How much play should there be in the stock shifter? I installed the tangerine shift linkage, firewall bushing and precision shift adjuster, and rebuilt my sideshift console with new seals and bushings over the weekend - the car's still up on jack stands, so I've not had a chance to drive it yet.

While this has all tightened up the shift, if I put it in neutral there's still 1cm to an inch of play, left to right, in the shifter itself. Is this normal? Is there anything I can do to eliminate it? The amount of play in it right now still feels like the difference between putting it in 2nd and putting it in 4th, which was what I was hoping to eliminate.

I don't think you can ever get rid of all the play in a stock shifter. Make sure the shifter itself isn't worn. Not just the bushings but the metal plate. Next step might be a jwest rennshifter.

examine the shift lever, where it contacts the detent (1&r lockout plate) for excessive wear on the plate and lever. put it in 2nd. is the free play somewhat equal side to side?

Check for play in the shifter itself and the connection to the shift rod in the tunnel. Could possibly be a worn cone screw at that connection or as described in the shifter mechanism itself.

Isn't that about the difference the lever moves in Neutral to shift from the 2/3 shift plane to 4/5? You could install a short shifter. The Weltmeister short shift kit partially decreases the gap by supplying a very short shift lever (too short IMO). While the short lever in itself decreases the geometry from gear to gear, the shifting effort increases in proportion to the shorter length.

In turn, this can be offset by installing a shift lever extension which also positions the shift knob closer to the steering wheel. So in effect, the WM/lever extension combo moves the shift knob closer to the steering wheel without increasing the gear-to-gear throw distance or shifting effort.

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WM with 915 shift housing in a 911
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WM with 5.5" lever extension
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Sherwood

Hey Mark, hope you're well, been a while since I've seen you at AX. Basically, every connection from the shifter all the way back to the transmission has been replaced. Even the shift fork that connects the shift rod to the shifter in the tunnel - this was replaced with the tangerine racing precision shift adjuster. The only slop now is in the shifter itself (or gear stick as us brits call it).

The precision shift adjuster has two holes it can be bolted to the shifter through. The upper is for a normal shift, the lower is for a 20% decreased short shift. I'm getting the side to side slop in the shifter no matter which hole I use.

Rhodyguy - off the top of my head, in 2nd the shifter has about half an inch play to the left and the same to the right. So I can basically waggle it side to side while it's in gear. I'll take a look for wear when I get home tonight.

I haven't had a chance to drive it and dial it in yet, so I'm not sure where the shift pattern is right now and how much I need to adjust it, which might help me figure out how much difference in feel there really is between 2nd and 4th.

Also, it could just be my expectations. I'm used to waggling a shifter in neutral and it self-righting back to the centre, and waggling it in any gear allowing a minimal amount of left to right movement, if any. Did the 914 shifter leave the factory doing that?

The factory shifter is only spring loaded to the R/1 plane,
so it will always move freely between the 2/3 and 4/5 planes when out of gear
The amount of play when in gear is dependent on the fit of components inside the gearbox.

in some circles, a short shifter (weitmiester?) is not considered an upgrade. you trade a shortened pattern for more effort ( less leverage).

john, contact chris about his trick for setting up the shifter to front rod properly. he uses a bungee cord. it's here someplace.

The precision adjuster eliminates all that rigamarole.

Okay, I better drive it and dial it in before I make any more decisions. I did all this to try to eliminate the 'fingers-crossed' nature of downshifting from 3rd to 2nd at AX - every time there's a 50% chance I'll put it in 4th.

Maybe a rennshift, with the reverse lockout, is the next logical step if the slop is down to the components inside the gearbox. That way I can just shift forward while applying slight pressure to the left and know it can only go into second.

I got looking at the Tangerine website tonight, and it looks like there is an option for a precision shift adjuster for the tailshift as well...anyone try it? (emailed Chris about it too)

I'm having some frustration with getting things adjusted properly...I can either smoothly push up to get from 1st to 2nd, and then have to search for 5th, or make 2nd a less natural (1st)-(neutral)-(slightly left against the stop)-(push up and pray) shift...often hitting 4th...but then at least coming down into 5th is reasonably good. 3rd and 4th always seem pretty repeatable and happy.

After a long drive on the weekend, I also found that 5th didn't want to engage as things warmed up. At this point, my assumption is that I don't have enough fore-aft travel heading into 3rd and 5th. Sounds like a shift adjuster will at least ease the frustration of losing my starting point when I make changes.

I am a fan of the products Chris makes. I have purchased most of them but one of the best things you can do, in my opinion, to help you shifting is to add his spherical firewall bushing. All of the other bushings should be in good condition as well, but I can't tell you how huge the improvement in my shifting was by adding this.

Yeah, I've replaced all of my bushings with new stock...the Tangerine firewall bushing/bearing is advertised as being for the sideshift only?

The two shift systems move the slop to other ends of the car.

Side shifter has more precision at the transmission end, but in the tunnel the shift rod is swung side to side rather than rotated, and that is sloppy.

The tail shifter has a ball and cup at the gear stick, rotation is kept all the way through the fire wall, direction changed, then it gets to the tail shift part. Even if all of your external stuff is perfect, the internal nature of a tail shift trans is sloppy. Add to that all of the joints it took get there multiply the slop both internal and external and you see why it was such an inferior mechanism. Too bad you live over there. I could do an internal mod to remove a lot of that slop.

Before mod -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vb2lBHNAVk0


After mod -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2SmpwTKYvY

Wow...that seems to be an appreciable difference! I heard back from Chris, and next time I'm making a trip to the states, I'll likely arrange to get one shipped to pick it up without having to deal with extra shipping costs, etc.

One other trans adjustment related question. Reverse and first seem to go into gear just as I would expect, 3rd, 4th and 5th don't seem to have any 'positive enagement' when I move the shifter...but they engage and never pop out (well, 5th engages when it feels like it), but 2nd feels like I'm locking it firmly into gear with a resounding clunk...thinking the fore-aft adjustment may have something to do with that too?

I made an oilite bushing for the back of my shifter and added the Tangerine racing spherical bearing at the firewall. I have almost zero slop at my lever.

Doc. Do you need the box to make this mod or can it be done by modding the the console selector rod only???

I have racked my brain for a way to efficiently convert the side to side waggle of the shifter to the pure rotation needed back at the console and have come up with nothing. Does the Rennshifter accomplish this trick??

HI Dr Evil,

How do i get this Mod? it might help me. all i get is reverse or first.

Please advise