New shifter option

I had been driving around with the B&M shifter in my 02 C2, and while I enjoyed the fact that it was a lot shorter than stock, I really never enjoyed the notchy feel that came with it. I saw this thread where there were a few 996GT3 guys that had converted to the 997 GT3 shifter assembly: https://rennlist.com/forums/showthre...ferrerid=53877 Well, I gave it a shot on the regular C2, and it fits up fine. You do need to use the alignment tool that locks the shift handle in center position, because the cable ends do not lock back into the same place.....my B&M had lined up at the same spot. I love it! Definately longer than the SSK, but I believe it is quite a bit shorter than the stock shift (from memory). This thing is silky smooth....I love the mod! I got the entire assembly from Sunset with centering tool for somewhere around $165. I know some guys that took it back off because it was just too long, but it is staying in my car. Quick Update: It looks like I am getting about a 13% reduction in shift length over the standard 996 shifter with this setup. The B&M SSK provides about 37% reduction for comparison sake.

Hmmm this sounds interesting. I love the B&M, but it is notchy and thought the OEM was smoother. Did you use your OEM shift **** with the GT3 SSK?

Yes, the OEM **** fits fine. It is important to note that you need to get the standard stock 997 GT3 shift assembly, not the Porsche SSK or "sport" kit for that car....because that will pretty much be the same thing that you have. The 997 GT3 stock shifter is quite a bit shorter than the stock 996 shifter...at least per my memory.

not sure i want a super silky engagement - i don't find the ssk on my car notchy at all... i call it... a mechanically sound engagement feel

Did you do pics of the install ?

no pics of the install....but it is the same as the short shift install, which is well documented. The biggest difference between this and the B&M is that the stock shifter comes with the complete assembly, so you don't have to break the old shifter out from the existing box. Unhook shifter cables, unbolt plastic shifter box, re-install new box/shifter and hook up cables....that is it.

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Wow, so really a true R&R then ??? I like that. I have on my list a SSK and have been looking at the B&M, but this sounds interesting, but would like to know how much shorter than the stock 996 and taller than the BBK though before deciding. This could be a mid-height one where in a re-sale situation it might never be noticed, not everyone wants a SSK.

Ill take the BM off your hands! I was thinking about the 997 unit, but my C2 has the BM and i didnt mind the feel. PM me if you want to unload the BM Thanks and Happy Holidays!!

The B&M is gone, I already sold it to a buddy who put it on his boxster. There is some talk of length comparisons on 6speed (turbo forum I think) as well as the link I posted in the OP. Worth a shot! I think I will get along with the new shifter better than I did with the B&M at the track.

DOH!!Thanks for the reply

I did the B&M SSK swap about 2 weeks ago. I am not sure I really like it just because of the extra effort needed. When driving around town in DC area with all this freaking traffic, I can see it being a real hassle real quick. I am not a driving events person so it migh not have been the best choice. On the other hand, it is kind of fun sometimes to run through the gears with quicker wrist flicks! I'll see how I feel in a few months. This mid stick length option sounds intriguing!

bk12...I am really looking at using the 997 GT3 shifter instead of the BBK after I read the original post in the 996 GT2/GT3 forum. A lot of people that track there car like this shifter over others, specifically the B&M. Not that the B&M is a bad shifter, but I really do not need such a short throw, my stock one is not bad, but a little shorter and still as smooth, or smoother, would be perfect for street and track IMHO. I will let you know if I get the green light from the boss

OK I have the short shift and although this sounds nice think I will bypass this mod. Thanks for the info!

The link to the 996 GT2/GT3 forum is confusing. The part number for the shift shown on the white sticker in the first post is 997 424 010 00. Where you see the metal plate where the 4 screws there is black plastic. That is the standard 997/987/997 GT3 shift. It is not a short shift. The short shift for the 997/987 series has blue plastic. There is a picture of the blue plastic short shift in the thread but the guy gives out the part number for the standard black shift. The short shift is 997 424 983 00. I don't know why anyone would want to put the standard 997 series shift in a 996/986. The 997 series short shift works in a 996/986. A local Boxster owner with a 2001 S put in the 997 short shift 2 years ago and it worked fine. It is not as short as a B&M. This pic is the standard white plastic 996/986 shift, and the blue plastic one is the 997 series short shift.

