GEAR SHIFT GETS STUCK IN NEUTRAL...

[creekman]

I haven't found any repeating circumstances, but I might have been too busy trying to get it back in gear.  I thought it might be the rod ends at the transmission, but after looking them over we put that aside.  I have a Porsche short shifter for a number of years with no problem.  It's like there's a foreign object and the shift mechanism bottoms out on the obstruction.  I pulled the shifter cover and looked at the shifter and it appeared to be good.

 

It's a bad feeling when your in traffic and the car won't go... Anybody have an idea what I might look at?

 

Thanks

[Loren]

Perhaps the housing came loose and now the cables are misaligned?

Do you still have the cable alignment tool that came with the shifter?

[creekman]

Hmmm, I don't remember the alignment tool.  The transaxle was gone through when I changed the ring and pinion 7-8 years ago.  It shifts like a hot knife through butter.  But on those occasions when you're shifting from one gear to the next the shifter hits a brick wall.  I can sit in the garage (engine not running) and shift it without depressing the clutch and the shift is silky smooth.

 

There's a lot of movement on the rod ends at the transaxle...  Are the shift cable rod ends replaceable, do they wear?  I'm pretty positive I'm good inside the transaxle.

 

Thanks Loren for the reply... I'm glad you're still on the job...

[judgejon]

Hey, old friend, sorry to read about your issue. 
wish I could help you out, but no joy here.  Good luck, good thoughts. 

[Loren]

Not dead yet...

 

Here are all the replaceable parts and the shifter alignment tool.

 

[judgejon]

Loren, 

I still enjoy your bag of tricks.

Cheerio,

[RFM]

Depending on the year and type of gearbox, it is possible that the shifting mechanism that is attached to the gearbox comes loose and/or folds and hits the bearbox housing. The easiest way to do this is with a second person.

[creekman]

Right now I have another car on the lift, as soon as I can move it I'll put the Porsche on and really see if I can find out what's going on.  We have had a second guy (long time mechanic) under the car while we went through the gears and found no problem at the trans.  However, I still feel like there's a lot of play at the rod ends.

 

Just in passing, I still love my car, I think the styling has help up well considering it's an 18 year old car.  When you think about all the features the car has and the road going capabilities it makes for a mile stone car IMHO.  It still looks current as oppose to my '84' Turbo Look which became dated.  At least in my eyes...

 

Thanks, Loren, Jon and Flanders for the replies...

 

Mitch

[judgejon]

Totally agree re looks of 996. Even the headlights have grown on me. Loved driving the car every day I had it. Changed only due to my physical issues. 

[dporto]

I’d also be looking at the shifter housing/cable ends (at the shifter). The stock cable ends are plastic m, so anything can happen with them. The part of this problem that I find confusing is that it seems to be intermittent? I’d be checking all the plastic parts in and around the shifter housing. As for the “play” feeling, try it with the shift knob off (just the steel stalk)... play still there? Good luck

[judgejon]

Another thought:  my very good Inde (now retired) advised against “short shifter.”  I had the hot-rod issue of shifting too fast from 2nd up into 3rd, I think from just popping the clutch too quickly. Only from standing start, like drag race. Human error. Never an issue on local twisty mountain roads. But I’d still wonder about the cable connections as mention in the last post.  This is a puzzle. Continued good luck. 

[creekman]

Jon,

 

The color, everything was perfect, great looking car...  I think our cars are under appreciated...  The one thought I had was the short shifter by Porsche was better made than what I took out...

 

I've driven the car without the stuck in neutral problem several times.  The shift and trans are silky smooth and with my extra HP I never abuse the shift or clutch.  I appreciate the comments, all good.

 

Mitch

[gizlaroc]

Do you think that maybe it could be your detent pin has too much play? 

 

You say you have a lot of play at the gearbox end?

 

I posted this on the UK911 forum. 

I have uploaded a video as well. 

Now it may not be this of course, but thought I would mention it, many said engaging 2nd was an issues as the detent wears and especially those with a SSK. 
I fitted a SSK to mine and it was a pain, in the end I used the metal bushing with the standard shifter and it is silky smooth again. 


Me post below from 911uk.com......

Now, we all like a nice stiff kn.......gearstick, with as little play as possible. 
We all change the bushings in the gear selector itself, fit short shift kits and change the gear cables, but as these cars get older, something we ignore is the force springs that pushes down on the detent pin on the selector inside the gearbox itself. 

If you get under your car and wiggle the lever that the gear cable is attached to you will be able to see if that itself has play. 
If you have wiggle that end, changing the gear lever, cables, bushings etc, will reduce the effect of the play, but it is simply hiding it. Also, a SSK might be bloody hard to get it into gear too. 


The spring presses down on the detent pin which in turn applies force to the shift arrester, as the spring ages the force is reduced and thus you get play. 


Now, the spring itself is just 37p from Porsche, the new pin is £15. however, I would probably argue that changing to a new pin is not worth it, in fact probably not a great idea. 
Some make a new pin which has 1mm less "ball' in it, this helps the 2nd gear pop out on some transmissions, albeit a temporary fix. So a slightly worn detent pin might be of benefit. 

But a new spring definitely helps, if you want the gear changes to be even firmer, you could drop an 8mm ball bearing between the spring and detent spring too. 
But a new spring should suffice. 
You will be able to feel the difference at the gearbox as you put in a new spring, if you have a ball bearing pop that in too and see if it gets too firm. 

For me, Porsche have always had a nice easy, light, movement but a mechanical and precise feel. It is just when we start to get play that it starts to come across as sloppy. 



The problem with changing this spring is room. There is none. 
It is up above the lever, there is a 13mm bolt that needs to come out above it to get to it, and then an 8mm allen cap that is not only probably 20 years old and rusty, is put on using sealant in the factory but also doesn't even have enough room to fit a normal allen key in there as you don't have enough room to get between the gearbox and the body of the car. 

I cut down a allen key last night and still couldn't get it in there as, using and endescope realised the hole was all corroded and the key would no longer fit. 

So I guess I will leave it until the next time the gearbox is dropped. 


My point of this thread is to say, if for any reason your gearbox is coming out buy the following parts and fit them, or get whoever is doing the work to fit. With it out it is literally a 2 minute job. 


The parts needed are..... 

13 99630323700 screw plug M 18 X 1,5 £3.10 
14 99630323500 compression spring £0.37 
15 99630303500 bolt (detent pin) £15.50 





Image below should make a bit more sense of the above I hope.