Any thoughts on "short shift kits" for the 914? Mine has always had one, it looks like one of the cheaper ones, it sits on nuts to elevate the shifter (unlike the welmeister which has a plate). It is not presenting a problem, but Now I am trying to fit a center console in. Are these just gimmicks? It does shorten the throw but was any 914 variation ever fitted with one?

Most of the "kits" I have seen are hard on the transmission. The rennshift is the best alternative I have used and it is very nice.

by changing the ratio of the shift lever knob to the linkage end does not make any thing "harder " on the tranny.
that is what a "short shifter" does, it just changes the leaver action ratio to the linkage. less throw of the knob to get the same movement to the shift linkage.

In my opinion they are just a Fad(joy stick)

Cut a few inches off the top of the lever and you get shortened throws.

Had one for a couple of years, got rid of it. Hard on the linkage (not to argue with messix, but I feel if you are changing the fulcrum point you are getting more strength when you manhandle the shifter - I had to adjust my linkage more often to keep things smooth where the non-short shifter I haven't had to touch since I put it back in) . I also "felt" the short-shifter was harder to shift ( not that I am any good shifting a 914 anyway ).
You need to do what feels right for you, though. If you have a good (short) shifter now, don't mess with it. If you can swap things in and out, do so (easy to do, but hard to adjust correctly).
I don't see where the console would be affected by the type of shifter - but I never had a console and a shorty at the same time.
If you want to keep it similar, do what poorsche914 says, shorten off the top and you don't change the pivot point but you do shorten the throw. That assumes that only a "standard" shifter fits in the console.
Pics might help with a console fitment for those more in-the-know. Is it a factory console ?

I just installed the "level 1" kit from JWest (and it's even on sale) and I love it. I let a couple of people drive my car today at the G&R and one of them commented that it was the best shifting 914 they ever drove. You need to do a little fabricating and understand the shift geometry but if you do it right the improvment is remarkable. Oh, and I'm still using my stock shifter. It's the best $200 I've spent on the car.

the short shift only accentuates a poor setup elsewhere. if something feels wrong with the short shifter in place it is because it is wrong elsewhere and the shorter throw is less tolerant of a sloppy setup or wrong setup. it is just telling you that you should have already fixed it BEFORE you put a short shift in there.

...its like 914 brakes: if they are not right with the 17mm MC a 19 will make it worse. fix the problem


I really like short shifter kits in a 914

Thomas,
I have a short shift set ready to go. It is one that I had to change out the ball unit, no spacer needed. Come on over and you can put it in your car and give it a try.

Maybe I should add the only short shifter I have seen had a plate, so I am guessing yours sticks "up" hence interferes with the console ? Then I guess it's a matter of which you want more, but you are considering getting a new shifter rather than not running a console ?

Like Jon, I have the renn shift from J West. It alone will not make your 914 shift well. I went thru all of the bushing replacement and found standard off the shelf bushings wanting ( they were stock bushings). Problem was, they fit too loose on the shift rod. Ended up making my own bushings. My 914 now shifts better than any previous one I had driven. That said. I don't know how it would fit with a console. There is a thread on my install if you want to search.
Tom

What year is your car? Do you have a tail shifter or side shifter?

I have a 72 originally tail shifter converted to the later style side shifter with new bushings and a weltmeister shift kit and I have to say that was a huge improvement and makes the car a lot of fun and I can shift gears somewhat quick but not nothing like a new modern sports car....someday when I have the extra cash I want to rebuild the whole gearbox and add the Jwest full kit and linkage. I just ordered some solid transmission mounts that might help. Wish me luck!! Cheers!!

Went to great lengths to get mine working right. new rods, wevo shifter, patrick motor sports firewall bushing. Tangerine racing installed the 916 kit last week. The shifting is very tight now. Feels about as good as your gonna get a 35 year old transmission.

Trans mounts helped mine a bunch, went with sport mounts. I do feel a little more though. I agree with the stock bushing replacements, was better but still kinda sloppy. Anyone find anything better to use other than the Jwest set-up? I'm not gonna spring for one of those after my tax bill.

We call them short "sh*t kits as those who install them (except for the racers) are usually trying to make up for other problems in the shift linkage.

Not true. If you are only changing the amount of throw sure. However, in a 914, you have the long linkage with bushings and other factors to worry about. The Weltmeister has a plate that lifts up the base of the shift console making the linkage do things a touch different than it is suppose to. It can cause gears to grind.

Now, if you do it correctly the short shift can be nice. The Rennshift or Wevo set ups with all new bushings and the proper allignment makes it as smooth as you will get.

You can even go further and do the JWest linkage which is about the best I have seen for a 914 901 gear box.

you mean the plate that is necessary because the pivot ball to linkage coupler is now longer and would hit the bottom in side the tunnel?
well that is what makes it a short shifter. either that or cut the shift leaver down at the knob.

it is just fulcrum location that changes. if you are implyinh that the longer section creates too much angle from the shifter to the first bushing? that would be possible with worn out bushings.
and not many of us have the $500. blow on shifters.

Worked with a guy that was a Porsche nut and he drove a 96 turbo.

