Today my plan was to find out more about my shifting problems. Therefor I decided to substitute the shiftstick-microswitch with a manual operated switch, to see if this would solvve the problem.

As it turned out, I was really not well prepared ... I had hardly anything useful at home to do this work. So I had to improvize a little.

I took an old spotlight that I didn't use for at least 8 years or so and checked if it still worked fine - and it did. So I dismounted the switch to use it as a microswitch substitut.

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Because I had no wires at home, I had to cut out a little less that 2 feet of the speaker wires of my stereo

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When I started to lift the shift boot I saw that anybody already worked on this problem. The wires were already cut and clamped together. That's nice - so I didn't need to disturb original material

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I took my DMM to check if the microswitch could be the problem and it turned out that it didn't switch in the way it should. This is s very tricky thing - at least for me.

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So I started to connect the wires with my substitut and placed the cable around the ash tray so that the switch is in a good position.

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Then I started the engine and started my tests. Switch on - carefully trying to shift - it worked well
I tried to shift through all gears, including the rear - everything worked fine

Due to the weather condition I only could test it inside the garage, but it shifted without any problem. When the weather gets better I will see if I could find somebody who comes with me to a test drive, so that we could test it "in action".
I can't do this alone, because I need both hands to shift.

Maybe I will improove this solution with another switch (push button) so that I could shift with only one hand.

Gustl

That is great to see. I hope the micro switch is an easy to get part. Who knows, it may even be a VW beetle part.

BTW I like your use of the speaker wire. I had to cut apart a lamp cord a couple weeks ago.

Gust & Hcdmueller,

You both have just regressed 2 steps in the 914, 12 step program! Dave

glad i could help!

there's a good possibility that the microswitch from a VW bug sporto is similar enough to work. i'm not sure if the 914 switch is still available from porsche, but the VW switch should not be difficult to get ...
Andy

after studying my "Driving a Sportomatic" brochure and the factory maintainance books today I found out that there might be some wrong adjustments at the switch
I will try to do this next - if it doesn't help I'll check for a new part

Gustl

I got the information from the french Sporto owner that there is a screw somewere that allows you ajust the time the clutch opens and closes. It seems that most issues can be solved by ajusting this screw.

I'm just back from the car now.
Today I figured out what the actual problem is in detail. There are two spring connectors, one before and one behind the shiftstick. If you move the shiftstick forward, to shift in "L" or "3", the rear spring connector should close the switch. If you move the shiftstick back, to shift in "R", "D" or "4", the spring connector in front should close the switch.
The front spring connector works fine. I also found the screw (Johannes mentioned it - thanks ) which can give some pre-tention on the spring connector to change the gap (to control how sensitiv it is).
But for any reason, the rear spring connector doesn't work propper. The screw for pre-tention doesn't change anything, the switch is always open.

Maybe I will try to bend the spring connector a little bit within the next couple of days. With a little luck it will work then. But no big problem - since I have the manual switch installed I could drive anyway (if the weather would be fine )

But it turned out that it's no fun for a big guy like me to work in such a small place ...

Gustl

That's really cool. Early VWs and Mustangs (and more) have a foot operated high/low headlight switch on the floor (you step on it). If you can source one on those it would make testing easier.

Keep us posted.

get one of these with the switch http://www.jegs.com/p/Hurst/745795/10002/-1/10521
or make some thing like it with a momentary switch from your local electrical supply store.

Could you somehow tape the switch to the shift lever?? Would you be able to shift with one hand then?

@ McMark - I do know these foot operated headlights, but I won't do something like this - I want to make the original thing work ... or, in worst case, replace it with an original part

@ Troy - same here ... I absolutely want an original solution ...

@ Elliot - today I removed a push button from an old computer which I wanted to tape to the shift knob, this would be easier than the current light switch solution; but then I thought I should find out more about the strength of the electric current; so I connected my DMM to the circuit, started the engine and and didn't believe what I saw: when the clutch is open there are between 1.5 - 1.8 Ampere flowing
so I couldn't use the Computer's push button, because it would be toasted with the 1st clutch operation ...
I'll see if I could find a better (stronger) push button within the next days - or if I could make the original thing work propper

Gustl

Now - after a couple of test drives - I have the final solution, and that's the original solution.
The switch was still available and the Porsche Center Tirol has a very experienced guy, who worked for them for almost 30 years. He changed the part and adjusted it perfectly.
Now the system shifts sweet as honey. I can shift through all gears without any problem, no strange noise, just the way it should work.
This way the driving is pure fun.
It even shifts better than my '74 1.8 with sideshifter - and this one is almost perfect.

I paid a lot of money for this original switch - but it's worth every cent

Gustl

That is great news. Hopefully the weather holds out so you can get a few miles in.

GREAT ! This experienced guy should have worked on a 914 sporto for the first time in his life ! ...

yepp - but he already worked on a 911 Sporto, as he told me

-- Rob