Gear Cable Greasing - How to do it

[danieldominique2000]

Hello everybody

You guys have been recommended to me by boxa.net for technical questions. Since a couple of months I am the proud owner of a Porsche boxster 2.7 2000.

Since two weeks I ahve problems with my gear changes though, since the gearstick does not return to the neutral position anymore, when no gear is engaged, this makes gearchanges 2-3 and 4-5 (plus reverse) a bit more difficult.

I got the tip that this is probably caused by old/no/not enough grease in my brake cables.

Do you have a step by step instruction on how to do this the best and easiest (especially for the mechanically challenged :D )

Many Thanks in advance

Daniel

[adsach]

...

Since two weeks I ahve problems with my gear changes though, since the gearstick does not return to the neutral position anymore, when no gear is engaged, this makes gearchanges 2-3 and 4-5 (plus reverse) a bit more difficult.

I got the tip that this is probably caused by old/no/not enough grease in my brake cables.

...

The Boxster has a PAIR of cables that run from the shifter to the transmission.

The manufacturer of these cables is extremely proud of the fact that they never need lubricating.

My guess is that is much more likely that

A ) the fixed part of the cable has slipped off of it's bracket at the transmission end - or -

B ) You have springs broken cables broken at the shifter end.

Since the transmission end is easier to access, and IMHO more likely, I would first look under the car and verify the cables are firmly attached to the transmission and firmly attached to the bracket holding the cable shield in place. I don't have a picture or diagram. Your dealer has a diagram. If the cable has come loose you will want to buy new clips from the dealer.

Examining the shifter end requires removing the center console. This job is less greasy than under the car and within the grasp of a non-techie if you allow 2 hours and take it slow. There are very good directions on the B&M short shifter site. http://bmracing.com/media/products/pdf/67.pdf obviously you don't have to do the full removal in the directions to take a good look at the springs, cables and fasteners at the base of the shifter column.

Edited November 22, 2005 by adsach

[danieldominique2000]

...

Since two weeks I ahve problems with my gear changes though, since the gearstick does not return to the neutral position anymore, when no gear is engaged, this makes gearchanges 2-3 and 4-5 (plus reverse) a bit more difficult.

I got the tip that this is probably caused by old/no/not enough grease in my brake cables.

...

The Boxster has a PAIR of cables that run from the shifter to the transmission.

The manufacturer of these cables is extremely proud of the fact that they never need lubricating.

My guess is that is much more likely that

A ) the fixed part of the cable has slipped off of it's bracket at the transmission end - or -

B ) You have springs broken cables broken at the shifter end.

Since the transmission end is easier to access, and IMHO more likely, I would first look under the car and verify the cables are firmly attached to the transmission and firmly attached to the bracket holding the cable shield in place. I don't have a picture or diagram. Your dealer has a diagram. If the cable has come loose you will want to buy new clips from the dealer.

Examining the shifter end requires removing the center console. This job is less greasy than under the car and within the grasp of a non-techie if you allow 2 hours and take it slow. There are very good directions on the B&M short shifter site. http://bmracing.com/media/products/pdf/67.pdf obviously you don't have to do the full removal in the directions to take a good look at the springs, cables and fasteners at the base of the shifter column.

I installed a quickshifter last weekend and the shifter side looks good to me, so I will have to crawl under the car and check the transmission end. It is just bloody freezing here in Scotland at the moment, so I am not looking forward to this. :eek:

But many thanks for the reply

Daniel

[insite]

I installed a quickshifter last weekend and the shifter side looks good to me, so I will have to crawl under the car and check the transmission end. It is just bloody freezing here in Scotland at the moment, so I am not looking forward to this. :eek:

But many thanks for the reply

Daniel

When you intalled the short shift kit, did you remove the green piece of plastic underneath the shift cables (just in front of the shifter)?

[danieldominique2000]

When you intalled the short shift kit, did you remove the green piece of plastic underneath the shift cables (just in front of the shifter)?