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Well, as I specified clearly in one of the posts above (at least I felt it was clear), this shifter is not to be confused with the factory 997 short shift ....which I am guessing isn't all that much different, if at all, than the B&M. I actually made sure I mentioned this to make sure people didn't get confused and buy the short shift, unless of course that was their intention. The reason I put it on? My understanding is that the stock 997 (or 997GT3)�..not short shift, sport shift, whatever�.shifter has a shorter throw than the stock 996 (or 996 GT3) shifter, as well as a smoother feel due to changes in the layout of the shift mechanism, which includes the cable layout up front. My observation, as well as others who have done this is that it shifts smoother than the 996 stock shifter (no brainer over B&M, but that is obvious), and to my recollection, shorter as well. My buddy had a stock shifter for comparison sake, and it feels longer than the 997 shifter in my car, so I agree with the shorter comments....unfortunately I never measured the two to quantify the difference, so who knows�new mod effect? It definitely feels smoother to me when comparing to my friend�s stock setup. To sum up all the threads on this subject (a few different forums) that I had read prior to doing the mod: 1) Everyone was raving about the smooth feel of the 997 GT3 shift 2) Some knowledgeable soul looked through the parts manual to compare any differences from 996 GT3 to 997 GT3 as far as the shifter/linkages are concerned, and identified the only real difference to be the stock shifter assembly. Another knowledgeable soul informed me that this same thing should apply to the 996 C2 as linkages are the same. 3) Many people bolted it up in place of their turbo or GT3 shifter to discover that it felt "smoother" and shorter to them, very positive response. Many considered the feeling of their 996 shift to feel just like the 997 GT3 (996 GT3 or Turbo owners-when I was looking through the other threads, nobody had tried it on a C2 996, so I was posting here to inform others that it bolted right up). 4) Some took it off because it was longer than the B&M and they couldn't adjust, and some (like me) left it on because they felt it was a smoother, more precise shifter. Tool Pants: I know you are very knowledgeable on this stuff, and so I went back through the parts breakout for 996 and 997 C2 and GT3, a few things that were not noted (at least not that I saw) in the other threads that I had looked at before doing the mod: 1) It looks like pretty much all the shifter linkage/cables are the same for the 996, 996 GT3, 997 and 997 GT3. 2)The standard GT3 comes stock with the same shifter as the stock C2. This applies to both series of cars. So TP, you are correct in that this part is also just the plain ol� stock 997 shifter�..but it is also the shifter for the 997 GT3. I guess many that had discussed that their GT3 shifter was shorter than the C2 were off in reality. So I guess the real question for anyone looking to do this is whether or not the stock 997 shifter is better than the 996 shifter�in my opinion, it is. So if you have driven a 997 or 997 GT3 and like the throw that you get in those cars and/or the feel, you might want to try this mod. I guess that is what all of this boils down to. If you dislike the shift of a 997, be it length or general feel, this mod is not for you. If you really like the feel, this mod may get you there, or very close to it for $165 and an hour of your time. That is my personal assessment and experience for what it is worth�.and reasons that I put it on my car, and plan on keeping it there. I am not trying to sell this thing for personal gain, I just put it on and was letting others know it went into a C2 just fine and offers something different than the stock 996 or 996 SSK shifters�..another option

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OK, so the blue one (in bold above) is the short shift unit for the 997 and works with the 996 C2. The white one is the standard 997 shifter and also works in a 996 C2. So the blue one is short, but is the white one shorter than the stock 996 C2 shifter?

PS. I was poking around and have seen a figure of a 30% reduction in shift length with the standard 997 over the standard 996 shifters...which sounds about right to me based on my observations....can anyone reliably confirm that info?

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No....my take is the white one in the picture Tool Pants posted is the stock 996 shifter. The stock 997 shifter is in the picture linked to in the original post. It looks to be constructed better than the 996 shifter imo. See the post I put up while you were posting this....I have seen other people mention the 997 standard shift to be 30% shorter than the 996 standard shift, but I have not seen Porsche documentation myself to confirm.

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The only picture of the blue 997 short shift I saw in the original linked post was one someone pasted in there (not the original poster) only to display the metal plate on the side of the shifter that replaces the plastic in the 996 version...it clearly showed that portion, which is the same on both SSK and standard....and the photo they had happened to be the SSK. One other close-up picture had a bit of blue shown on the edge of the photo, but that is just the alignment tool that comes with the shifter.

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Got it, this has gotten a little confusing to me. So what part number did you install then?

