What's the best value Short Shifter for a 987.1?

Just got a 2006 987.1 and I love it, but the gearbox is not as tight as I'd like, Last two cars were Audi TT Quattro and Honda Civic Type R which both have beautiful gearboxes. All I hear about is the Numeric Shifter and cables, but at over $1,000 for both there is no way - I need to find a better value solution. I'm really just looking for the gearchange to be more precise, does not actually have to be shorter, although that would be nice. Just to make it a bit more tight and less sloppy/notchy. Any recommendations on solutions that are decent but not way expensive like the numeric ?

Not sure if this helps, Without putting in a short shifter - watch this Youtube video - if all you want to do is remove the sloppiness in the shifter I have a 987.1 and I am getting the Numeric and new cables because it removes the slop in the shifter and the loose cables, and it will be more reactive.

The Numeric cables alone will make it more tight and less sloppy and save you from imminent cable failure down the road. Unfortunately, unless you're a skilled DIY, the labor cost is high so value goes down the crapper. There really isn't a "cheap" option when upgrading a Porsche shifter. You pay to play with these cars.

The cheap EBay shifters will work.

I have the Porsche Short Shifter, there is a large thread on there. Factory OEM Short Shifter Install - DO IT!!! There aren't a lot of mods that are immediately noticeable in the difference they have on a car (except maybe visual mods or something like a supercharger), well I am here to state that the factory short shift is GREAT! IMMEDIATE improvement in the Cayman's shifter, it is literally like driving... www.planet-9.com

I installed the Function First Shift kit ( link ), it does require to take apart your existing shifter. Bit scary at first but very doable. Make sure to change out the shift cable fasteners, mine had the nylon completely deteriorated. Part numbers are 996-424-147-00 and 996-424-145-01. I opted for the OEM path as I didn't want the NVH from the Numeric cables.

After scanning the market from the $35 ones on Evil-Bay to the Numeric set-up (which I have on my Carrera T and love) I decided on the "Bens" shifter available from uniWerks Ben's Porsche 911 / Boxster Short Shifter - uniWerks Design, LLC for my '11 Boxster Spyder. For no logical reason was drawn to the ball bearing assemblies replacing the usual Deldrin bushings. Install was very straight forward if you watch the videos. It helped me to write down the procedure and print it out. Very happy with it.

I've had my 2008 Cayman S since new and always disliked the shift feel of my particular car. I didn't mind the slop so much, although the slop has gotten worse over time. For me, I blame the factory cables particular to my car. I first bought and installed the factory "sport shift" shifter, which is very easy to do once you carefully take apart the front console (which isn't trivial, but anyone with patience should be able to handle it). I think that would be a good upgrade for anybody because it shortens the throw. For you, with 12 years of wear on the shifter action, you'll also be getting all new plastic parts, so you would at least get rid of some of the slop that has built up over time. A few years ago I bought the Numeric cables , which were a night-and-day difference. Shifting effort was much lower (an indication that the original Porsche ones were not working correctly). These cables take up a whole lot of rubber-band effect and shifting is truly "bolt-action." The feel and the fun were both dramatically improved! Yay. But there are a few downsides to the Numerics. Namely: install is a bear and there is still some gear whine transmitted through the cables even after installing a bunch of insulation. A further problem is that the Porsche shifter design (the mechanism directly below your hand under the boot) isn't great and the highly precise Numeric cables tend to highlight the shifter's mechanical design shortcomings. Specifically, even after considerable adjustment, shifting into 5th from 4th the distance forward is much shorter than when shifting from 2nd to 3rd. It works just fine, but it's a little asymmetric. Getting into reverse is also a little odd feeling. (You'll notice that reverse and 5th are the left-most and right-most forward positions, which is where the Porsche shifter design is less than ideal.) Basically, getting the precise Numeric cables means I now want to get the Numeric shifter too! Another (good or bad) thing about the Numeric is that you can feel everything going on in the transmission. With the shifter in neutral, you can feel the left/right and fore/aft slop in Porsche's plastic shifter, as distinct from any slop in the cables or the transmission (of which there is basically none). Very deliberately pulling back into 3rd (for example) you move past the shifter slop and then can feel a resistance as the internals of the transmission pre-tension, then a different resistance band as the spring-loaded synchros engage, and then a notchy final snap as the gear is locked into place. It's intoxicating, especially when sitting in the garage with the engine off. But, to shift well, you really need to go to the synchro engagement point, pause slightly, and then pull into the full engagement. With the standard Porsche cables and their rubber-band effect you can just shift without much worry about the sequence of events — which is a fortunate, because you can't feel any of that sequence! The Numeric cables really add a new level of engagement for those willing to pay attention.