Good question. I was sitting there scratching my head, but decided to remove it at the moment. But I had the problems before I installed the quickshift, so should not really be related.

Thanks

Daniel

[adsach]

I installed a quickshifter last weekend and the shifter side looks good to me, so I will have to crawl under the car and check the transmission end. It is just bloody freezing here in Scotland at the moment, so I am not looking forward to this. :eek:

But many thanks for the reply

Daniel

You have my sympathy. It's bloody 4 degrees below freezing here right now. Better than a couple hours ago - I had to put my top up when the weather went from snow in the Berkshires to freezing rain in the Hudson valley.

You should be able to see the transmission cables by peeking between sheetmetal while lying under the car - you might even be able to poke the cables and make sure they are tight. Unfortunately, if the cables are loose at the transmission you will probably have to remove the big sheetmetal "belly pan" to reach in there and make things right - and as I said above, if they are popped off you probably should purchase new retaining clips from the dealer to avoid them popping off again in the future.

[Loren]

If you had problems shifting before the SSK was installed then the SSK probably made it worse. It sounds to me like the cables are not aligned properly (inside the car where they attach to the shifter). It would have been much easier to align with the old (stock) shifter as Porsche makes a tool the holds the shifter in perfect position to attach the cables.

Porsche tool (orange) on the old shifter (all images courtesy Tool Pants)

The tool on the car and the adjustment sleeves

Another possibility - worn out/damaged shifter coupler

[danieldominique2000]

Thanks a lot for the help and replies, but I do not really have any major problems with notchy gear-changes. It is just that my gear-lever does not return to the middle position. It seems like this is normally done by a spring/positive force, whcih helps to get the gear from 2nd into 3rd.

This force suddenly disappeared after I went on vacation and let the car stand for 10 days.

Sorry for not being able to give the bext descripion of the problem, since English is not my first language and I am njhot really the most technically talented person in the world.

Any tips are very much appreciated though

Daniel

[Loren]

If the SSK kit does not return to neutral then you tightened the adjusting nut too tight. The key is to test while you are tightening. Tighten the nut until you just start to see loss of free play in neutral - then back it off 1/4 to 1/2 turn. it will not hurt to have it a little loose. My very early SSK does not even have the adjusting capability.

[danieldominique2000]

Thanks a lot Loren, but unfortunately not the problem, because the gearshift moves vert freely. It just lacks the force whcih put it back to the middle.

Many Thanks for the idea thoough.

Is this problems so unusual ??? Car has over 100,000 miles and is in really good condition over than that, but it starts to worry me a bit :(

Daniel

[danieldominique2000]

Hello Everybody

Got the car lifted by my garag around the corner and as far as I can see all the brackets, cable etc. leading to the gearbox look good to me (just a bit dirty and rosty), but I am not really an expert (took me a couple of minutes to find the gearbox :oops: ).

Other than trying to grease the cables, whcih I am not even sure I can do, I am a bit out of options (since the gearbox-end looks really good).

Any comments would be highly appreciated!!!!

Daniel

[adsach]

Daniel,

Loren knows his stuff.

If he say try to "back it off 1/4 to 1/2 turn", I personally would pull the center console and back off the nut.

[danieldominique2000]

Last Update:

Got so annoyed with the problem that I went to my local OPC and prepared myself to part with a couple of hundred pounds to get this done. Half an houyr later and 40 pounds lighter I left. The hinge in one of the linkeages had been rusted up, needed to be reomed, disassembled, greased and be put back in.

:jump: So this problem is finally over.

Thanks everybody for the suggestions

[adsach]

Last Update:

Got so annoyed with the problem that I went to my local OPC and prepared myself to part with a couple of hundred pounds to get this done. Half an houyr later and 40 pounds lighter I left. The hinge in one of the linkeages had been rusted up, needed to be reomed, disassembled, greased and be put back in.

:jump: So this problem is finally over.

Thanks everybody for the suggestions

Congratulations - half hour labor isn't too bad - sounds like you got your money's worth with that fast a diagnosis. I didn't know the linkage could rust that bad.