97 captured repliesDiscussion pagination complete · Source accounts, not a confirmed diagnosis
THIS DISCUSSION / SOURCE-DERIVED OVERVIEW
Discussion summary
YOUR RESEARCH996 Short Shifter
Leading reported evidence
Adjust vastly improved shift action whether cold or hot
Performed · outcome unconfirmed
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that performed work without a confirmed outcome
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Performed · outcome unconfirmed
It�s a 15% reduction, so the same as fitting a 997 item to a 996, but with all the cheap, nasty nylon bushes removed, so zero slop, and once correctly adjusted, vastly improved shift action whether cold or hot.
Leading evidence: 'Adjust vastly improved shift action whether cold or hot' (no explicit attributable resolution; this is a reported action or suggestion). Across 1 matching discussions, the most frequently mentioned possible cause is 'cheapest path' (1 discussions; 0 report identifying it and 1 suggest it). The most frequently discussed action is 'Adjust linkages' (1 discussions). For that action, 0 discussions report a resolution and 0 report an unsuccessful attempt. No action has an explicit, attributable resolution report under the current rules. These are forum reports and suggestions, not a confirmed diagnosis.
Source reports, not a diagnosis or a success probability. Counts refer to discussions and can overlap.
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that performed work without a confirmed outcome
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Performed · outcome unconfirmed
It certainly felt like it had reduced the throw by that amount when I fitted a 997 (not GT3) to my Mk 1 996 GT3.
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that performed work without a confirmed outcome
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Performed · outcome unconfirmed
I have to say I’m not a fan of the CAE or Numeric shifters, or more specifically the look of them, so I’ve fitted a Gen 2 997 GT3/RS shift assembly (the one with aluminium”carriers”, note the word carriers, because they’re not bushes, they’re merely carriers for a nylon bush that look remarkably similar to the stock nylon bushes ...)
Install numeric shifter, very pleased, dramatic improvement
Performed · outcome unconfirmed
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that performed work without a confirmed outcome
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Performed · outcome unconfirmed
I installed the Numeric shifter, very pleased, dramatic improvement.
Replace shifter parts out first and was quite happy
Performed · outcome unconfirmed
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that performed work without a confirmed outcome
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Performed · outcome unconfirmed
I swapped the shifter parts out first and was quite happy with the amount of slop that was removed.
Adjust vastly improved shift action whether cold or hot
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Discussions that performed work without a confirmed outcome
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Performed · outcome unconfirmed
It�s a 15% reduction, so the same as fitting a 997 item to a 996, but with all the cheap, nasty nylon bushes removed, so zero slop, and once correctly adjusted, vastly improved shift action whether cold or hot.
Disconnect engine mounts, you are essentially removing about 400lbs
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Discussions that contain suggestions
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Suggestion
When you disconnect the engine mounts, you are essentially removing about 400lbs from the suspension sag, so the car will go UP even though your engine stays in one place.
Discussions that performed work without a confirmed outcome
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Performed · outcome unconfirmed
I have to say I’m not a fan of the CAE or Numeric shifters, or more specifically the look of them, so I’ve fitted a Gen 2 997 GT3/RS shift assembly (the one with aluminium”carriers”, note the word carriers, because they’re not bushes, they’re merely carriers for a nylon bush that look remarkably similar to the stock nylon bushes ...)
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Suggestion
So my question is can I just swap in the stock 997 shifter, (997-4240-1000) or do I need to change anything else (cables, hardware, etc..) for it to fit?
Counts describe captured discussions, not unique people or a diagnosis. Author identities are not reliably stored. Exact duplicate evidence is counted once across matching discussions; one discussion counts at most once per action/state. Multiple repairs reported together remain a combination. Suggestions and failed attempts do not establish a fix. Matches cover whole discussions and can include related faults, model variants and incomplete threads.
97 eligible posts · 0 unverified posts · 1 discussions match the subject in their title or opening post.
Rennlist: 1 discussions
0 evidence records excluded for query context · 0 excluded by outcome qualification · 0 adjusted by outcome qualification.
0 acknowledgements have no verified action link; they do not establish a repair result.
