[100xTREE]

Hello - I bought a 2007 Cayman S 6 speed in February 2017 and I've had good experience with other enthusiast car forms for my E36 BMW M3 so I thought I'd try reaching out to you all for a recent dilemma. I'm really enjoying my car so far but in some ways I feel like the shifter feel could be better. I'm not sure if it's deteriorated over the years and the shifter assembly is in need of new bushings, shifter cable needs to be adjusted/replaced, or if alternate hardware like the 997 SSK or the GT3 shifter are what I'm looking for to improve things. I've seen some threads on this forum and others speak really highly of the GT3 shifter swap and the SSK swap and if it makes enough of a difference to justify the cost then I'm definitely interested however it's a fair amount of money to put down if I'm not sure that I want it - especially if I decide to pay a shop to do the install. So I'm wondering if there's anyone in the Tempe/Phoenix area in Arizona that would want to show off their setup . Or if anyone knows of a shop in the area that maybe has a demo car or if there's other options I haven't thought of yet. Any ideas are appreciated - thanks for reading!

 

[dkky996]

Hello - I bought a 2007 Cayman S 6 speed in February 2017 and I've had good experience with other enthusiast car forms for my E36 BMW M3 so I thought I'd try reaching out to you all for a recent dilemma. I'm really enjoying my car so far but in some ways I feel like the shifter feel could be better. I'm not sure if it's deteriorated over the years and the shifter assembly is in need of new bushings, shifter cable needs to be adjusted/replaced, or if alternate hardware like the 997 SSK or the GT3 shifter are what I'm looking for to improve things. I've seen some threads on this forum and others speak really highly of the GT3 shifter swap and the SSK swap and if it makes enough of a difference to justify the cost then I'm definitely interested however it's a fair amount of money to put down if I'm not sure that I want it - especially if I decide to pay a shop to do the install. So I'm wondering if there's anyone in the Tempe/Phoenix area in Arizona that would want to show off their setup . Or if anyone knows of a shop in the area that maybe has a demo car or if there's other options I haven't thought of yet. Any ideas are appreciated - thanks for reading!

I recommend numeric shifter with numeric cables. I've had both the factory ss and gt3 shifter and numeric shifter is superior. As for the cables, I would change out the factory cables with numeric as soon as possible unless you want to be stranded on the side of the road with a broken cable like me and numerious others here...

 

[100xTREE]

The more I look into swapping the shifter assembly the more I see this issue come up about cables failing. I'll do some more research about that as well . Thanks for the input.

 

[dkky996]

In regards to oem cables, it's not a question of "if" but a question of "when." Mine didn't make it past 5k miles before giving up the ghost...

 

[100xTREE]

In regards to oem cables, it's not a question of "if" but a question of "when." Mine didn't make it past 5k miles before giving up the ghost...

5k from stock?? I'm going to have to move this up in my priority list haha. My car has ~74k miles on it so it sounds like I'm about due for my 15th set if previous owners replaced with OEM .

 

[dkky996]

Lol, I guess just bad luck on my part...but I sleep better with numeric cables installed!

 

[RSchwerer]

From memory, I think mine broke a few K miles before the warranty ran out. So I got ~46K on the originals for my daily driver. Mine broke as I was downshifting approaching a major intersection and I managed to nurse it over to the shoulder by the traffic light. I had Porsche Roadside Assistance flat-bed it to my dealer. Of course they only would install OEM cables and this was before the factory came up with the newer replacement kit.

Since I needed reliable DD transportation, and I figured the next time the full cost would fall to me, I ordered the Numeric cables, so in an emergency I wouldn't have to use OEM again. A few months later, on a boring weekend, I decided - why wait? It took me about 8 hours to get it all back together (except I left off the console in case I needed any adjustment.
I had previously installed the GT3 shifter, so I had no slop anyway. But the Numeric cables added a very precise feel. I could hear slightly more noise after the swap (coming from the shifter and console). The theory is that the cables can pick-up some engine noise and transfer it into the cabin. I went back and did a better job of insulating the cables in the engine compartment and added some foam under the console. Now it is almost as quiet as OEM. Its now been almost 30K miles and it is still tight and precise. I'd never go back.

 

[100xTREE]

I saw a post describing that extra noise with the Numerics - if I swap the cables I'll want to make sure I insulate the cables and introducing some padding like you.

How skilled are you with car maintenance? I'd put myself at somewhere around a beginner turning into a novice so I'm curious what kind of time estimate I can get from your 8 hours. I'm a lot more confident with my M3 because it's not nearly as nice and doing harm won't be a big deal haha. In my Cayman I just had to replace the door lock lever so if it's around that level of complexity I might just try the swap myself.

 

[Rlazer3]

As far as asking if worth the expense, I will say yes.

I have over $1000 in shifter assembly and cables. Changed from stock shifter to SSK. Replaced the bushings with Function First Shift Right Solution to help reduce slop. Best of all was the Numeric Racing cables swap. The setup has given me a much (MUCH) more mechanical shift. The CS shifts beautifully as stock; it is much more sure into each gear and easy to make sure the gear I want is the gear I hit. The SSK (used for about $275) is noticeably shorter throw. Not too short as to make gear selection harder; quite the opposite. The FF bushings helped a lot. I understand the GT3 SSK has metal bushing already (stock are plastic).