Thanks, this looks great - great value and looks decent. So it removes the play and give you a more rifle feel? What car did you put it on and what was the main differences you noticed? How does it compare to the Numeric ?

Thanks, yes this is true. Mine is not really that bad, just not as good as I would like, and a small increase in feel is what I want - but not really willing to pay $1000++ for the full numeric setup - so the Bens Short shifter might be a good compromise...

That's probably a good compromise. I agree. That hardware should be (hopefully) be an easy replacement you can do in an hour or two and will be a lot of fun, too. For me, it seems my factory cables never really worked correctly, so the replacement cables made an enormous difference well beyond what a change from properly functioning cables would give. I still don't have the Numeric shifter . I have the Porsche "sport shifter" drop in replacement that basically just changes the leverage to give slightly shorter shifts. Getting that would at least get you back to a brand new shifter that isn't all stretched out with use. You might consider that, but the Bens Short shifter probably gives you better (less floppy and more durable) shifting and the improved leverage of the "sport shifter." I'd try the Bens first.

Had the cables on my 987.1 Cayman break at the track so I needed a quick fix, and replaced with OEM cable. Since that didn't tighten things up as I would like, I installed the Function First shifter kit and cable ends which made the shifting process much more mechanical and precise. I previously owned and tracked a Miata and missed the snick-snick feel of that setup.

How much are the cables does anyone know? Not cheap I believe and then the labour to fit them, not sure if makes sense for me right now. Thanks for the suggestions everyone, the Bens Shifter definitely seems liket he best value solutions right now, $150 an easy to fit. @supercroc - Ben also sells a "Side Lever Upgrade" Ben's Porsche 911 / Boxster / Cayman - Shifter Side Lever Upgrade - uniWerks Design, LLC - is that necessary too. Or what difference will it make?

I saved the "Side Lever Upgrade" for the next time I was looking for a project(and maybe some "free money" from Washington). Fine so far without it. My perspective is that all these thing put you on a continuum from sloppy to very precise (shifter, upgrade, cables) allowing you to balance cost and result. I'm currently happy where I am with just the shifter.

Cool, I'll try that and report back!

You really shouldn't be afraid of doing the Numeric Shifter and cables yourself. You need a couple of torx screwdrivers and a spudger trim kit, "the wrench" is essential and well worth the $10; and a couple of wheel ramps or similar. Watch the video and read the reports on here and it will take you about a day if you take your time. It's a good excuse to clean the console too. I have no extra noise from my installation and the result is amazing, like a gated shift on a Ferrari. If you do it yourself the savings in labour make it worth getting the best. The only difficult partS were getting the cable end on the left side of the trans, it has a bend in a very tight area. Getting the oem shift knob off is a huge pita, if you're not careful you will have a shift pattern embossed in your forehead or you'll smack your rear-view mirror. That's it.

I'm glad to hear that someone has a quiet installation. I've been hesitant on doing the Numeric upgrade because of the noise issue. It sounds like the noise is transmitted up the cables, and sound insulation does very little to stop it....?

I put in Numeric cables several years ago. They have worked perfectly ever since, with no extra noise. Just be careful about reinstalling the various rubber bits, especially the firewall gasket. I also did not reuse the U-shaped metal clamp that holds the cables against the tunnel just forward of the firewall, this may have helped with noise.

Ah. I noticed the metal clamp in my installation (I had someone do it). Also, did you use the plastic snap-on ends at the transmission side; the ends that come with the cables? I think some people might use rubber ends that transmit much less noise.

In case you want the OEM cables, the part number is 987-424-041-11. I paid $340 for them from Delaware Porsche .