Generation: 20261027T044418Z · outcome-qualification-6. Deterministic extraction; no AI model inference. How we use sources
Hello All,
I just picked up my first Porsche 996 C4S and wanted to get input on options for tightening up the shifter. I know Porsche makes a short shift kit for this platform, but some say it's very notchy. Others have told me that people prefer swapping the shifter from a 997.
Please share any input on best course of action, whether it's genuine Porsche, Rennline, B&M etc for short shift kits.
Thanks
My 996 C2 had a 997 Porsche SSK when I bought it. I find it stiff and notchy, not bad, but not what I expected. I would consider the standard 997 shifter.
Mike, it comes down to what has been done to the car by the previous owner and what you are looking for. New engine amd trans mounts do wonders for tightening up shifting if they haven't already been replaced. Do you want shorter shifts or just tighter shifts? Plenty of things you can do to accomplish both.
Hah, I did the $40 ebay shortshift kit and love it for spirited driving sessions. It's tight and does what I like, how I like it
I guess if I tracked it, I'd go the 997 route....
I did my motor mounts. Trans mounts look like a much bigger process. My 2nd is hard to get into when cold, wondering if pursing trans mount will be beneficial, 100k miles.
Second has always been hard to get into when the car is cold ever since I bought the car 21 years ago. You gotta warm up the trans and then it works beautifully. Run good trans fluid as well and get on a rotation to change it every so often.
I never wanted a short shifting kit in the car. What I want is precise shifting.
How about a full Numeric system, shifter and cables? Pinnacle of design and execution. I have a buddy that is parting out a car with a full Numeric system that I believe isn’t spoken for yet.
Congrats man! I have the factory 996 short throw with the Rennline Aluminum ball and I think the combo is perfect for both daily and AX/track/weekend road carving. It is slightly notchy, but it doesn't bother me as I like the feel and "gate to gate" feel. You learn to ease and finesse it, and it's very quick with a great feel.
Great to see a lot of the options others selected.
Enjoy the car and let us know what you go with!
If you are happy with the length of shifter throws but unhappy with general sloppy feel there are aftermarket solutions . The problem with the stock shifters are the plastic bushings . As they wear the sloppy feel increases because tolerance grows .
Aftermarket solutions use aluminum and metal bearings which have much tighter tolerances and they tend to stay tight because they don't wear down . Many guys say the shift action feels like a rifle bolt due to the precision.
No setup is going to fix a bad transmission . No setup is going to fix cold shifting . No setup is going to fix aging shift cables . The entire " system " has to be maintained to include engine and transmission mounts , shift cables , shifter bushings and transmission fluid .
I installed the Numeric shifter, very pleased, dramatic improvement. Using it on the middle position which is just right for me, shorter throws and higher effort than stock, but not objectionable for daily driving. There are two other positions (easy to change in a few minutes just by removing the boot), one shorter, one longer. Rifle bolt action is a good description of how it feels.
this is also a thing of beauty, a shame it’s covered and hidden by the console. Highly recommend it.
I have this one
https://www.suncoastparts.com/product/99742498300.html
and super happy with it
997 regular shifter is only 15% shorter than regular 996
I did this as well and I am happy with it, it was cheap enough that I figured I tried and if I didn't like I would go back to the 997 shifter I had on before.
I also changed the transmission and engine mounts, can't tell if this helped with the shifting, but it sure helped with the car handling.
There's a ton of info on motor mounts, and choiuce from OEM to solid, to diy semi solid. I went OEM from pelican parts. About $300 i think?
I am new to wrenching and it wasn't hard. Lots of videos avail with step by step. I will note one important thing. While you CAN do the entire work without putting the car on jack stands, you must still jack up the engine far more than those who DO use jack stands. There's a long debate in a thread I posted about the experience, and some who said my theory was incorrect, but I've since validated it as true.
When you disconnect the engine mounts, you are essentially removing about 400lbs from the suspension sag, so the car will go UP even though your engine stays in one place. So putting the mounts back on will require jacking the engine UP into the chassis. And the car can whack you in the face if you're not careful as it moves upward from the force of the suspension.
