DIY for Short Shifter in 987?

[tmc]

I'm a former M3 owner who had a short shifter in my car (a rogue, if any of you are (ex-)bimmer heads) and want to reduce the throw of my, albiet already-short, 987S shifter.

In the M3, you had to do all kinds of things and a lift was required. I balked and had a tuner shop do it.

Is this the same deal on the 987, or can you do this one yourself?

Is it an afternoon job or a two day, curse, bleed and cry in your beer kind of thing?

tmc

[Tool Pants]

It is not as involved on a Boxster because the shift lever does not sit on top of the transmission.

B&M has come out with instruction for 997. http://www.bmracing.com/media/products/pdf/67.pdf I have watched a mechanic remove the 987 counsel and it look like the same as a 997.

The version sold by Porsche would even be easier that the B&M because the short shift lever is already installed in the shift tower, so all you do is swap shift towers.

[tmc]

Tool Pants,

THANKS!

I have no qualms about ordering the Porsche OEM part.

Can you help me understand (sorry for being dense) what you mean by "because the short shift lever is already installed in the shift tower, so all you do is swap shift towers"?

Thanks again

tmc

[ar38070]

The shifter is mounted in a plastic frame (shift tower). If you buy the B&M you do not get the frame. The Porshe one comes mounted in another frame.

As I understand it mounting the B&M is a one way proposition, you have to break something to get the old shifter out (some bushings). You cannot go back to the stock shifter without buying some replacement parts.

[Derek S]

The shifter is mounted in a plastic frame (shift tower).  If you buy the B&M you do not get the frame.  The Porshe one comes mounted in another frame.

As I understand it mounting the B&M is a one way proposition, you have to break something to get the old shifter out (some bushings).  You cannot go back to the stock shifter without buying some replacement parts.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I recently joined Renn Tech because of my interest in our toys and the great helpful information I've found on this and other topics here. Regarding the 996 application for the Short-shift being kicked around, I bought mine from Brandwine Porsche, figuring as other do that even if the OEM is the same the slightest chance of the "porsche original" part would be an advantage. Well, I haven't installed it yet and thanks to "ToolPants" I'm reading the B&M link but here's my issue, mine didn't come with "tower" for ez swapping but does have a bag of simple parts that seem to pictured on the B&M site. part # 000-044-700-26 13D, How did you make out with your install?

Thanks

[perry190]

Its an easy install following the B+B instructions, but saying that I now hate the clunky and very stiff gear change now the short shifter is in. It seems its a personal thing and also the cars must each be different as mine is very very stiff and very difficult to use

my wife couldnt even get the car into 2nd without using two hands!

This has to be the eorst gear change I've ever had on any car I've owned and its the most expensive????

[tmc]

Well, I haven't installed it yet and thanks to "ToolPants" I'm reading the B&M link but here's my issue, mine didn't come with "tower" for ez swapping but does have a bag of simple parts that seem to pictured on the B&M site.  part # 000-044-700-26 13D, How did you make out with your install?

Thanks

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Weird, I just got mine and it has the tower. In fact, all that was in the box was a big honking plastic piece with the shifter already installed. I am raring to go and will begin tonight taking my console appart to get to the needful bits.

tmc

[tmc]

Ok did the short shifter upfit this morning using the Porsche original parts.

Some 987 specific points:

The screw that the B&M directions say is hard to get to you can still get to if you use a fairly thin-shafted Torx #20 screwdriver and go at it at an angle. I did it (twice, see below).

Also, the connector for the wiring harness for the console is on the right side wheel well (the glove box side). It's a total P-I-T-A for a couple of reasons. When you have the console all unscrewed and ready to lift out, there isn't much slack in the cable to this connector. Also the connector is mounted on a metal tab using a rectangular stud. This in turn is mounted on the car-side connector by a snap plate. The two can come apart and then it's a three-handed shuffle job. I was able to get it done though by putting the bracket back on the car-side connector, then pushing the console side into the car side until they latched, and finally rotating the whole deal about 30 degrees so I could insert the stud into the metal plate. (If none of this makes sense, it will).

Ok, I got it all together and could not shift into reverse (D'oh!).

Here's some info on that that I hope will help some people who are doing this:

There are two cables, the white left one and the blue right one.

They have different functions.

The white left cable determines which gate you're shifter is in, such as 5th-6th gear, 3-4th gear, 1st-2nd gear, or reverse. The blue cable determines which of the two gears in the gate you have selected.

So if you cannot get into a gate (my problem), then adjust the mounting of the white cable.

If you cannot get one or the other gear in a gate selected fully, adjust the blue cable.

OF COURSE I followed B&M's instructions to mark everything with a marker. It's BS and here's why: the cable side mounts using a threaded end to a spring-mounted threaded half-sleeve. There is a lot of slack for where exactly that is in the sleeve, and if you do the B&M directions, be careful and mark that side along with the exposed cable side.

Finally, the Porsche kit comes with a plastic blue bracket that snaps to the shifter. It's a calibration bracket that I wish I had figured out enough to use before I started. What you do with it: BEFORE you take out the old shifter, use this to center the shifter in neutral. Now, mark everything. Then take out the shifter and put in the new one, snap on the bracket, and line up the marks. Voila! Everything is just in the right place.

Also looking at the B&M instructions, I highly recommend the Porsche kit. The whole tower is included. You just swap out the tower, just four bolts, instead of cutting and hammering, etc.

tmc

[charlesl]

Gang,

I just finished installing the B&M Short Shifter in my 996. It's B&M Part # 45135.

Some things I learned along the way:

1) Some gear shift knobs don't have the set screw or the collar. You just twist and pull like crazy until it slips off.

2) After the shifter is installed in the tower, the instructions have you tighten down the adjusting set screw and then locking it with the jam nut. You need to tighten the adjusting set screw until the shifter is really hard to move, then loosen it up a 1/4 turn. This will push the bushings fully into the base. I didn't do this and had to adjust it after I got the whole car back together. Twice even.

3) On my 996, there is no way to get a 6mm allen wrench onto the set screw with the console installed. I could obviously take the console back out but that's a lot of work. Instead, I covered the jaws of my channel locks with tape and just gripped the blue bushing and then loosened the jam nut with a 19mm crescent wrench.

-Charles

[Loren]

1. Correct. That is documented here.

2. Correct also. We've found it best to tighten it down - then back off until it freely moves back and forth in neutral.

3. Correct again. Once the console is re-installed there is no way to adjust the B&M shifter without either removing the console again or making a cutout in the console. I usually make folks drive around the block a couple time with the console still out to make sure it set to the tightness they want. Then we button it up again. BTW... I've never seen one that needed adjusting again - including mine which I installed in 2000.

[davegemini]

1. Correct. That is documented here.

2. Correct also. We've found it best to tighten it down - then back off until it freely moves back and forth in neutral.

3. Correct again. Once the console is re-installed there is no way to adjust the B&M shifter without either removing the console again or making a cutout in the console. I usually make folks drive around the block a couple time with the console still out to make sure it set to the tightness they want. Then we button it up again. BTW... I've never seen one that needed adjusting again - including mine which I installed in 2000.

so i take it that the b&m unit is superior to the porsche unit?

in terms of materials and or installation?

drove a short shift b&m car---great!

[Loren]

If you look at the Porsche part and B&M part for the 986 and 996 the only difference was the color - :lol:

http://www.renntech.org/forums/index.php?s...findpost&p=2935