Sporty

I have the OEM SSK which has been fine for me and I like the feel. I recently purchased a weighted round ball shifter **** and barrel from IXI Gears (around $80. Removing the OEM shift **** (simply pull up-hard after disconnecting boot) took less than 10 minutes and installing new one after modifying the barrel by cutting off about 3/4 inch and reinstalling all in maybe thirty minutes including thanking Jesus for how smooth it all went and sitting there thinking how cool I think it is for the minimal $ and time (wife questioned me sitting in the car gazing at it -they don't get it)

Anyway, I always like the more stubby look and feel of a shifter so I am thinking I can just cut the shifter shaft by about an inch (with bolt cutters maybe?) and reinstall the new shifter **** and barrel, which I again would shorten by about another inch. I also think the OEM **** can slide back on no problem and pressure-stay in place if needed to revert back, although I am not sure why the shaft is notched at the top, which would not be there any more but I don't know what purpose it serves. Any thoughts/comments?

Any thoughts as to downside or issues (will my throws be longer or shorter? more difficult?) or am i crazy, seems like a simple mod that would add to the tact tile feel of driving and shifting or am i nuts to attempt?

rtl5009

Go for it.

cosm3os

Increased shift effort.

Petza914

Throws will be shorter. Since the shift lever will be shorter, you'll generate less torque on the lever arm which is the shifter, so as cosmos says, it will take more force or effort to move the lever.

I don't think bolt cutters are going to give you a ice clean cut at the top. Probably a Dremel tool with a cutoff wheel would make a better result.

I don't know the purpose of the notch unless it actually helps to hold the shift **** on and why you have to pull the OEM **** up so hard straight up to get it to release.

PierW

^+1. Definitely more effort involved...think of any lever/fulcrum. The longer the lever, the less effort required to move more weight. Same principal, though it's not that I think you need to be a Schwarzenegger to row your gears by any means.

Also agree with Petza... bolt cutters are more likely to deform the shaft. Dremel will give you a much cleaner finished product.

Good luck if you do it and post photos!

paddlefoot64

If you don’t like, you can always put in a short shift kit. I have a Schnel in my 996, using a Raceseng ****. Works well for me.

Petza914

His firs sentence says he already has an SSK installed so this would be in addition to that.

Neat setup you have though.

Sporty

Thanks guys. Yes, understand about the added effort, though wondering how much. If the shaft is about 5" and I remove say an 1" will that make it 20% more effort to shift (?)
The reason I say bolt cutters is because the shaft is only about 3/16-1/4" and if bolt cutters can cut thru bolts thicker than that , it should be a relatively clean quick cut. Using the dremel or other means will get all that metal dust and fragments spewing all over and I would think generally be more messy, etc. Anyway, having second thoughts, but still tempted to try it. I guess worse case if I don't like the added effort or end result and then have to buy and have installed a new shift kit, cables, etc and before you know it I'm spending $1k+ to make up for my idiocy. Not horrible, but don't need the aggravation and added expense right now, plus, I do like how it shifts now for the most part, so why mess with it I ask myself.....

paddlefoot64

Sorry, I did miss that fact. Thanks

Tcc1999

The simple equation you are looking for is F1 x x1 = F2 x x2 (the underlying physics is a bit more wordy), where F is equal to Force and x is equal to distance. So if the distance between the end of your lever and fulcrum is 5 inches, and you want to reduce it to 4 inches, all you need to do is fill in a starting value for F1. For purposes of percentage increase in torque, you can use any force, so lets say 5 Newtons. if F1 is 5 newtons then you have (without using the proper unit notation), 5N x 5 inches = ?N x 4 inches. 25/4 = ?N. ?N = 6.25. And 6.25 Newtons is 25 percent greater than 5 Newtons.

The thing you may want to do, however, is try to measure the actual force needed to move the shift lever. Then simulate a force that is 25 percent greater and see how comfortable that feels (think of it not just for one shift but every shift you will ever make). Best of luck.

Sporty

Thanks TCC1999 for you engineering/mathematical expertise. I knew one of you in the "field" would chime in - that's what makes this forum great. More just from an analytical perspective, would the overall energy exerted actually be the same, however, due to the shifter throw now being shortened, the energy would be more concentrated and therefore would need more force to shift? Kind of like the old torque / horsepower comparison.

Tcc1999

The force/energy would be the same (Law of the Conservation of Energy) - you are just distributing it over a different length. When you shorten the lever (reduce the distance from the end of the lever to the fulcrum) you do not really “concentrate” energy, although you could think of it this way if it helps you wrap your head around the relationship. In physics speak, the force required is a “moment” and I believe moments can either be increased or decreased but not concentrated (I’m a biologist though and not a physicist so I would happily admit to being wrong if someone with better physics skills cared to correct me).

linderpat

Well if you like really short, you can go full on razor style like the new 992


Personally, I like a long throw shift lever, where the **** is close to the wheel. Look at the CGT for example of a modern car where Porsche put the lever far up on the consol, or my old 78 928 that has a very long stick but a very short reach.

63mercedes

I'd take it to a machine shop, they can cut it real clean in 30 seconds. Right tool for the right job. I imagine you could use a pipe cutter for plumbing, pretty cheap tool.

Sporty

Yikes. No thanks on the "razor". Acquaintance in the neighborhood just got his new 992S (PDK) , not even broken in yet so i had not driven it yet, but I really am having a hard time with the appeal of that "nub". He paid list, $138K, plus tax, no discounts, he ordered it when they came out, he was motivated because he would always see me driving mine and that inspired him. any way I will defer judgement until I can really drive it, but I suspect how i am going to feel about it. Definitely don't see a $110K more of enjoyment over my manual C2. Took him for a ride on mine and he kept commenting on how nice it rode, and tight it felt and how nice banging thru the gears felt, etc.

Good point on the reach, i thought of that as well. Right now the height where my hand rests on it is perfect, but i'm only talking an inch lower.

No way would I pull the shifter out and apart to have someone cut the shaft, if anything i would just put in tin a vise and cut it with sawzall using metal cutting blade.

Another option: the booty has so much extra material, if i poof it up and pull it higher up the external barrel/shaft to about an inch or so below the ball **** I will have the look I want and my mind will play along that it is what i am after. Wonder if I pull the boot off and disconnect from the the bottom trim, cut some excess and then reattach to bottom trim(?) if that is possible? Hmmm?.