Steven B

Yes, my '08 does this as well.

My tranny also does an almost imperceptable thunk when downshifting from 3'rd to 2'nd until 100% warm (oil temp at normal temp).

SARGEPUG

I have the same issue, time to time. I also have the short-throw, w/ about 1,500 miles on it.

yemenmocha

I have sport shifter so it is a real problem.

Easy solution is to either put it in 2nd or line it up with the 2nd gear notch and then go forward to 1st and it goes in every time. Something about that 2nd to 1st is the best lineup and lets it go in more smoothly.

GSIRM3

I experienced it occasionally on my 07 997S, and some now on my 08 997S.

CarlJ

I have the same issue and I have the SSK. Only does it when it's cold. Once the fluids come up to temp, it is smooth as silk in all gears. If it's really cold 2nd does it as well.

beachview

I do mostly city driving and encounter this problem almost daily. I've noticed that a way to "unlock" the gear is to slightly move the car and try again. In other words, it seems to be related to the position the transmission/gear is in when you come to a stop.

The following ALWAYS works for me. You need to slightly move the car and 1st gear will slip right in like butter. Because you can't move the car forward, put it into reverse and nudge it back just a bit. Now try to shift into 1st...

Palmbeacher

Not necessary to have the pedal to the stop, and definitely not necessary to have your knee bent. In fact sitting that close can make it hard to get off the gas and on the brake quickly, not to mention interfere with arm movement for steering, and put you too close to the airbag.

Ditto, and I've owned a ton of standards in the last 35 yrs.

ADias

Not exactly right, is it? Just read Vic Elford's book - page 18. Better yet, buy it HERE.

cbzzoom

But aren't cars supposed to be better now than 35 years ago !? Granted I don't have your volume of experience, but I've driven a lot of recent Honda and BMW manuals and they have all been very easy to get into 1st. Maybe a tiny bit of resistance, but never the feeling of "oh crap I can't get into 1st at all, I need to double clutch and nudge 2nd".

Interesting. I'll have to try that out, though rocking the car into reverse briefly doesn't sound great when there's a line of cars behind you at a stop sign !

It doesn't really make sense to me that that would help, since all you have to do to move the transmission internal gears is put the car in neutral and let the clutch out.

Maybe there is something weird though where the gear works better in certain orientations.

ADias

Too much work. read my reply #29:

Palmbeacher

I've driven BMW 3 and 5 series as recently as MY09 and they were no less balky than my 997 in that respect. Can't say about Honda, have never driven one.

Sorry...been driving standards for almost 40 years, never had to replace a clutch under 100K miles yet, so I don't think I need to buy a book on how to use a clutch pedal Unless the clutch is poorly adjusted or in need of repair the disengagement point shouldn't be all the way to the floorboard.

But I would concede that for someone unfamiliar with his clutch (or unwilling/unable to get familiar with it) pushing the pedal to the floor would be the safest way of going about it. Still, there's no reason one's knee should still have to be bent when the clutch is all the way down, unless maybe you've got a bad knee. If I adjusted my seat so my knee was even slightly bent with the clutch to the floorboard, I would not be able to pivot my right foot from the gas to the brake, I'd need to lift it off...and that would increase my reaction time in a panic stop. Also, even with the wheel all the way forward as far as it can go, with my hands at 10&2, 9&3 or (safest way with an airbag-equipped car) 8&4, my elbows would be against my body. Very uncomfortable, and as a result, very unsafe.

I should also say that clutches with a purely spring-loaded clutch pedal (vs a hydraulic slave cylinder as most including the 997 have nowadays) were harder to modulate in mid-travel or hold there for more than a few seconds without really feeling it in the knee, so I did tend to hold them to the floorboard and not want my knee locked at full extension either. It was always an uncomfortable trade-off with gas/brake and steering comfort. But I'm talking cars with 3-on-the-tree...that far back. Nowadays I'm happy the clutch is light enough not to have to.

ADias

I see... you do not see the need to push the clutch to the floor. Interesting, you should publish that method.

For those who respect the masters, I still recommend Elford's book, not only for seat adjustment but many other things.

ivangene

this is the only guy that understands it -

its a gear... if they stop rotating in such a manner as to line up perfectly "not aligned" (tooth to tooth) they wont go together...choices include let the clutch out so the gear rotates at engine speed and then depress it again so it stops at a differant spot (aligned) OR hit another gear for a micro second and then hit first (ie, hit 2nd, then back to first) you dont have to fully enter 2nd, just enogh to line the syncros

later guys!

ivangene

this sounds more like an oil issue... try changing the trans oil and use something great (stop by the GT3 forum for oil advice) I swapped my 996 to swepco and the hard shifting when cold disappeared completely

Palmbeacher

It's not a "method" and certainly has been "published" for decades. It's called Clutch Pedal Free Travel, and is a concept known to every mechanic and (if not by name) to everyone who has ever driven a stick. Well, maybe everyone minus one

I'm sure it's a great book. I'm set pretty well when it comes to clutching and seat adjusting. Does it have a chapter on nose blowing, 'cause I'm a little foggier on that