He jumped all over me one day when we were driving to lunch. It seems I was speed shifting which he explained doesn't give the synchros time to speed up. That forcing the issue causes excess tranny part wear. He said the proper way was to shift out of gear, wait for the synchros to speed up, and and then shift into gear. It's not as smooth as speed shifting, but gives more life to what you have.

He also said a number of his Porsche driving friends speed shifted and all had tranny problems.

So, if he is right, a speed shifter is just another way to trash your tranny....

After going to Evil's tranny clinic, I found the first gear dog teeth trashed in both of my trannys from brute force shifting.....

Shift away, there are only so many trannys and tranny parts....

Some of this stuff isn't making sense:



If you change the ball you are changing the depth of the ball in the tunnel. If you do that, you need the spacer to bring it back up to the stock parallel geometry. Otherwise it rubs the bottom of the tunnel and binds in the rear bushing... no?

Likewise:



The plate is the depth of the new ball so, the plate does not make the linkage do anything different than it is suppose to. It makes it go back to doing what it is suppose to. Add the ball = Linkage now angles down. Add the plate = Linkage is back to where it's suppose to be. No?

Regarding:



The factory center console is fitted right along the left side of the shifter base. The Weltmeister spacer has a buldge along that side that would have to be machined (ground) off in order for it to work with a factory console.



I think kwales hit's the nail on the head except, these aren't "speed shifters" they just shorten the throw. These came to market with years of people complaining about the long vague shift motion associated with these shift consoles. If anything these short shifters reduce the leverage exerted on the tranny and linkage... they just engourage bad behavior.

The real issue is the nut holding the steering wheel, people do not shift a 901/911/915 the way they were intended as he mentions. It's common and could be one of the most important pieces of information in this thread or on this site regarding saving your tranny. As new drivers are introduced to these old cars, this seems to be a lost art. Speed shifting an early syncromesh tranny involves double clutching which speeds up the syncros faster than the mechanism itself does. When installing a short shift kit it simply tends to accentuate the fact that people do not shift them properly. Most will get in their car after the mod and head down the street to see how fast they can hit the next gear. Bad.

Do what he mentions (I'll modify this a tad):

Shift out of gear, press the lever to the gate of the next gear (engaging the syncros), wait for the synchros to speed up, and and then shift into gear.

...and your tranny will probably outlive you (short shift kit or not).

I know the throws on the rennshift are shorter but is the shaft shorter too? I'm 6'5" and am tired of shifting under my knee.

We have two versions - one is the same knob height as stock and extended that raises the knob height 2 inches.

Typical short shifters reduce the throws too much - the force required to shift is so great (from the reduced leverage of a short throw), that the driver must slam the shifter for gear to gear just to get it to move. This precludes any waiting on the synchro to speed up the free gear and wears the transmission.

The resolution is also too little from gear to gear, so it is difficult to pause at the synchro band contact point.

The RennShift is a max reduction of 30% and is delivered at 20%, which still allows proper shifting.

The Weltmeister - extended below and shortened above the pivot - is more like 45 to 50% reduction (too much)!

I went with the extra expense of the Remm shift because in the previous 914's I had owned it was way too easy to find your gear selection off due to the design or wear. I lost count of the mis-shifts from first to second ( not speed shifting). Would grind as if going into reverse or go into fourth. Since my install and bushing replacement, no ( read that zero) mis-shifts. What a pleasure. Just not having the mis-shifts is worth it, but think of all the wear and tear on the trans I'm saving.
On top of all that, the shifter hidden under that 911SC boot looks kind of cool too.
Tom

I'm having a heck of a time trying to adjust my shift linkage can anyone tell from these pictures what type of kit is in my car?

Jsaum

Looks like a weltmeister.

Do a search on shift linkage adjustment.. Should be fairly easy. I put the trani in 3rd or 4th, put the shifter female on the shaft in a position that puts the shifter at the middle then move the shifter to be in a proper position for 3rd or 4th. tighen up and check all gears, Adjust as necessary.

Weltmeister.

Thanks I'll give it a try.

Jsaum

I installed a Weltmeister short shifter on my old 914 and would have transfered it to my newest one except the spacer raised things too high for my Amco center console. I was pleased with the short shift function and never had any shifting issues with the used transmission it was on. I shifted deliberately as I did and do with stock linkage. It was, afterall, a short shifter, not a speed shifter.

It does require increased shifting input force but, physics being what it is, this did not translate to more force carrying through to the transmission itself. If it takes 20# of force to move a slider out of gear or into gear, it will move at 20# reguardless of the force applied to the gear shift knob. The length of the fulcrum on each side of the shift rod pivot determines the ratio of the input force required to get our theoretical 20# force to move sliders in the gear box.

That being said, I mostly liked that the short shift setup allowed me to adjust the shift pattern to avoid interference with my right knee and still be able to reach 4th gear easily.

The Rennshifter costs a lot, but is sooooo nice
I have mine at 33% reduction, then added about 5 inches of extension so the shoft knob is up to about 4 o'clock position on my small steering wheel.
Thanks for reminding me to take is slow on my synchros when not AX racin

If needed, I am sure I could sell my slightly used Rennshift for $350-450, then swap the OEM one back on.