I can see how it is confusing at this point I installed the 997.424.010.00 which is the standard shifter for 997 and 997 GT3 cars. Quick Edit: Per a brochure from the 997 that I dug up, it looks like they claim a 15% reduction in throw with the standard 997 shifter over the standard 996 shifter. I would bet this will put you right in between the standard 996 and the B&M SSK 996 shifter throw length....a nice comprimise imo.

My first picture shows the 997/987 series short shift (blue) and the standard 996/986 shift (white). In the picture below the top shift is the standard 997/987 series standard shift (black) with part number 997 424 010 00. This is not a short shifter. This is the standard shift used on the 987, 997, 997 GT3, and turbo. I cannot see how this shift from a 997 put into a 996/986 series would do anything. I am a Boxster guy for almost 9 years. The transmissions used on the old 986s are different than a 987 - the new transmissions have a shorter shift throw, but it is not because of the shift lever, it is because the 987 uses different transmissions. I cannot see how taking the standard 987 shift and putting it into a 986 would do anything. I think the 996 transmissions were made by Getrag, and the 997s by Aisin. I do not know who makes the 997 GT3 transmission. I have no proof - just common sense. I cannot see how replacing the standard 996 shift with the standard 997 shift would do anything, as neither is a short shift. The fact the standard 997 series shift is used on a 997 GT3 means nothing, as I doubt a 997 GT3 transmission is the same as that used on the 996 C2/C4. If I put the standard 997 GT3 shift in a 987 Boxster it is not going to do anything, as the shifts are the same, but it is the transmissions that are different. In the picture below, ignore the bottom shift. It is just the standard 996/986 shift (white). I actually took this picture to show that I could not see any real functional difference between the standard 997/996 shifts.

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Well, I really don't know what to say. I am not about to get into a technical know-how discussion with you because I am sure you will hand it to me I really am just trying to have a discussion to understand....I already learned a lot by pouring through the assembly drawings of the four cars and discovering the commonalities between the different series and models. That being said, I understand your points, but I have gone back to back with a stock 996 shifter and mine feels shorter, and smoother...qualitative I know..and beside that, the 997 short shift looks similar to the 997 standard shift as well....so I am not sure what your pictures prove. Anyway, while I haven't measured and compared the relationship of the key shift assembly points in the two systems, I was told that the plane that the cables approach the shifter on has changed, and that is what the 997 shifter does to make things smoother. You look like you have both....can you verify that the z-axis height of the ball coming from the handle and pivot are at the same point from the base on both series? If I had one of each handy, I would take a look so I could find out myself....I am really curious. For instance, the barrel connector/linkage that the shifter cable plugs into is the same exact part number on all 996s and 997s. If the shifter had the exact same geometry, why did I have a significant change in where the cables snapped back into when I swapped to the 997 shifter (and yes, both were centered with tool)? The 996 B&M SSK snapped into the same spot...the 997 was clearly different. I wish I had CAD data for the two parts to examine this claim that the 997 has a better geometry that allows a better shift (shorter and smoother), but I don't....so I am basing my 2 cents on my qualitative comparisons. Regardless of any change on the part discussed, I can't believe that two boxes that look similar in a picture couldn't possibly behave differently based on what happens from the time the cables reach that assembly to the time it terminates. If the transmission designs between the 996 and 997 had such an effect on shift throw, why didn't B&M re-design their kit for the 997 series? I would think they did some research to come up with what they felt was an optimal design for the 996, somehow I think if the transmission in the 997 was responsible for a 15% shorter throw and different internal shift mechanism, that they would have come out with a new part? I think Porsche had a different part #, but I would not be shocked if that was a $$/supplier choice driven decision more than a performance variation. Regardless of the manufacturer, I didn't think there were worlds of difference between the fundamentals of the 996 transmission and 997 transmission design, but you have me here....I really don't know. Anyway, maybe me and the other 10s of people that swapped are imagining things....it is possible. I am really curious at this point, in the meantime, I will be enjoying my perceived smoother shifting setup

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+1

Also, regarding internal transmission differences being the source of the shorter shift throw and feel, the only 997 specific P/Ns in that transmission are a few of the gears....the rest are all 996 part #s, or common 999 numbers....would be suprised if there were all that many changes to the fundamental layout of the 997 transmission vs. the 996, but again, please let me know if there is....I really would like to know.

