2nd gear popout, tranny must be rebuilt?

Looking at a 996 turbo which has the transmission issue we all love. Guy says its popped out maybe 5 times in a few years he's had it (and he has to work at it to get it to pop) Has a short shifter which im sure helps, my question is, does the trans have to be rebuilt if it has this issue? Sorry I searched and didn't find an answer. A trans build at 4k plus would really hurt the wallet. Thanks in advance!

unless/until the tranny is opened up and inspected by a competent tech, you will NOT know exactly what fix is needed and how much it will cost. Could be rebuilt, or a "new" tranny may be needed.

^^^ Exactly this.... Just have the owner work it into a discounted final sale price. That way hopefully your get the car for an even better deal to cover your troubles and repair bill. And your get the peace of mind knowing after the repair your have a new /rebuilt transmission to add to the pleasure of owning your Porsche.

2nd gear pop-out is a somewhat common problem. I wouldn't go rushing into t a tranny rebuild. Check out tha g-box detent fix first. $200 and a DIY job. Gbox is one of the leading rebuilders of Porsche transaxles and gearboxes, used by many cup cars... http://www.gboxweb.com/detent.html GBox upgraded 2nd gear detent. Several of the Porsche gearboxes will occasionally experience a '2nd gear pop out issue.' There are a couple of ways to address this issue. But this fix is the easiest, and by far the least expensive option for the DIY guy or gal. Installation is relatively simple and can be completed with the gearbox still installed in your car. The GBox upgraded detent will not fix a pop out problem if there is already internal damage to the gearbox, but it will certainly help prevent it. We install it in all of our rebuilds, and we have yet to see a 'pop-out' problem return after the installation of this part. Even if you have never experienced this issue, this upgraded detent is cheap insurance to ensure that you have done everything you can to keep it from popping up in the future.

+1 What pfbz said. The 996 Turbo forum is probably a better resource to ask the question in. But I was close to buying a turbo last year and researched this issue pretty thoroughly. So no firsthand knowledge, but pfbz summed up the general consensus. By the way, if the current owner estimated it has popped out 5 times, multiply that number by at least 5. That's my experience with used car sellers - if they mention an issue, it's probably worse than they are describing it.

I had the second gear pop-out on my 99' and put the Gbox detent in and problem solved. Cheap insurance. Also, double check shifter alignment with the short shifter being installed. It's that plastic tool that sits on the shifter to hold it in place white alignment is being adjusted.

I have onbe of those G-box detents taht I never fitted, brand new in box, you have have it for $180 if anyone interested, save yourself $20 PM me if interested

Sorry I thought this was the turbo forum guys. I known abut the detent pin, but know it's a temporary fix, that can work but still may not solve it for the long run. It's a 2001 with 90k miles, $30k...am I doing ok here or am I going to be looking at a close to $40k car if the tranny needs a rebuild. Clutch has also never been replaced which is another $1-3k eventually.

That's a decent price point if all else checks out. That's basically my budget for a high mileage turbo. Miles don't scare me as long as it has been maintained properly. Even a low miles garage queen is going to cost you in maintenance over time.

Not that I don't trust people, but unless this is a family member, good friend, or priest, I would go on the assumption that it happens all the time or at least a lot more than he is telling you. He's telling you this to cover his a$$.

I had occasional pop out on second - indie did gbox detent for me and I changed trans oil - maybe $300 total if recall - fixed the issue - you might also want to look at new motor mounts ...