Cayman 987.1 Gearbox Cables

[matthew.kemsley]

Hi all, recently purchased a 2006 Cayman S and am loving the experience!

One thing I seem to be reading a lot is the changing of gearbox selector cables?

I can’t find anything in amongst the stack of paperwork I got with the car to show these have ever been changed, are they really a must change?

If so are the numeric cables the better option?

I will fit a quick shift at some point but yet to decide what one.

 

[911hillclimber]

I have a 89K mile 987.2, 2009 Boxster, so on the same page.
At times the box's change seems wooden and sticky, long hot run and much better but people say how good the change is on road tests, not sure I would agree unless things are 'wrong' with my cables.
I think you need to try if you can other cars like yours, age, miles etc or take it to a good indie specialist (who see these cars very often) and get their view.

My car goes to Zuffenhaus in south Birmingham and I'm told it is a nice driving car (no garage queen here) ay every visit. I think they would pass comment if otherwise. They do not try to trap you to have work done.
There is a 996.1 GT3 for sale on Pistonheads and DDK now with those cable fitted. The servicing on the car is huge, an owner who really cares. He has the originals in the sale of the car too, not sure what to make of that!

As an aside, my Boxster's cables are the originals.

You may find this DIY cable change interesting.

 

[ianthow]

One thing I seem to be reading a lot is the changing of gearbox selector cables?
I can’t find anything in amongst the stack of paperwork I got with the car to show these have ever been changed, are they really a must change?

If original, I would say yes, change the cables. A cable snapped last year on my 2010 987.2 S at 89K miles. The cable assembly was replaced at the OPC. The same cable is used for Gens 1 and 2 six speed. The original part has been superseded on both by a later revision which also requires a different lever, 981 424 023 00. This change may be to reduce the probability of a cable breaking. The old and new parts are shown below. They are sufficiently different that, if you get under the car, you should be able to identify if it has the later linkage and cable. On the Gen 2, a modified cable support is also required with the new cable. The Gen 1 has totally different cable supports so I am not sure if any of them would be changed.


Re 911hillclimber's post "At times the box's change seems wooden and sticky, long hot run and much better". I had a similar experience with the new cables. Initially they were fine, a bit sluggish maybe, but certainly back to normal after a little use. However, when winter came, one cold morning after a couple of weeks inactivity (car garaged), it was more than wooden or sluggish, I could not move the lever fore and aft in any slot. It was OK across the gate. Checked under the car and it was clear nothing was seized, so had to be cables. I tried again with a bit more force and was able to get some movement. The engine had been started and running first thing so I assume some heat may have soaked through while I was checking the links. I then took the car out for a good run and the gearchange slowly eased back to normal. When I called the OPC it was a case of "never heard of this happening" and, since it was now 'normal', they were not interested. I had had one further instance of tightness/sluggishness but not related to low temperatures. It cleared again after a short time.

 

[Motorhead]

Hi Matthew,

I’m not aware that there’s an issue with the cables in general. Certainly they shouldn’t be considered a service item, although inevitably there will be some general wear-and-tear on higher mileage cars. They’re long cables - about half the length of the car - and some cable stretch and play in the connections at the gearbox will occur with age, possibly leading to some slackness and stiffness in the gearchange’s feel. As Graham has suggested, you should seek advice from a reputable Porsche Independent in your area if you’re concerned with its feel.

I would say that the gearchange quality on my low mileage 987.2 CS is good rather than exceptional, especially when compared with that of a Civic Type R or an MX5 for instance. It’s possible that the Numeric Shifter could improve the change’s feel, and be just aware that fitting a short-shift is unlikely to improve the quality; the gearchange will be more baulky, especially when the transmission oil is cold.

Jeff