I posted this on the GT3 Forum, in the 997 GT3 shifter thread: https://rennlist.com/forums/996-gt2-gt3-forum/330742-997-gt3-shifter.html "I'm interested in installing one of these shifters in my 2001 996 C2. I just went out and measured the throw of my stock shifter. I measured from the front of the shifter handle in third gear to the front of the shifter handle in fourth gear. I came up with 4 ��. Could someone measure the throw of their 997 GT3 shifter as a comparison? It may be helpful to others if someone could measure their 996 GT3 and a B&M equipped car". bk12 can you measure yours the same way?

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I am up for that....just want to make sure we both get a consistent measurement. Exactly how did you measure yours? I will try to do it in the same fashion...for instance, how did you mark the third gear point while measuring from 4th? Did you measure it on a straight line in between the marked 3rd gear point and fourth? Also, which shift **** do you have? I have the factory carbon unit...if the distance from the top of shifter to top of shaft is greater on your car, your measurement would measure as a longer shift..or visa versa.

I have the factory wood handle, it should be about the same as your carbon handle. I put a straight edge flat on the front of the shifter handle in third gear and hooked a tape measure to it. I ran the tape measure back and rested my hand on the emergency brake handle and locked the tape measure in place. Keeping the tape measure in place I moved the shifter to fourth gear. I then placed the straight edge on the front of the shifter again and measured how far back on the tape I was.

Well, I did the best I could and measured 4.25", but I must say even my best technique is questionable for serious accuracy. Can you measure your 1st to 2nd in the same way? What I really need is a Farro arm...anyone in Orange County have one we can use to compare two cars ?

OK I took some measurements again. These are the best I can do with what I have here. 1st - 2nd 4.5" 3rd - 4th 4.75" 5th - 6th 5.0"

I tried the best I could do to, I employed a helper to make sure things stayed put and measured a few times, best I could: 1-2: just under 4 1/4 (approx. 6% shorter) 3-4: just over 4 1/4 (approx. 10% shorter) 5-6: just over 4 3/8 (approx. 13 % shorter) My spread as I measured looks to be tighter, not sure what that means, but we gave it a shot, eh? I honestly wouldn't be surprised if it turned out mine were actually over 15% shorter, or if they were a bit closer to yours....even with my best cobbling, I would only put limited confidence in these measurements.

So in a nutshell knowing this isn't exact science that you 2 just did, what do we think your tests told us?

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bk12, I agree with the limited confidence as well. Thanks for giving it a shot. I would like to see someone do the same with a B&M shifter.

What I did was reply to request another guy looking into this had. I guess my "tests" would lead me to believe that it is probable that the 997 kit results in some level of a shorter shift....I doubt we would be off on all three measurements, but who knows. If you actually try to critically measure this by hand, you will see what I am dealing with, and get a feel for how the accuracy would be. Can you tell that I am an engineer? I am generally very risk averse and conservative in technical matters, so I am reluctant to make firm judgement, that is why I am not pounding the table with any claim of conclusion. If you can get someone to let me use a Farro arm down here, we can find out for sure. SD: What do you think the tests told us?

I�m not sure we learned anything concrete. It appears that the 997 GT3 shifter has shorter throws and may be a good compromise between the B&M and the factory shifter. From what I�m reading and bk12�s comments, the 997 GT3 shifter is an upgrade in feel as well. I cannot comment on the feel because I have never tried one.

Well I can see a shorter throw between Kavo's stock 996 shifter and your 997 shifter not a lot but some. And yes I can tell you are an engineer and probably analytical too which is a good thing and standard of being an enginner, I am too. Now the B&M SSK or Porsche SSK (996 or 997) will have a shorter throw, but it is that smoothness that we all want when tracking. So when I get the go ahead to get the 997 shifter, I will do some other measurements. Thanks Kavo and bk12 for doing your tests, much appreciated.

Kavo, thanks for taking the measurements. If you do decide to give it a shot, please come back and share the results and let us know if it is any different. At the very minimum, you will be getting a shifter with a better construction than your stock 996 version. I will be curious to see what you notice going directly from the stock shifter vs. coming from B&M to this.

Speaking of yet another option, has anyone tried the B&M cup "Trak shifter"? When I went to the B&M site today to see if they had a different shifter kit for the 997, I noticed this: http://www.bmracing.com/index.php?id...cat=15&pid=273 I have never noticed a discussion on this (of course I haven't DAFS yet)...not sure if it is because it is new, or if it is because it is very obscure/poor solution. The other thing is that the spec is for 02-up....I didn't think there was any difference between the MKI and MKII in this area...so that is strange. If I don't find much, I will probably post up here and the GT3 forum to see what the deal on that is. SD: Good luck if you give it a shot! Please post back up when you do it and let me know if you noticed any difference....just like Kavo, looking to hear from someone that goes directly from the stock shifter to the 997 stock shifter.

