. I have heard that the transmission mounts also make a big difference, but I think that's a much more difficult swap.

 

you should check age and r&r as needed both the motor mounts to semis as well as ensure you have a recent 997 t-mount. if you still have issues it could be cable related. also a 997 SSK is "more" that enough shortness/reduction of throw for most of "us" but if you'e gonna "spend? numeric w all the w the cables. tot sly different car/tautnesss.

but if your mounts ( trans and motor ) are all relatively new? you have other stuff goin on. but old mounts = "SLOP"

 

First, change the trans oil and see if your 2nd gear improves!
Secondly, stock 6TT shifter sucks, get any 997 shifter and check/replace the trans mount

 

+1 on that 993gt. When I was test driving cars before I purchased mine I drove one with a realy short shifter. Not sure what kind, but I would not want it in my car unless it was a dedicated track car. The stock 997 is a nice blend of improved short shift ( I think it is about 10-15% less) and something that just feels good in traffic.

 

Guys, just so I get this straight. A standard 997 (non-short throw) still reduces shift on 996t by about 15% correct? Does it offer any other improvements besides reduced throw?

Same question regarding the 997 short throw shifter. Reduces throw by about 35% ? Does it offer any other improvements or is the purpose of installing one only to reduce shift throw?

Both options are a straight plug-in swap?? I'm actually OK with the stock long shifter but wouldnt mind a small throw reduction. Just don't want to break something that's not broken

Thanks!!

 

yes any 997 shifter is a huge improvement...much shorter(not sure on % but its good ) and better feel/accuracy