stiff shifter issue (revisited)

[rsfeller]

Last year I posted about the shifter on my 97 986 not wanting to move left/right in the gate freely, a binding non-mechanic feeling. Very little input was given by members then other then possibly the bushings in the shifter being bad, such as dry or damaged.

The issue has progressed to the point my wife is afraid to drive the car...so I have a $60 ebay shifter on the way, should be here tomorrow or Thursday.

Tonight I pulled out the old shifter and have the shifter in the plastic box sitting on the bench. The bushings are 100% fine and spin freely with no load of the cable on the shifter. :angry: :angry:

So I guess the good news is I have a short throw shifter about to go in...the bad news is I still don't understand my concern.

I have had a few bad steering and throttle cables in boats over the years so that is my next guess. They are in wet environments and usually 20+ years old. This car has spent it's life in south and in a garage, so little moister.

• What advise does anyone have?
  
• Anything to check on the transmission end? Does something need grease?
  
• Or is there something scary going on in the trainy?
  
• Anyone seen this failure scenario yet?
  

Who has an idea that will not have me dealing transmission.

Thanks.

[geoff]

I'll ask the obvious question - are you sure the shifter cables are properly adjusted? Straightforward to do if you put a stock shifter back in and adjust the cable lengths with the alignment tool in place. If you find the 2 shifter cables are not properly set in terms of length, you should be able to get them set and then determine whether there's a problem in your transmission or not. If you search through some of Tool Pants' posts on shifter alignment tool, you can find the part number, and it's only a few bucks from the dealer or Sunset. It's not clear from your post if you have a short shifter installed or not.

[rsfeller]

I'll ask the obvious question - are you sure the shifter cables are properly adjusted? Straightforward to do if you put a stock shifter back in and adjust the cable lengths with the alignment tool in place. If you find the 2 shifter cables are not properly set in terms of length, you should be able to get them set and then determine whether there's a problem in your transmission or not. If you search through some of Tool Pants' posts on shifter alignment tool, you can find the part number, and it's only a few bucks from the dealer or Sunset. It's not clear from your post if you have a short shifter installed or not.

Thank you for your comment. I believe it is clear that I don't have a short shifter installed as I state "so I have a $60 ebay shifter on the way, should be here tomorrow or Thursday." But if one is assuming I am replacing a short shifter with another short shifter then maybe it's unclear then! :rolleyes: II currently have the original plastic shifter and the bushings are 100% intact and well lubricated.

Everything shifts just fine through through the gate and engagement points are as one would expected but simply is tough to move left or right and have it return to center, does this sound like a concern with incorrect cable adjustment? I know from experience (with boats) that cables do stretch but you instantly have issues with engagement, notchy-ness, cannot get into gear, ect.

Are you simply mentioning the tool that locks the shifter in place when swapping cables?

Edited August 27, 2008 by rsfeller

[gandrade1]

Yep that is the tool....

I would check the cable alignment before the instalation, since it costs only a few bucks and might remove a big weight of your shoulders (i.e. trasmission concerns).

One point though, if the cables are aligned and you still have a problem I would NOT install the short shifter, since it might compound the problem (less leverage to shift!)...that's just my 2 cents.

Best of luck,

Gus

[geoff]

...

Everything shifts just fine through through the gate and engagement points are as one would expected but simply is tough to move left or right and have it return to center, does this sound like a concern with incorrect cable adjustment? I know from experience (with boats) that cables do stretch but you instantly have issues with engagement, notchy-ness, cannot get into gear, ect.

Are you simply mentioning the tool that locks the shifter in place when swapping cables?

The alignment tool is for setting threads on the two cable connectors into the shifter. The trick is to get the cables adjusted correctly with the stock shifter before installing a short shifter. I think one of the cables does the forward/back movement and the other does the side to side movement. Definitely need to check the adjustment on the side to side one first. Loren and Tool Pants probably have as much expertise as any Porsche mechanic and will hopefully chime in and provide you with some tips on getting the cable adjusted properly.

[RFM]

I know it's a little too late, do the test in this order: 1/ disconnect the cables on the transmission, if it feels OK, gearbox or cables support/brace faulty/bend. If not OK: 2/ disconnect the cables on the shifter, if it feels OK, cables faulty.

If not OK, shifter faulty.

[rsfeller]

I know it's a little too late, do the test in this order: 1/ disconnect the cables on the transmission, if it feels OK, gearbox or cables support/brace faulty/bend. If not OK: 2/ disconnect the cables on the shifter, if it feels OK, cables faulty.

If not OK, shifter faulty.

You are not to late as I hope to get the car on a lift this weekend to look at the tranny linkage, Loren suggested something may be bent. We know the shifter is fine and the cable may be binding. I hope to pull that off the trans end (I beleive as you state) and see if things move easy there.

I am more concerned with anyone knowing of any internal problems with the transmissions that would cause the left/right gate motion issues!

As far as the alignment comments I am reading and keeping an open mind but I don't see this being the issue at the moment for many reasons. Additionally, I did not opt for the inexpensive tool as some "white out" works just as fine marking the threads to cable location. I could be wrong when we put in the short shifter tonight.

Have we seen bends in the support/brace on these often?

[RFM]

The support/brace can bend and the connectors can even hit each other. Transmissions issues are not common, the cables are mostly the culprit.

[rsfeller]

The support/brace can bend and the connectors can even hit each other. Transmissions issues are not common, the cables are mostly the culprit.

Thanks RFM, that is the type of input I was looking for. I will be inspecting the brace/linkage/connectors this weekend.