I just finished installing Chris Foley's shift linkage kit. The car shifts smooth as silk like a normal car with a 5 speed. It's like night and day! There is no question what gear you are shifting into, the shifts are solid and tight. I first replaced all the bushings using the stock shifter. It was like "what gear am I going to find now?" It would grind going into 1st and my arm was hurting from pushing the shifter as hard as I could to the right to find 4th and 5th, and when shifting into 5th, finding 3rd instead! So I installed a Renn shifter, a little better, but not much. Was not happy. So I sprung for Chris's linkage kit and firewall bearing kit. The car is a pleasure to drive. Thanks Chris for a super engineering job and a high quality kit. If you are not happy with the way your car is shifting, I would highly recommend installing this kit.

I see no advantage over the Rennshift kit with that. Good to have an alternative I agree. But if your Rennshift like for like kit wasn't working, which looks exactly the same, then I would be asking myself whether it was installed and setup correctly in the first place.

Good afternoon, to the best of my knowledge the Rennshift linkage kit is NO LONGER available. That being said, Mr Foleys linkage set-up is 'The Only Game In Town'.

I believe he was referring to just the Renn Shifter... not the linkage that James used to sell.

The shifter and the linkage kit are apples and oranges.

but I'm pretty sure its mostly a long straight bar...

FWIW my Rennshaft linkage popped off at the last autocross. Ended up back by the wheels. Maybe that's why its not made any more.... but the Rennshift a damn great shifter...

In the case of a -4, the bar has 3 bends.

My shift linkage kits are not a fabrication project as the JWest kits were.
The kits are delivered ready to install, with a powdercoated shift rod that has permanently installed u-joint(s).
However, installation does require modification of the sideshift console.

Properly installed it can't pop off any more than your steering can come apart - if the bolts are put in the grooves on the u-joints then a bolt has to fall out for the linkage to come apart. The splined end may not have been installed far enough and tightening the bolt worked to squeeze the end out instead of capturing it.

When Porsche quit making the rear cover I chose to end my production. I didn't like the idea of a precision linkage under the car without boots and covers, and it was already too expensive without considering making that part myself.

The RennShift shifter will not be a big improvement with worn out linkage and bushings. The tighter the linkage, the greater the gain, and Chris's solution is the best out there.

These parts work together - the shifter changes the dynamics (helps find the right gear without overstiff springs) and removes friction and slop in the shifter area. The Tangerine linkage tightens up the supports without adding binding that can happen if the bushings are made tighter with stock linkage.

After 7 years, how's it working ? Any suggestions for someone anticipating this project

Shifting in a 914 is a system, only as good as it's weakest part. Think of the shifting in 3 parts; shifter, linkage, transmission. Jwest for the shifter. From the shifter to the trans, replace everything you can with Tangerine racing linkage and bushing, then make sure your trans is rebuilt to spec. It's not cheap but to get the best shifting possible, this is the formula.

Ask Keith, @914Toy

He has done both of these mods and swears by them.

I hope he comments here.

I have a Rennshift and one of Chris's kits in my car. I really like that combo.

It was touchy to get adjusted properly, but the car shifts way easier now. Night and day different.

Zach

Thanks. Did the installation go as planned or are some unanticipated things to watch out for.

I have a Weltmiester short shift shifter. It simply provides a longer lever arm to actuate the shift rod.

I have a Tangerine bushing and the kit at the rear that includes a shift shaft and the two bushings at the console. These components translate all of the shift rod motion into precise rotation and linear travel that is required to most efficiently operate the shift mechanism.

The car shifts pretty well, way better than stock where the end of the shift rod is essentially wagging around rather than rotating and sliding.

This so much increases the pleasure of driving these cars. Gives it a much more precise feel. Get one!

On my 3.2 conversion, I have a jwest shifter, full jwest linkage kit and dr evil rebuilt trans. The car shifts like a bolt action rifle. Smooth and positive. Pretty awesome on a 914.
I have a stock tailshifter on my 1.7 car. I learned to shift on a loose tailshifter when I was 16, so for me, it's doable but it's night and day.

Hi Mark- That is the exact set-up I have for my car. I hope it works as well as I envision.

I almost forgot - Zach's handmade shift knob. Icing on the cake.

An excellent and relatively easy upgrade, and one that is obvious each time you drive your car.

Hi Zach,

I came across this thread just in time. I'm working on putting together some parts for my side shift conv. on my factory 914-6.
I have a new Rennshifter for my factory 914-6 and now looking at getting the rest of the side shift linkage. I'm looking at the Tangerine Racing shift rod kit which comes with the trans shift housing dual bushing mod and the precision shift adjuster.
Would you happen to have any pics of the trans shift housing mod done ?
Any issues installing/adjusting it ?

