Can a 915 trans be trully sorted? | FerrariChat

Can a 915 trans be trully sorted?

Discussion in 'Porsche' started by bigodino, Jan 13, 2020.

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  1. bigodino

    bigodino F1 World Champ
    Silver Subscribed

    Apr 29, 2004
    12,586
    The Netherlands
    Full Name:
    Peter den Biggelaar
    In 2015 I bought a 1983 911 SC which of course has the 915 transmission. I was a little taken aback due to its vague shifting habits. It was quite easy to select the wrong gear and second was sometimes a bit hard to find. In 2018 during a hot day in a traffic jam it started to act up. First gear was very hard to find.

    Since then shifting was never great so a few weeks ago I decided to go all the way and have everything refurbished from the gear shifter all the way up to the drive shafts.

    After picking up the car and spending thousands the car still had shifting problems. Going back from third to second there's nothing there. Also first gear is hard to find.

    Of course the car is back at the shop. But I've started to wonder if the 915 trans can trully be sorted? I mean, everything was renewed or refurbished (transmission, clutch, axles, shift linkage).

    My biggest fear is that the shop finally gets it sorted, only to have te problems come back later. I suspect the main culprit is the shift linkage and how easy is it to get misalligned again?

    Best, Peter
     
  2. WPOZZZ

    WPOZZZ F1 Veteran

    Aug 22, 2012
    6,477
    Honolulu, HI
    The 915 trans can be pretty vague. However, if adjusted properly it is rather easy to get used to. One thing to keep in mind is to check your coupler bushings. If they are worn, it makes things much harder. If you really want to improve the shift qualities, you can install a WEVO shifter.
     
  3. 356racing

    356racing Formula Junior
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    Sep 24, 2004
    519
    Paradise Valley, AZ
    Yes it can be sorted. The shop probably did not adjust the coupler correctly. I usually set in 3rd, with a soft touch on the gate(spring loaded in the shifter) and a forward position that is comfortable for my driving position. Then be sure you have enough pull to get 4th and it's all set. If someone installed a short shifter in the past, get rid of it and find a stock shifter, they are much easier to use.
     
  4. bigodino

    bigodino F1 World Champ
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    Apr 29, 2004
    12,586
    The Netherlands
    Full Name:
    Peter den Biggelaar
    Thanks for the replies. I also suspect that the problem is located in the shift part of the equation. But I didn't want to chase the problem piece by piece, so went all out and I must say that it has transformed the responseness of the car. A totally different animal now. But the shifting problem was the reason for all this work, so very disappointing that the problem's still there.

    If the shifter is finally adjusted correctly, how great is the chance that the problems will come back? I assume the bushing/couplers were replaced but i'll wait what the shop will tell me.
     
  5. dmundy

    dmundy Formula 3
    Owner

    Sep 11, 2010
    1,302
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    Full Name:
    Arthur Dent
    You can make it a lot better. New couplings through the linkage and a wevo as mentioned both help a lot.

    But new and at its best, it was never a “rifle action” or really precise box.
     

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