My 2009 Boxster S has a full Numeric Shifter set up, which overall I love. Three height settings and a super solid feel, but...
There's always a but.
What I'm wondering is for those of you who have upgraded, do you notice more feedback from the transmission? Most notably for me, I can really feel the gears coming together (esp. going from 2nd to 3rd). Failing synchro was my first thought. My mechanic took the car for a drive, and he's confident the synchros are good. He said the shifter felt fine to him (accounting for the shifter that was installed).
Also worth noting, this is my third manual Boxster so I'm pretty familiar with how smooth the gear shift should be.
But I can still feel what to me feel like gear lash as I let off the clutch following a gear change. So I'm thinking one (or more) of the following may be true:
1. I'm hypersensitive and maybe a little neurotic.
2. The adjustable cables from Numeric are just a little off, preventing something from lining up perfectly.
3. I need to switch to a top shelf transaxle fluid to make it all come together nicely.
4. Everything is fine, but with stainless steel cables connected to a super solid shifter, I'm actually feeling more of the transmission action than with the factory Porsche nylon cables and softer shifter.
If you have a full Numeric set up, are you noticing way more information from your from your transmission? Any other thoughts on this?
Thanks,
Scott
Scott,
The Numeric shifter does an excellent job of delivering a crisper, more race inspired shifting experience. This design removes a lot of play which gives that direct feel but you'll experience more NVH as a result - I did notice a slight increase in mechanical feedback when we last installed the shifter on a 981. Going with a lightweight flywheel or poly / solid drivetrain bushings gives a similar effect - in my BRZ with lightweight flywheel you can hear whining and mechanical chatter on deceleration while you can feel some vibration through the gas pedal at certain conditions. As long as the shifting action is not compromised you should be fine. A heavier shift knob like something from Raceseng may help dampen the vibrations slightly. I wouldn't fret over the vibrations, rather consider yourself knighted into the realm of more hardcore enthusiasts!
-Mike S
I have a confession to make: I ordered the Numeric shifter and cables before I'd even taken delivery of my car! I test drove a couple of 987s and didn't like the sloppy shifter - it feels too much like a video game controller. Have only heard great things about Numeric.
I'd focus on #1 and #4 if I were you. lol
Thanks for all the input! I was fortunate enough to find a great Boxster semi-track car with a lot of great, well thought out additions, including the Numeric Shifter. And I have to say, I love the gear shift action, just so solid. I doubt I could go back to a factory unit.
But the extra mechanical feedback will take me some time to get used to. There's no grinding or bad vibrations and the effort is just right so I guess I will just have to let go of my stress and drive my little track day monster as she was meant to be driven.
And since I have a track day tomorrow at Sonoma Raceway...
Cheers and thanks!
I did Numeric cables couple with a cheap fleabay SSK. It definitely gives more feedback than the plastic and rubber OEM cables. However, the feeling of trust in the quality of the new cables is more than worth it.
I had to tune my cable lengths for the dog-legged short shifter. This made grabbing reverse very forceful. Which I actually prefer. When I first got the car, it was easy to hit reverse instead of first. Now, no chance. My use of Mobil 1 75W90 transaxle fluid has made the transmission a bit notchier than it was. And that is felt through the direct linkage. Overall, it is more durable and fun to drive than stock, which is what I was after.
Just a little update, I did some performance driving on Monday at Sonoma Raceway, probably 40-45 laps. Zero drama with the Numeric shifter and cables, well, other than one human error (picked a bad spot to downshift, coming uphill into turn 2). The extra mechanical feedback when you are running hard just made every shift more confident because I knew exactly when I was and wasn't in gear. And, oddly, the longer we drove, the better the gearbox felt.
That's it for now. Cheers, and thanks for the input.