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Well this is a longer shifter which I see in serious track cars, where the driver doesn't want to waste time going from the steering wheel to the shifter. Also seen in rally cars if not paddle shifting. I will stick with the 997 shifter plus it is fully assembled too.

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So you are saying that this thing is really long....hard to judge scale from the pic on the B&M website....I guess that explains it's rarity!

Guys, I have a B&M SSK installed on my car and I just measured the difference between 3rd and 4th gear and it came to just under 3.0" which seems about right. The B&M SSK is said to be about a 30% reduction in shifter travel, so if 4.5" (approx.) is stock then a 30% reduction would be about 1.35" +/-. Obviously, this has nothing to do the how smooth or notchy the shifter feels.

Measuring the shift throws before and after is the way to test a claim or perception. I started doing that 4 years ago at our local work on cars days, when we put in different brands of short shifts and the Evo shift link. The same person needs to take the measurements for it to be consistent. There is also some slop that needs to be accounted for in order to get an accurate measurement. This is a 996 C4S. As you can see it is the standard (white) shift. 3rd to 4th gear throw was 4 6/8".

This is that same C4S an hour later. 3rd to 4th gear throw is now reduced to 3". As you can see this is the Porsche short shift version that is exactly like the blue B&M. I am not good at math so one of the guys would calculate the percentage of reduction in the forward gears. This info was put on Renntech at the time it happened. Did it on several different model Porsches. If there is a local 996 owner that has a standard shift and wants to put in the standard 997 shift - then let me know.

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That is a really nice way to measure...a lot better than trying to get a measurement point on the complex curved shift ****. I am willing to try to do something similar to try and get some better numbers for comparison sake and get some better info for everyone. I hear you on the slop at each point as well...I noticed the same thing measuring mine. If anyone in Orange County has an interest to see if there is any difference in shift length, I would be willing to meet somewhere so we could attempt side by side measurements....just be willing to pop your shift **** off so we can measure as Tool Pants pointed out....I think that is the only way to get decent info here. Tool Pants....I see that the 3-4 on the short shift picture you posted is only 3".....that is one heck of a reduction in length. Is that what the B&M ends up doing (not sure what kit that is)? I felt the std. 997 shifter to be noticeably longer than the B&M kit I had on, just didn't realize it was that big of a difference. Quick Edit: I just saw Tim had just posted that he measured 3" on his B&M, answers one of my questions.

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While I did not remove my shift **** when I measured my throw, my results were the same 3.0" as the C4 with the Porsche SSK. So at least we are consistant. Like you, I used a "fixed point" on the lower dash and measured the distance between that fixed point and 3rd gear and then the fixed point and 4th gear and subtracted to bet the difference.

Well, I took my shift **** off and measured ala TP. I had a piece of cardboard I could lay right up next to, and parallel with the flat shifter stick at each shift set (1-2, 3-4, 5-6), the **** removed allowed for easy marking. I put a mark on the top of the shifter handle, and marked where the mark lined up with the board in 1st gear, shifted to second while leaving the carboard in place and marked there, and then simply measured the distance between the two marks. I feel much more confident in these measurements: 1-2: 4 1/8" 3-4: 4 1/8" 5-6: 4 1/8" The difference of slightly shorter length from my original measurements may be a function of measuring on the end of the bare shifter handle vs. measurements somewhere off the curved **** that was higher than the end of the shifter (not to mention slop with that method). I think these numbers should compare well with those TP posted, so we are looking to be about 5/8 shorter on the 3-4 shift, giving about a 13% reduction in shift length, assuming we are actually with comparable numbers at this point, which I think we are.

Reducing the 3rd to 4th gear throw from 4 6/8" down to 3" is quite a reduction. But there is always a trade-off. That is why some people complain after a short shift install that it is hard to shift, to find gears, notchy, and so on. That is why I tell people who are thinking of a short shift install to first try a car that has one. It has been a long time since I measured before and after throws. I think the king was a 5 speed 986 Boxster. 3rd to 4th before throw was a long 5 1/8".

An hour later the 3rd to 4th gear throw is 2 3/4" with the B&M installed. My before and after measurements were with the shift **** off, which made for a more accurate measurement. It was off for the simple reason we were putting in a B&M. The end of the stick I used was placed right below the radio. When the transmission is in gear you can move the shift lever forward and back a bit - I called this the "slop". When I took measurements on the various cars I always had the stick in the same position. To reduce the slop factor the lever was as far forward or back as it would go when I made the marks on the stick.