So ideally use jack-stands and simply support the weight of the engine, otherwise you have to jack the engine up more than you would expect before you remove the old mounts.
The new mounts realigned my sagging exhaust tips upward about 2-3". Well worth the money on parts, and a good first time experience.
Here is an example of an aftermarket shifter upgrades . Ben ( the manufacturer ) was a Porsche tech and started making short shifters . The business grew from grassroots to him moving to Europe . Uniwerks is the US distributor of his parts/kits . Great to deal with .
But there are several good aftermarket solutions out there . Do your homework and buy what you think is best for you .
https://www.uniwerksdesign.com/porsche-shifter-parts/
Be aware that Numeric Racing cables bring a fair amount of noise into the cabin. It was too much for me even after trying multiple sound deadening solutions. I took them out and put a fresh set of factory cables/ends in the car. That plus the Shift Right kit and I think the lever/cable action is about as good as it is going to get.
Numeric + cables in mine as well as semi solid 964RS engine mounts + yellow transmission inserts... perfect
As for the cable noise I don't mind it however there is cable insulation you can get to resolve that.
Yeah, defining what you want in a shifter is critical.
Bet there are alot of guys that think they want a short shifter, but all they really want is to tighten up the motion and make sure it's more precise. Metal internals and new shifting cables may do the trick. Others may want more so they go with a numeric or CAE. It's personal.
I still have my original shifter after 21 years with lots of track miles. Shifting is a rhythm and balancing act. Especially on the track. Never wanted to mess it up with a short shifter. The oem shifter moves plenty fast when you need it to.
But there isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about a CAE which is a work of art and a numeric which is as well. Hoping to be able to test both sometime in the future. Until then, I'll probably replace my 21 year old plastic bits with metal.
I did the FunctionFirst shifter rebuild and cable end kit. I swapped the shifter parts out first and was quite happy with the amount of slop that was removed. A few weeks later, I finished the kit and replaced the transmission cable ends. I'd venture say I have about 1-2mm of movement in the shifter now....but they are the original cables with 80K on them.
I'm totally happy with it and have no plans to change..
997.2 GT3/RS shifter is a good (though now expensive) upgrade.
Personally I�d go with a stock 997 shifter, take the alleged 15% decrease in shifter travel, and add a Function First upgrade kit.
As others have said, motor mounts, transmission mounts, shift cables and transmission fluid all need to in tip top condition before attempting a short shift.
This is the 1st I hear of this option. I thought I only had 2 aftermarket options with Function First and Numeric. Does anyone have any firsthand experience with the uniwerks solution?
CAE would be another option (and I think the best performing at least compared to Numeric which I did not care for, although my experience with the Numeric is limited).
I did see CAE but it looks to me to be more for racing than daily driving. Am I wrong? It�s also the most expensive option that may not be justified if I�m not looking to improve track times. Thank you though, I do appreciate the feedback and it does look pretty bad ***.
Hands down the Numeric is the one to get and you don't need to sacrifice your original shifter so if you decide to sell the car you can just reinstall your original
It's a shifter, if you're shifting the car, no matter the circumstance - It's better than stock, 996 Cup and Numeric. I have some experience with all 3. When I say better, I'm talking about the action as well as how naturally easy it is to find gears minimizing the risk of a mis-shift.
That said, you're not hiding it so if you want to maintain a stock interior, its not for you.
As far as pricing, for me, it was 100% worth it, made the driving experience so much more enjoyable and that was on the street and track.
I went from stock to the OEM ssk to the numeric + cables, which looks so nice I've removed the center/lower console to show it off, the motivation for the upgrades was that my car prior was a miata and I wanted to get closer back to that feel. The numeric + cables will bring more noise into the cabin, the insulation tubing cuts it down pretty good but its still a bit noticeable (especially if you remove the console, you could probably cut it down further by shoving more padding under there). One upside for the numeric is the 3 length settings, the shortest setting really has that rifle bolt feel, the longest setting is much smoother, and the middle is a good compromise, I'll switch between them every so often just to mix up the driving experience. From a price perspective fresh OEM cables + mod your existing shifter is probably the cheapest path.