I could not pull my wallet out for the Numeric Shifter although it is high on a wish list!! Suspension and GT3 TB and IPD Plenum upgrades before any more $$ on shifting.

The shifter and cables will be one of the very first upgrades on any new Porsche I may get, but not too soon. I love my '06 CS with almost 80k on the odo and no plans to change.

 

[dkky996]

I saw a post describing that extra noise with the Numerics - if I swap the cables I'll want to make sure I insulate the cables and introducing some padding like you.

How skilled are you with car maintenance? I'd put myself at somewhere around a beginner turning into a novice so I'm curious what kind of time estimate I can get from your 8 hours. I'm a lot more confident with my M3 because it's not nearly as nice and doing harm won't be a big deal haha. In my Cayman I just had to replace the door lock lever so if it's around that level of complexity I might just try the swap myself.

Install isn't too bad, just tough to get the cable from inside to go up and over the engine. Also you'll need the special wrench from numeric to tighten to the shifter. I have one, if you're gonna tackle it yourself, I'm happy to let you borrow it.

 

[Rlazer3]

I am novice at best with less fear of the car than when I first starting to work on it. You will find it easier than it first appears. I spent about 5 hours or so to replace cables and shifter with the car on a lift to get underneath. Longest time spent is dismantling inside plastics; YouTube is my best friend! You do need the tool from NR. I modified it further taking one side down even more narrow than comes from NR.

Pay attention to how the cables are routed down the tunnel and over the engine before you take the old ones out. I used the insulators from the old cables cutting them length wise to remove and zip tied them in place. I also reused the grommet in the firewall cutting it carefully to remove from the old cables so I could reuse it.

I will say I can hear the transmission shift into and through the gears; a quite pleasing sound!!! No engine noise transmitted through cables, just a light clunk to let me know the car is in gear. I personally like the sound.

 

[100xTREE]

Install isn't too bad, just tough to get the cable from inside to go up and over the engine. Also you'll need the special wrench from numeric to tighten to the shifter. I have one, if you're gonna tackle it yourself, I'm happy to let you borrow it.

Thank you, that's quite kind . I only see this wrench on Numeric's site - is this the right one? https://numericracing.com/store/wrench/

 

[dkky996]

Thank you, that's quite kind . I only see this wrench on Numeric's site - is this the right one? https://numericracing.com/store/wrench/

Yup that's the wrench.

 

[100xTREE]

I am novice at best with less fear of the car than when I first starting to work on it. You will find it easier than it first appears. I spent about 5 hours or so to replace cables and shifter with the car on a lift to get underneath. Longest time spent is dismantling inside plastics; YouTube is my best friend! You do need the tool from NR. I modified it further taking one side down even more narrow than comes from NR.

Pay attention to how the cables are routed down the tunnel and over the engine before you take the old ones out. I used the insulators from the old cables cutting them length wise to remove and zip tied them in place. I also reused the grommet in the firewall cutting it carefully to remove from the old cables so I could reuse it.

I will say I can hear the transmission shift into and through the gears; a quite pleasing sound!!! No engine noise transmitted through cables, just a light clunk to let me know the car is in gear. I personally like the sound.

Thanks for the tips - I just noticed NR has install videos hosted on their site that explain the installation and calibration. Starting to think I can do this now . I wish I had more convenient access to a lift. There's a place a half hour away from me that rents out time on a lift but from past experience with other jobs I tend to take at least twice as long as it should take and I'd be anxious about finishing before they close up.

 

[Boulder_Geek]

I've had a SSK, with metal bushings, and Numeric Cables (and wrench) sitting by for a year, waiting to be installed.

Part of that was wanting to paint my console prior to assembly, which is now done.

I will have to do it on jack stands in my garage. it looks really tight to put the cable ends on the transmission side.. My wife is out of town, so I might try it this weekend. :-|

 

[RSchwerer]

Thanks for the tips - I just noticed NR has install videos hosted on their site that explain the installation and calibration. Starting to think I can do this now . I wish I had more convenient access to a lift. There's a place a half hour away from me that rents out time on a lift but from past experience with other jobs I tend to take at least twice as long as it should take and I'd be anxious about finishing before they close up.

I don't think a lift is much of an advantage. You don't spend much time under the car and you should be able to do it on jack stands or ramp. The hardest part for me was removing the old cables where they clip to a bracket on each side of the transmission. The driver side is a B-itch! But I don't think a lift helps much.

Also, if you do it at home, you won't have any time pressure. I did mine over a weekend.

As I mentioned, I left the console off for a day so I could test and adjust if necessary. A warning, if you start the car without the airbag harness connected to the indicator in the console, you will get an error code that won't clear itself. I had Durametric, so no big deal. Otherwise you'll need to go to the dealer.

One more thing - by DIY, you get to see lots of things about the car that will give you confidence for other projects. Getting the front engine cover off lets you examine the belt and all belt driven accessories. Especially look at the water pump. Those are expendable items on Porsches.

 

[Slowcayman]

I just installed a numeric shifter in my 2006 cayman S. Totally transformed the car imo, I had the stock shifter and it had a lot of slop and felt quite vague while shifting. Coming from a s2000 shifter, I missed the short throws and precision of it. After installing the numeric I'd say that it's on par with the s2000 shifter, throws are short and each shift has a rifle bolt precision to it. It does take slightly more effort to shift, but this is how the cayman should've came factory.