I just installed the Numeric Racing cables with my existing factory short shifter and shifts are much more direct. I can't detect any additional NVH either. It's a lot of work disassembling and reinstalling the console but it's not difficult especially if you use their special wrench for tightening the cables on the brackets. Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

Dragging this up for one more question before I place an order. I notice that my shifts can be a little crunchy sometimes, Going into 2nd and 3rd, Also 1st occasionally. Not entirely sure but I think it's more so when the car is fine and less when warmed up. What I'm wondering is will this improve with Bens shifter or might this be a different issue?

You have pointed out the exact issue with other non Numeric shifter /cables. That is the direct link Numeric shifter /cables have that forces the transmission to work into 1st gear when its cold. If you have this equipment to make this happen, I'm not so sure you should do this all the time though as you can tell that you are forcing the detents and synchros to work harder when they are cold. This activity goes back to a racer from Australia, who specifically said his race shop advised him not to use the Numeric short shifter , as you will override the synchros and soon be grinding gears on a regular basis. I do not have this issue, although I certainly do feel the detents and synchros on each shift after 25k miles of usage.

So I wrote to ben and this is what he came back with: Usually when there is any doubt about the condition of the gearbox, I don’t recommend going with the (any) short shifter. It’s not that it will wear it out faster (that’s a myth I hear a lot unfortunately), but being a lot more precise, it emphasize every aspect of shifting, good or bad ! To put it another way, the gearbox defines the maximum shifting quality achievable, the shifter defines how close to that maximum you can get. Here, it seems to me that the problem would be more with the synchros, 2nd and 3rd are the most used gears, and 230 000km is high for a sports car’s gearbox. If it was the shifter or the cables / linkage, you would have trouble with every gear. If you haven’t done it already, I’d recommend to do an gear oïl change first, and add a gearbox oïl additive, I’ve had great success with them (Mecacyl HY for example) ! Also verify your front engine mount for signs of wear (cracks in the rubber) as it play a big role in shifting quality too, and can make things seem worse than they acutally are (I’ve had to replace some on cars with a lot less km !) I’d love to sell you a complete kit, it’s a great product ! But you should spend the money on the gearbox first as I don’t want you to be disapointed for the wrong reasons. The Numeric is a beautiful piece, but it’s the same problem, if the gearbox is worn out, it’s like putting a band aid on a bullet hole :/ Their cables are nice too, but a bit overkill on a road car. I’ve had one Customer install it on a car with bad linkage (he knew they were bad but absolutely wanted the shifter), but he ended up fixing everything shortly after getting the shifter. The side lever is a great addition to the short shifter ! It reduces the side to side play in the shifter mechanism ! The stock part is a plastic lever, rotating on a plastic shaft that is just clipped in place… Mine is an aluminum part, with a removable Delrin insert (very hard plastic, wear resistant), rotating on ball bearing around a steel shaft bolted in place : Stiff and precise ! And serviceable ! The Function First shifter uses a stock shifter, you’re not reducing the throw, and have the same flaw in the lever (the lever and its plastic body gather play with time !) They also have a side lever availabel, but for the stock shifters (no wear part, it’s all aluminum as the stock shifter has the wear part on it), while mine is design to work only for the short shifters. --- OK so it was nice to him to be so straight. I think I need a gearbox oil change. Good to know that if it was the cables you'd have the same problem in all gears. My car has 230,000km / 140k miles - is a gearbox likely to be worn at this stage? I still really want to do this - but its annoying to think I may stil have much of the same problems...

The engine and transmission mounts are wear items. If you don’t have any records from the PO you should check them out, likely need new ones. Most other threads I have seen seem to indicate mount wear between 40-60K miles. Others may know more than I.

OK thanks. Yes I have heard that - how big a job is replacing these and what is the approx cost? So will all of this affect the gearchange?

Search around on cost, I am likely due and will tackle it maybe in the next year. Theoretically yes it will affect gear change, a good test is if your gear lurches in 3rd under heavy acceleration or braking. I have seen that happen on mine. Hoping others can chime in here.

So mine can be a bit notchy going into 2nd and 3rd, and sometimes 1st when cold. I believe changing the gear oil makes a difference and also cleaning and lubricating the "pivot point" - I don't know what that is but I'll soon find out!