Road King

I believe that Agency Power is a Vivid Racing brand...but you might want to confirm that.

James88

I've heard Agency are Chinese made and not very good products. Besides Vivid does do not have a very good reputation.
http://www.6speedonline.com/forums/9...ed-me-off.html

http://www.benzboost.com/content.php...ness-with-them

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=314304

http://www.ripoffreport.com/r/Vivid-...Arizona-565984

MotoJB

Good product or not, I'd never buy anything from a Vivid company...good to know. Thanks.

doubleurx

I believe it is the 997SSK by default. It is great and was a huge improvement! I don't think a dedicated 996SSK exists.

"02996ttx50

^ agree. most all use 997ssk.

bugeyemilo

Thanks for chiming in.


can you comment on installing your kit into the 997 SSK? from what I am seeing it looks like "the ultimate shifter"



looking forward to your follow up post

HBdirtbag

I put the 997 shifter in yesterday. So far i love it. Not sure how much shorter the SSK's are, but that's gotta be nuts!

Function-First

Agreed on that sentiment. The SSK feels good on the Carrera and Boxster/Cayman models, but it's way too short on the GT/Turbo transmission, IMO.


The install is comparable to installing an aftermarket short shift kit. And if you wanted to opt for the Core Exchange, it simply drops in make for a quicker install. I do have 1 997 SSK I could offer up as a Core Exchange - please PM to arrange for that. Otherwise, you could opt for the Retrofit Kit, and follow the install instructions that are located at the bottom of the product page:
http://www.function-first.com/produc...right-solution

(There are instructions on how to remove the center console in there as well, which may prove helpful for anyone trying to get their interior apart.)


And for those of you interested in a more detailed and lengthier read about the SHIFT-RIGHT Solution, here's Part 2 follow-up of the OEM shifter teardown:

In continuation of the original post, I wanted give everyone a deeper look into how the SHIFT-RIGHT Solution improves upon the strengths of the OEM shifter assembly while eliminating its shortcomings.

To sum it up, the SHIFT-RIGHT Solution replaces the plastic bushings and pivot connections of the OEM shifter assembly with ball bearings and machined aluminum parts, eliminating the flex and excess play that plagues the stock setup. Plus, it preserves the strongest parts of the OEM shifter assembly for increased durability and reduced cost.

But here’s an in-depth look into how and why all that was achieved…


DESIGN REQUIREMENTS

Implement high-capacity ball bearings.
The only way to remove endplay from the pivot points, while simultaneously allowing for smooth operation, is through utilizing ball bearings in a configuration that allows for pre-loading them. And a key design consideration is the selection of an appropriate bearing to deliver durability and reliability. The front and rear bearings, within which the shift lever assembly rotates left-right, experience a majority of their loads axially (in-line with its axis), so high-capacity hardened steel thrust ball bearings were chosen. The shift lever assembly is entirely supported by these 2 ball bearings, and are pre-loaded via the rear set screw to eliminate all fore-aft play. Their high-capacity is especially important under repetitive and high stress conditions like track driving, and in shifting configurations that remove dampening features (rubber cable ends) as with Cup shifter cables.

And to ensure that all left-right shift lever force is transferred to the transmission, the shifter yoke is mounted on 2 deep-groove ball bearings to eliminate any lateral play when transitioning between the gear rows (i.e. shifts 2-3 & 4-5).

Tightly tolerance machined parts for unprecedented fit and operation.
In order to deliver superior fit and operation, all machined parts need to be tightly toleranced to both each other and the existing OEM shifter mechanism in which it’s being installed – any failure here would negate the benefits achieved with the ball bearings. As such, special care was taken in the design and tolerancing of all 6 unique machined parts of the SHIFT-RIGHT Solution retrofit kit to guarantee a close-fitting assembly – all slip-fits are within 0.003” of one another (see pics below). Additionally, in order to safeguard the high wear contact points of the shifter yoke and preserve those tolerances, it is hardcoat anodized with a Teflon impregnation for reduced friction.

Utilize the OEM shifter cradle and shift lever assembly to ensure factory fitment and keep costs down.
The OEM shifter cradle is a one-piece design molded from glass-fiber reinforced plastic, and as such is extremely rigid, making it an excellent platform within which to upgrade the shifter mechanism. And the OEM shift lever uses a beefy steel lever that can reliably handle the abuse of repetitive high loads. By re-using these OEM pieces, durability is preserved and upgrade costs are minimized.


RESULTS

So what does all this mean for the driver, in practical terms?

Fewer Missed Shifts.
Eliminating shifter play yields predictable and consistent shifter feel for confident gear engagement – no more second guessing whether the car is in the desired gear or not. Each shift is delivered with certainty.

Efficient Gear Changes.
Reducing the friction in the shifter mechanism delivers smooth and uninhibited shift lever path of travel. Reducing shifter flex maximizes the shifting energy transferred to the transmission gear selector arm. What you put in is what you get out.

High Quality Feel.
Removing the flex, play, and overall sloppiness of OEM shifter assembly eliminates the cheap feel every time you reach for the gear lever. You’re driving a Porsche!

Rolls912

I’m looking at upgrading my stock 4S shifter. I’ve been offered a 996 GT3 assembly.
Is that significantly better than the stock or do I really need to move to the 997 assembly to notice the difference.

Bernard IV

I'm a fan of the regular 997 shifter with the Function First parts and the Schnell cable link. I'm not sure if the 996 GT3 shifter is shorter than the regular 996, I'm guessing it isn't. Look for a 997 GT3 shifter or look at upgrading a 997 shifter.

Function-First

The 996 GT3 shifter is just a “standard” 996 shifter.

Rolls912

Okay - that’s the answer I’m looking for.

thank you.

QwikKotaTX

Anything using a plastic side lever is going to develop slop over time. A few companies make machined aluminum side levers. I am using the Ben Auto Design version.

Lazurus

One of the "best" aftermarket shifters I never bought is the Numeric. I've lived with the 997 SSK for so long I'm used to it. But using "rifle bolt" to describe the shift quality of the Numeric is spot on.

2fcknfst

Same here; I use the B&M shifter (and Numeric shift cables) and it is exactly that - rifle bolt smooth.