I don't think many ppl have experience with the numeric + CAE just cus of the price to do so, zbomb what about the CAE do you like over the numeric? All of the feel in the numeric is coming from the transmission side, with the CAE it has the centering spring and set screws so I'd guess it has no issues if the transmission side stuff is more worn (also reverse lockout).
To me, it felt like you had to be a lot more accurate with the Numeric to find the gear, like they were spaced too close together.
Again, I don’t have a ton of experience with it but it was way different from what I was used to.
it may be my fault on why Z doesnt like the numeric....at least partially. He drove my car on Tail of the Dragon. My car has the numeric and cables but it also has the gt3 trans. Its not really a good match but im used to it. The spacing and trans feel is much tighter and its hard to hit your spots.
The cad is very nice and if u dont mind the open aftermarket look, i would be very temped to get it over the numeric. Im sure my trans would shift better with it, but my 3.4l trans was fantastic with the numeric.
I did the Numeric also, but kept the stock cables and ends which appeared to be in good condition (65K miles).
With this combination, I do not notice any increase in noise or vibration.
Huge difference (using on the middle position), love it, and yes, it is a thing of beauty, a shame it's covered by the console.
The front center console delete is a cool feature that you can't do on the 997, there are some sacrifices if you want to take out the middle console as well, but I basically traded my storage bin/cupholders/cd holder for aesthetics and haven't looked back. Still need to design some actually good looking trim parts to 3d print, and the graphite gray parking brake has aged poorly, but on the upside I moved the window switches to the dash so I'm getting closer to having no blank switches there.
I have a Numeric & Numeric cables, with 996 Cup levers on the trans. It's almost too short in the Numeric's longest setting. It shifts so easy that I fear a 5 to 1 downshift instead of 5 to 3 so I either hit 4th for a flash or pause in neutral.
Sometimes the 2 to 3 or 4 to 5 upshift seems to get stuck in the gate ever so slightly.
Might be my adjustments or my 996 Cup shift levers, the Cup shift levers are really short. Or even the CMS shift arrestor.
I have to pay close attention to what I'm doing.
It's still light years ahead of the stock setup.
It’s my understanding that the external shift levers on the GT3/2 boxes are shorter to provide less travel.
I’ve gone from a 2000 996.1 GT3 to a 2002 C2.
I’m in the process of trying various shifts to improve the quality of shift feel. It is, as you’ve suggested far from “rifle bolt” in its action in the C2.
I have to say I’m not a fan of the CAE or Numeric shifters, or more specifically the look of them, so I’ve fitted a Gen 2 997 GT3/RS shift assembly (the one with aluminium”carriers”, note the word carriers, because they’re not bushes, they’re merely carriers for a nylon bush that look remarkably similar to the stock nylon bushes ...)
Theoretically this should have reduced the shift throw by 15% over that of the 996 shifter, but I’m not convinced it has ... It certainly felt like it had reduced the throw by that amount when I fitted a 997 (not GT3) to my Mk 1 996 GT3.
So the external shift levers on a C2 would appear to be longer and thus make for a longer shift throw.
I suspect this is why the EBay specials with their 30% reduction in throw work on a C2 admirably, but completely ruin the feel of a 996 GT3 shift (IMO)
There is another shifter assembly out there, but they’re rare and little known, I’m currently in the process of establishing what they’ll cost to replicate, so I’ll not divulge further information for the time being, other than to say they have excellent provenance.
�I have to say I’ not a fan of the CAE or Numeric shifters, or more specifically the look of them�
There is no �look� to the Numeric - it mounts exactly like the stock shifter and is covered by the center console. The CAE not so much�(but it�s supposed to have amazing feel).
I've experience of another shifter that utilised the stock plastic "chassis", it was absolutely fine, so for road use the Numeric aluminium chassis is overkill for my skillset/paygrade
In truth, I'm not looking for a massive decrease in shift throw (and certainly not 40%, though I do realise this is the maximum throw reduction) I just want to make the shift action as precise as it can be without going crazy on the cost.
Put another way, I'd rather do a Function First upgrade on a stock 997 shift than go the Numeric route (and the CAE shifter is a no no because it would grate aesthetically) and possibly in operation too. Excuse the pun ...
