Shifting from 2nd to 3rd

Not sure if this is normal or not on these cars - when shifting from 2nd to 3rd, I have to move the shift **** up, and to the right slightly. If I move straight up, the shifter hits a wall, and goes nowhere. Is this the way it is?

If you slightly push the lever forward with the clutch in does the shifter leave 2nd and then come to rest in the center? Further if you were to shift with a slight pause would it be such the case that shifting into third is actually striaght up (allowing the brief pause for the lever to center) instead of hitting a wall like you say. Have you tried it like that?

I really haven't noticed the way I shift, until Ross drove my car and complained that he thought he shifted into 3rd, but actually didn't. So I started noticing! I am guessing that if I left 2nd, pushed the **** into "neutral", then pushed straight up (from neutral) into 3rd, that it would shift fine. But I don't pause like that in the real world. I know 1 to 2 is a straight down motion, and I guess I have always gone from 2-3 at a slight right angle. But I never noticed the dead stop if I shift a little too straight from 2-3. Make any sense?

The shift from second to third is not really diagonal on any car, but you can sort of get away with it with the built in slop of most shifters. One of the things I noticed after I installed my short shifter is that I now find that wall you are talking about. It is really me not allowing the shifter to move over to the right enough after taking out of second. The spring tension which takes the lever over to the right is adjustable. You could consider increasing it if it is bothing you, but I suspect that you are not giving the shifter enough time in the shift to make it there on its own.

I see what you mean. Thinking of the shift gate on an old Ferrari, there are no angled ports, just "H" patterns. I guess 2nd to 3rd is a one-two movement (out, and up), and not just one movement, even though if you do it smooth or fast enough, it seems like one angled movement?

Andy, sounds like everything is just fine. You really shouldn't shift STRAIGHT from gear to gear and at an "angle" as you have for 2-3. Try the "heartbeat" method. It's just a split second pause before gear changes to allow the shifter to recenter and allow the clutch to fully engage for a smoother gear switch. It will become second nature once you try it this way.

Heartbeat method - boop-boop. Makes sense, thanks!

There's a dead spot between 1 & 3 on my car, that when shifting from 2nd occasionally sucks the shifter into another dimension.... thud it sorta sticks there, not watning to slide right and into 3rd. Really annoying, but not consistent, so it could be worse. It's probably partly due to sloppy shifting, but it's clearly also the gearbox, as I know others with the same comment about 2-3 shifts and I've never heard of or experienced any other dead spots between other gears.

very welcome. IIRC, somebody here on the board several years ago rec'd this very thing to me when I was doing the very thing you did when shifting, so I am just passing it along. It has also made me a much better (smoother) shifter on the track.

I never had this issue (dead spot is a good description Dave) with any of my other cars - including the 944 w/ SSK. Is it that the 996 gearbox / tranny more precise, or, sloppier? I hope it's the former!

Andy, I fear that's a 996 gearbox issue. I recognize the same and by over-correcting it I sometimes end-up in 5th gear, especially on the track. Coming from BMW, I've never recognized such a big gap between 1 and 3 (the 996 has a very small gap between 1 and reverse). However, I installed the B&M short shifter, added a shorter shiftknob from techart and it improves the shifting from 2 to 3 but doesn't solve the issue completely. Someone told me that rear-end engine cars have less smooth gearboxes than front end engine cars due to the set-up and space for the engine and the transmission.

As long as it's a "feature", and not a problem, I'm fine! I just didn't want to hear "that sounds like a major tranny problem".

You hear that a lot in parts of NYC.

Ha! LA too, I hear!

OH MY GOD, ROB IS BACK!!! and yes, I was shouting! How ya been Rob? Good to hear from you again!

Are you puting the shifter into the palm of your hand when shifting from 2nd to 3rd.

Uh...I think so? Why? (Awesome avatar photo!)

Thanks! When I shift to from 1rst to 2nd my thumb is on top of the shifter but when I shift from 2nd to 3rd I rotate my hand so my palm is on top which centers the shifter.

From first to second, it's a pulling motion, using the fingers grabbing the shift ****. 2nd to 3rd is a pushing motion, using the palm - back of thumb. No hand rotation, as far as I remember.