Mutant Strength or Pee Wee Construction?

Hi All! I managed to break my shift linkage going from 2nd to 3rd. One minute I'm accelerating like crazy, then I go to do a fast shift and BAM! I've got a wiggle stick and have to coast to a stop out of gear. I got it fixed under warranty, but WTH! I've driven everything from a Corvette to a Hyundai and never broke a stick! I asked around and found out other 911s have been accused of the same thing. I asked the dealer about how the shift linkage attaches to the gearstick and the part is plastic! He said there was no available part to "harden" it so this wouldn't happen again. What gives? If I don't find a way to fix this my dumb meat-head hands will likely bust it again. ( I know, quit being such a jack *** and shift better...) Seriously, a gear shift should not break anything before it breaks your hand! A Porsche is supposed to be the ultimate pinnacle of racing in a street car, so help me out!!!! Do the SSKs have a better linkage or where can I get one? Is there a Billet or Titanium linkage? Telling budies you broke the shift with you're bare hand is kinda embarrassing. Thanks all. Please help! I LOVE my P-car (2001 911 C4 Cab) and want to boost it later, but I've got to be confident in its abilities to not fall apart without kiddie gloves. BTW I fully expect to get flamed for my heavy handed driving style (and I deserve it)

Answer to your title, pee wee construction

I'm just a newb, but perhaps the EVO shift linkage can help? Was just looking at an SSK myself on bumperplugs site (no affiliation).

prsdoc, Wow, you are new! Welcome to the site and thank you. Does the EVO shift linkage have a metal connector? I guess the OEM linkage has a nylon cord and a plastic "ball and socket" connector. There must be one with a metal connector that can take some abuse. Anyone?

My Instructor at the Infineon did this in his TT. He said TRG had a great fix for this. Perhaps try their web site ?

EVO shift linkage also listed on bumperplugs... would post a pic but can't quite yet :P Thanks for the welcome, great site! (Rennlist membership pending)

yes, welcome. Just email [email removed] and he can answer any questions you have... Hurry to that fifth post so we can see your car!!!

In my experience, all systems that use a multitude of parts have a failure part that is meant to break before you break anything else. This makes for cheaper repairs and limits catastrophic failure. I'd be glad it was just the shift linkage and not anything else.

lol @ title

Thanks to All! NavyC4S, I never had a problem on my old Hyundai Accent and I TRIED to break it! I was wondering what else would break if I fixed the "ball joint" plastic thing with metal. I am NOT sharpshooting your response. I appreciate what folks do for each other on this site. I really intend to fix this shortcoming. Is there another weak part in the linkage (maybe where it connects at the transmission??) I can understand damaging the clutch over time, but I want to fix this problem. I am refering just to fixing the breakage that occurs from physically pushing/pulling too hard on the gearstick with my hand. Any thoughts (besides not being so rough, of course)? prsdoc, michael, Dr. KarlB, I will definitely try bumperplugs site and look around. This car is so rock solid in the other areas I just HAVE to fix this Achilles Heel! Thanks again and I'll keep looking for that fix!

its pretty common, and the billet piece is a good fix . but you have to think, if the reans wont go into gear its beause the internals wonlt let it. that piece breaking may have saved you grinding the **** out of the gears and syncros. porsches arent made to be power shifted

I would like to see a picture of the broken part if you have it.

I wasn't speaking specifically for this mechanism. For example...a pull start lawn mower has a plastic tooth that grabs the pulling mechanism thus spinning the engine and then retracts so once the engine starts the reel doesn't keep spinning. I had one break, it was a PITA to replace and inconvenient too but I realized wht kind of damage it could have done to my machine if it had been made out of say, metal. I applied the same logic to your problem. I am not completely familiar with the shifter linkage or what could have gone wrong if it didn't break but I just though I'd throw my :2cents out there.

Thanks to all. I've decided to "play nicer" with the shifting and just go a tad slower. Kinda sad it doesn't like to speed shift, but it beats breaking it... I don't have the part anymore, sorry. I did see the plastic stuff under the shifter "boot" This is a great site, lots of good people

I learned to shift Porsches on the 915 trans in my old 911. You couldn't *ever* break the shifter (they don't build 'em like they used to) but you could also never muscle a shift. The transmission would balk, the elever would kind of jump back at you (no grind, just a push back) and you'd be left looking for the gear while the competition walked away. On a 915 you learn to place gears, quickly, but with a deft touch. Any more than three fingers when you were in a hurry and you would not get the gear. The *skill* has tranferred over to the 996. clutch in, move the lever only as far as it needs to go, clutch out. See you at the next light!

BTW, I believe the body of the EVO shift link is aluminim, but the interior of the socket that connects to the shifter is plastic.