Billet shift assembly now machined, built and installed in the car undergoing testing
15% throw reduction, and it has completely changed the shift action in the car (996.2 C2, 68k miles, original clutch, new OE engine mounts, new OE shifter cables and Motul gear oil) now falls into first gear even when cold, and the shifts between 1-2, 2-3, 3-2 and 2-1 are improved by at least 60% (from the perspective of effort required/ease of shift and accuracy)
Heel and toe downshifting now utterly intuitive (as it should be, but wasn’t with the stock 996 shifter or the 997.2 GT3/RS shifter)
@Atgani
which shifter is this? I am looking for one that removes the slop but doesn�t reduce the throw (too much). Uniwerks seems the cheapest (around $300 for shifter + ball bearing kit) but it reduces throw by 30%. There�s Function-First which is now nearly $500 with the short shifter and the shift-right kit.
It�s my own design. It�s a 15% reduction, so the same as fitting a 997 item to a 996, but with all the cheap, nasty nylon bushes removed, so zero slop, and once correctly adjusted, vastly improved shift action whether cold or hot. Zero notchiness too. OE ++
Sorry if this has already been addressed, but sounds like a 997 might be a good option since I don't need super short throws. 15% would be ideal. So my question is can I just swap in the stock 997 shifter, (997-4240-1000) or do I need to change anything else (cables, hardware, etc..) for it to fit? Thanks in advance...
The shifting feel, like alot of things on the 996, is subjective to what you want and how you are going to use it. I just went to the 997 shifter with the FF Shift Right kit and do like it for the street and track.
For background, I kept the original 996 shifter on my 996.2 for 22 years because it was an accurate shift on the track. I never had to worry about missing a shift nor having to jam the shift to get it in gear. Some would say it's too long of a throw, other would say it's too wobbly. That may be the case, but it is accurate. New engine mounts and trans mount can also help to tighten things up a bit as well.
What the 997 w/ FF Shift Right does is shorten the throw and tightens up the wobble in comparison the the 996 shifter. But it still maintains its accuracy on the track. It is an improvement over the 996 oem shifter.
If you want a rifle-like feel with a shorter shift, then you may need to look towards the Numeric shifter. But I never had the opportunity to test one to experience it's characteristics. Same can be said for the CAE shifter which is cool as he'll looking. But never tried one.
To me, accuracy and rythym in shifting on the track is more important than shortness with less accuracy thru more notchiness. So the 997 w/FF Shift Right fits the bill.
But maybe, just maybe somewhere out there is a shifter that has the same throw length as the 997/FF that is tighter and more accurate for the street and track that doesn't have to be jammed to get into gear while shifting quickly nor worry about missing a shift. Maybe it's the Numeric, or CAE or something else.
I am looking forward to hearing more about
@Atgani
shifter. It seems to be the next evolution of what the 997/FF shifter has accomplished.
The original shifter is useless with the plastic bushings, I gladly butchered mine for $40 vs paying $500. Now that I see the 997 shifter with the same plastic bushings, I am like why?
@theprf
Same setup minus the cup levers. I have it in the middle position and it feels great - not too short. I'd say it's your cup levers that are the issue.
How's the noise in yours with the cables? I used the silicon wrap that was in the kit, both inside and out, but still have some odd noises entering the cabin. Most noticeable with windows up and radio off or very low. Most of the time I have the windows or sunroof cracked so it's not a big deal. Just curious.
With the shifter/cables and insulation wrap, there is still some noise coming into the cabin for me, all thought the rubber tubing did cut it down. I've got the center console out so the shifter and cables are exposed, some of the noise is coming from the shift lever itself vibrating, all though I have a heavier shift **** on it so I don't know if that helps or hurts the vibrations there. Its noticeable but still livable, I think if I covered the interior back up I could cut down the nose a bit. You can still feel vibrations on the cables at the point where they enter the interior.
I suspect that a weighted shift **** would improve the overall feel independent of what shifter or cables are used. But I haven't tested one to confirm.
I did that on the interior portion of the cables. It helped a bit but did not do enough to make me want to keep the cables.
