Can a short shift mechanism be fitted to a 550 spyder?

[erics]

a B&M or other?

how to do to work around the short stick?

Will that give a short-short shift?

Other question => does any one know if a 550 spyder exhaust is identical to a 2003-04 boxster S except for the tips?

I think the answer is yes, but i' d like to be 100% sure...

Thanks,

Eric.

[Loren]

To my knowledge the 550 Special Edition comes with a short-shifter.

You want it shorter than that?

The parts list does not show a different muffler for the 550 (from the S).

[Tool Pants]

http://www.renntech.org/forums/index.php?s...special+edition

As said, the only difference is the cosmetic tip used on the special edition. In fact, a local 2003 2.7 paid a lot of money for that tip and put it on his car.

[erics]

Thanks Jeff.

Loren, the 550 has a short stick, but not the short shift mechanism if i remember correctly.

[Cassiebox]

erics-

IIRC, the 550 did come w/ an SSK that was both a B&M type plus it had a shortened shaft - but I could be wrong. If it only has the shortened shaft, then just put in a B&M short shifter and use a dremel cut off wheel to shorten the shaft about 1-1.5"s and then shape the top of it to match the OEM.

One easy way to tell if your 550 has a SSK is to pull up the knob boot and take a peak. Factory 'regular' shifters are plastic and have white bushings on either end. The SSKs are metal (usually blue or black) and have metal bushings on the end w/ a plastic insert. Here are some pix to help:

OEM - Plastic (minus the green adjusting tool shown on top

SSK

Hope this helps!

[macsak]

i have a 550 SE, and i am pretty sure that the lever is cut rather than having an SSK

aloha

steve

erics-

IIRC, the 550 did come w/ an SSK that was both a B&M type plus it had a shortened shaft - but I could be wrong. If it only has the shortened shaft, then just put in a B&M short shifter and use a dremel cut off wheel to shorten the shaft about 1-1.5"s and then shape the top of it to match the OEM.

One easy way to tell if your 550 has a SSK is to pull up the knob boot and take a peak. Factory 'regular' shifters are plastic and have white bushings on either end. The SSKs are metal (usually blue or black) and have metal bushings on the end w/ a plastic insert. Here are some pix to help:

OEM - Plastic (minus the green adjusting tool shown on top

SSK

Hope this helps!

[blue2000s]

erics-

IIRC, the 550 did come w/ an SSK that was both a B&M type plus it had a shortened shaft - but I could be wrong. If it only has the shortened shaft, then just put in a B&M short shifter and use a dremel cut off wheel to shorten the shaft about 1-1.5"s and then shape the top of it to match the OEM.

One easy way to tell if your 550 has a SSK is to pull up the knob boot and take a peak. Factory 'regular' shifters are plastic and have white bushings on either end. The SSKs are metal (usually blue or black) and have metal bushings on the end w/ a plastic insert. Here are some pix to help:

OEM - Plastic (minus the green adjusting tool shown on top

SSK

Hope this helps!

Both of these pictures are of a short shift kit. The top is the plastic one from the 987, the bottom is the aluminum version from B&M. The stock factory shifter housing is white and the pivot point for the shift lever is in the same plane as the center line of the bushings. You'll notice that the shifter pivot point in the top picture is above the center line of the bushings.

Edited May 9, 2007 by blue2000s

[Cassiebox]

blue200s -

good catch, I didn't notice that as I was scrambling to find pictures using search engines (too lazy to go to garage and shoot my OEM plastic shifter and the B&M SSK in my car). I guess that's another way he could tell if he has the SSK or not - the pivot point, huh?

[blue2000s]

blue200s -

good catch, I didn't notice that as I was scrambling to find pictures using search engines (too lazy to go to garage and shoot my OEM plastic shifter and the B&M SSK in my car). I guess that's another way he could tell if he has the SSK or not - the pivot point, huh?

I'd suggest erics pull up the shift boot and see what's under there. Take a picture and we'll tell you what it is.

[erics]

i KNOW for sure my car has no short shift mechanism. I am just wondering if anyone with a 550 got a SSK?

Does porsche have a kit for this car?

Otherwise i will go down the B&M route or something else. I will just wait for my factory warranty to expire first...

[Loren]

i KNOW for sure my car has no short shift mechanism. I am just wondering if anyone with a 550 got a SSK?

Does porsche have a kit for this car?

Otherwise i will go down the B&M route or something else. I will just wait for my factory warranty to expire first...

I think you could put a SSK in your car easily - but you would lose the shortened stick unless you cut the B&M down too.

[Tool Pants]

The special edition came standard with a "short shift." True this was done by reducing the height of the shift lever by about 1 inch - but I consider this method to still be a short shift. Porsche claimed a 15% reduction in shift throws for the special edition.

There are a dozen versions of a short shifts on the market these days.

You could even try the 997/987 version Porsche sells, but Porsche claims 20%. Your special edition is 15%. Problem is, you would not notice the 5% difference.

When I started Boxstering in 1999 there were only 2 short shifts on the market. Evo and B&M. At our local work on cars days we put in both depending on what the owner wanted.

I think it would be interesting to try the Evo swift shift with a special edition. The Evo unit is different from the rest on the market in that an extension piece is added to the bottom of the shift lever. This extension reduces the throws - Evo claims 20-30%. With the Evo unit you use your existing shift lever.

With the Evo unit you would have the existing 15% reduction, plus the additional 20-30% from the extension. Then, if you do not like it, you remove the extension and you are back to stock.

The shift knob on the special edition sits low compare to a normal car, with or without a short shift, since the special edition shift lever is 1 inch shorter. With the Evo unit you will retain the existing shift knob height.

[erics]

Jeff, definitely the answer i was expecting... Thanks v much!

Not sure i can get an EVO shift in Europe.

Where do you guys usually source your stuff in the US?

[Tool Pants]

I do not know of places in the UK for Evo products. Here is their US site. http://www.evoms.com/Splash.asp?nav=home&a...12%3A01%3A16+PM

The other thought is the type of short shifter that bolts to the transmission. It is made by Ruf/Techart/B&M. This type of unit you can adjust the reduction of the throws. There are 3 settings. I forget the numbers, but it is something like 15%-30%. Like the Evo, if you did not like this type of unit then you just remove it and you are back to stock.

[blue2000s]

I do not know of places in the UK for Evo products. Here is their US site. http://www.evoms.com/Splash.asp?nav=home&a...12%3A01%3A16+PM

The other thought is the type of short shifter that bolts to the transmission. It is made by Ruf/Techart/B&M. This type of unit you can adjust the reduction of the throws. There are 3 settings. I forget the numbers, but it is something like 15%-30%. Like the Evo, if you did not like this type of unit then you just remove it and you are back to stock.

I've seen that kit listed for the 996 but not for the 986. Are there differences that would make it incompatible with the 986 like cable routing or clearances or something?

[Tool Pants]

I take it you mean the kit that bolts to the transmission?

A long time ago I was going to buy one, from Brandywine. When I talked to the guy there were about 5 versions. I wrote down the part numbers but I do not know what I did with the paper. The 996 version was different than the Boxster version - that I remember for sure. I am a positive as I can be that for the Boxster there was a 5 or 6 speed version. I once looked on the B&M site but I could not find the unit that bolts to the transmission.