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Well I won't say really long but it does describe it as a 'longer shifter lever' and is ideal for Porsche cup car racing. It does still have a shorter throw due to it's design. But looking at the pic it does look like a very long handle to me.

bk12, thanks for the idea. I just finished this mod this weekend on my 03 996, while installing new carbon fiber shift **** and parking brake ... first of many interior mods to come All I can say is perfect ... better feel while engaging gears, smooth and 1/2" to 5/8" less measured travel over the stock 996 assembly. I feel this is the perfect compromise to the B&M for my daily driving. Now it's time for ebay

Glad it worked for you! Enjoy!

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That's good news....thanks

I just finished the 997 shifter mod. I have to echo the comments here. It has a slightly shorter throw and a noticeably better feel. Thanks for the idea.

My installed a 997 shifter in my Dad's 01' 996 yesterday.....he loves it!

Just a quick question - the 997 - 424 - 010 - 00 part includes the slignment tool? Or is there a separate part number for the alignment tool? Suncoast quoted me $150 for the part number above. Sound about right?

1. The 996 GT3 shifter is the same as the regular 996 shifter 2. The 997 GT3 shifter is the same as the regular 997 shifter 3. A 997 shifter has about 15% less travel than a 996 4. The 996/997 sport shifter (made by B&M, same as the B&M except black in color) has about 30% less travel than a 996 or 15% less travel than a 997 5. All factory based shifter use push-in plastic/nylon bushings 6. The B&M and aftermarket shifters use adjustable aluminum bushings The biggest probelm with the 996 transmission is the vagueness of the feel with the stock shifter. The Sport/B&M shifter not only shortens throws, it tighens up the slack in the shifter substantually. With the 997 shifter, they shortened the throw a little; but tightened up the slack substantually. Hence why the 997 cars have a much more direct feel than the 996. With the sport shifter in both cars, they feel pretty close to the same. There is 1 major thing not being discussed here, that is the 999 transmission has differences from the 996 transmission and the 997 GT3 has differences from the 996 GT3. The gearling was completely changes and there are some minor revisions to the 997 transmissions to improve shifting smoothness. There is a substantual difference between the G50 based 6-sp in a GT3 and the G96 based transmissions in regular Carreras. The G50 based gearbox has a much more direct feel. There is a huge difference in the feeling of the separation between shift gates. From my personal experiences, I wouldn't have one of these cars any other way than with the Sport/B&M shifter. The best feeling will be with the Porsche OEM based sport shifter. You can match it pretty closely if you get the B&M version adjusted properly. The difficulty here is the cable alignments and Porsche's choice to use a flexible ABS housing. With the OEM sport shifter you either get it assbeled in the housing or loose with new OEM plastic bushings. The bushings just snap in. The OEM version comes with a tool that locks the shifter in place, so there is no need to mark cables. You just put the tool on, snap in the cables and your done. With the B&M you have to mark the cables for location and adjust the bushings. Adjusting the bushings is tricky. Too loose and the shifter will have slop. Too tight and it gets real notchy. The aluminum bushings also like to rotate, which will effect your shifter feel. Since the housing is plastic, the housing can flex and even bend over time due to the pressure of the bushings pushing back on it, which will cause slop in the shifter. Hence it is wise readjust the bushings 6 months to 1 year after initial installation. Once set up correctly, it is completely smooth. The only stiffenss will be when the car is cold. The only other advice I can provide is a recommendation to not use aftermarket shift links. There is a myth they try to convey that the stock linkage is weak and breaks. This is far from try. I have 3 Porsche dealerships in town and none of them have ever had a single case where a shifter link has broken. They've had cables, cable guides and housing break, but no shift links. The reason for the aftermarket shifter links is the factory one is spring loaded. At the end of the travel for each gates, the spring softens the shift. Wtih an aftermarket link, the end of travel will feel like hitting the plastic outside of the shifter housing. It does improve feel only at end of travel in the gate. The downside is they drastically increase notchiness. The cup the shifter fits into is a lot tighter and has less angle of movement than with the factory link. The result is greated friction whenever the gear leverage is moved and the link is now forced to pivot in the outer gates. I spent a year trying to get an EVO shift link to work right and eventually went back to the stock link. The result was half the stiffness when cold and no notchiness when warm.