If you use your car as a piece of weekend performance art, the gear whine might not be a big deal. If you use your car for longer trips or daily driving it is probably going to wear on you after a while.
It adds a lot of momentum on the shifts, I've got the numeric shifter/cables and the syncros were refreshed a few years ago. If you time the revs right on the 2 -> 3 shift it really slots in quite cleanly with the numeric setup. Its more noticeable if you run the numeric on the longest throw setting, I keep it on the middle usually. I think that much weight would be too much on the stock shifter setup as that's already pretty smooth with all the plastic, possibly it would be good with some of the modified shifters discussed up-thread.
Perhaps a layer of dynamat or something similar on top of the silicone wrap would limit the conducted noise. A layer of dynamat inside the center console might help too. If the shift lever is vibrating some dynamat wrapped around it might help.
These viscoelastic sheets work by detuning resonances and even a small amount can do a good job.
FYI, over on the RL Marketplace is a guy selling a 997 shifter for $100.
All you need is a FF Shift Right kit and you have a better shifter setup for a great price. If any of you need a FFSR kit that's brand new for a huge discount, pm me. I have one that I never used after buying a 997 shifter from another rennlister that already had the FFSR kit in it. Pm me if you want the FFSR kit in the box.
One of the great things about the 996 is you can always find used or even new parts for a great price from other RListers.
Has anyone here used the shift alignment tool on their 996?
When I placed it on my shifter, the shifter needed to be moved a little to the right of Neutral like just between 3-4 and 5-6. I ultimately bailed on adjusting the linkages before asking here.
Is that expected?
https://www.function-first.com/produ...42716611412121
Here you go. Plenty of options and plenty of pictures of the shifter parts. Comes down to what plastic bits you want to replace with metal in your 996 or 997 shifter. Not to mention if you want to adjust the throw with a short, medium or longer throw. Longer throw is still shorter than the 996 throw.
It would be great to hear some feedback on the FF White, black and blue shifter lenghts.
Stuff settles, rubber mounts flex and deteriorate, etc. So yes, it's possible that your shift lever no longer sits at the exact spot it did when the car was new.
I had the stock shifter, Ben's shifter, and Numeric shifter. I saw someone give this same commentary and made me waste money buying a 997 shifter thinking it might be less notchy than the Ben's shifter. It was complete slop. I ended up putting in a spare 996 shifter just to see the difference and there was none. I'm just letting people who come across this thread in the future not to upgrade to a stock 997 shifter from a 996. It's not worth it.
The Numeric was the best. Ben's was nice, but slightly notchy when cold. Stock was terrible and no feel in comparison.
Plenty of options available. Shifting is a subjective exercise in what you actually want. Everybody has different definitions.
I would read the entire thread. It took me 21 years to change my 996 shifter to the 997 shifter with function first internals. I am pretty happy with a 10-15% shorter throw and an overall tighter shifter.
Other want it shorter, or tighter, or more riflelike. No right or wrong answer, just preference. Best advice I can give is to take your time and think thru what you want. It helps if you can test variations out. If you are ever in Chicago, pm me. You can try out my shifter.
I did, but it was too noisy for me with the insulation provided. I probably could have made it work, but I didn't feel enough benefit from the cables to make the effort worth it. Stock cables with Numeric shifter was damn near perfect for the street.
I don't see how it could be 10-15% shorter throw. The parts are damn near identical. If there are any real differences in the parts of the shifter that matter with respect to throw, they are not even perceptible with the naked eye.
I don't see how it could be tighter unless your 996 shifter is worn out. It's not due to any significant design differences.
No question, they resemble each other. Whats different about them is you move from all plastic bits in the 996 shifter to a combination of metal and plastic bits in the 997 shifter.
The inclusion of the Function First kit to either the 996 or 997 shifter just replaces plastic bits with metal. This tightens up the feel.
Shorter or longer throw comes from the length of the stick.
With all thus being said, prices have gotten crazy for any shifter options and solutions. What was attractively priced 2 years ago is much more expensive today. So the best advice I can give is take your time in deciding what you really want before spending silly money on any shifter option.