You will be modifying the shift console on the transmission, which is a lot easier to do with the transmission out of the car.

The smart way to do this is to drain the transmission, but I just dammed up the top vents and nothing leaked out.

Once the spherical bushing is in, grease the hell out of it. it is TIGHT against the shifter bar - which it needs to be. Grease will help. I've either gotten used to it, or its broken in a little.

The splined bar going into the console lever was a PITA to get in and indexed properly. Everything has tighter tolerances now.

When I adjusted the shifter, I needed to clearance something (I can't recall what at the moment) where there was an impingement making it difficult going into the 4/5 plane. I know the shift rod was making contact with something, I just can't remember where. I do recall it being easy to remedy once I found it. After I found that, the shifter adjusted easily. For shifter adjustments I used DrEvils notes.

Chris provides templates for making all your cuts and holes that need drilling.

I've got pics of just about everything I've done to this car over the past 15 (holy shit - 15?!) years... Its just a question of finding them. I can find the bearing install but will have to search for (or more likely just reshoot) a pic of the console mod.


Spherical bearing installed.

if you are on the fence about this product and you have a Rennshifter- don't be. Buy it. I'm glad I did.

One final word - Mike referred to me as a "horrible person" for lopping off the ear of my perfectly fine shifter console. Maybe ask him for a console with a busted ear already before making the mod. But if you don't be sure to take pictures and tag him in them so you get your dose of the Shreck as well.

Zach

When I adjusted the shifter, I needed to clearance something (I can't recall what at the moment) where there was an impingement making it difficult going into the 4/5 plane. I know the shift rod was making contact with something, I just can't remember where. I do recall it being easy to remedy once I found it. After I found that, the shifter adjusted easily. For shifter adjustments I used DrEvils notes."

Probably the seatbelt bolt.
@VaccaRabite

Thanks for the info Zach.. When you locate those pics please post them.
I already have the firewall bushing here so one less thing to get.

That's the first thing that came to me as well. I've had that issue in my 71 which drove me nuts. I had put the wrong length bolt in and it was hitting the shift rod.
I have a spare trans console that the bushing ear is snapped off of. I plan to use that one to modify and install. I better get my shopping list going then.

Jim, We put them on everything. The spherical firewall bushing is a must as well. That's a major slop area. A new factory firewall bushing is disgusting.

Everything should go as planned. This is one of the major improvement areas. With a short shift kit they're even more funnerer. Pull the trigger...

Trigger pulled...: Just submitted an order along with the fire wall bushing....

You won't be sorry jim,, I've had one on my car now for over a year and I love it.

Nope, wasn't that. the rod that was part of the kit was touching (just barely, but just enough) something. If I got under the car to look I'd see it right off, but I'm in AC and the car isn't.

Also, found the pics of my ear mods:






Zach

Cool, I figured you had it.

That is a thing of beauty...

Zach,

What did you use to cut off the console ear? A cut-off wheel?

Also, do you use the rear console black plastic boot (or cover)? Does it still fit over the Tangerine dual bushing arrangement?

Thanks.

Ran into this problem also. the bolt supplied with the Renshifter was too long and the front shifting coupler would just touch it in 4th gear. It felt like I was hitting the limit of the shifter. Found it when I was trying to adjust that problem out.
Ground down the rear most bolt mounting the shifter and everything clears now.

Have the Tangerine spherical bushing and bronze console bushing but the stock rod and it shifts fantastic. I can't imagine it being better. Maybe one of these years I will get the Tangerine shift rod, but it doesn't seem necessary right now.

I have no idea what I used to cut it off. I remember it was cold as all hell. I probably used a cutoff wheel but I may have used a hacksaw. IIRC the metal the trans is made from (aluminum or mag can’t remember) just loads up a cut off wheel.

shift console mods are great

they made another noticeable improvement over the custom fire wall bushing and renn-shifter

I had all brass bushings and a straight bar prior to the console mods
each thing has helped a little more:

the cup bushing extension is in the picture also

Why was that done?

at full extension a part of the plastic bushing is exposed/pulled out of the cup and unsupported.

Only if you use a shift rod head from a tailshift linkage. The correct sideshift shift rod head doesn't allow the cup bushing to be exposed too much.

Good to know. I didn’t realize there was a difference. How do you tell them apart.

Actually, Brant's picture is of a sideshift piece so I don't understand how it needs an extension unless he moved the shaft further away from the selector on the transmission.
The tailshift piece is a noticeably different shaped casting.

Sideshift or tail?

Sideshift

Cool. Thanks!