69K The pedal is soft and the engagement point is close to the floor, so I think it was changed relatively recently.

 

Yes, completely normal. I've driven numerous TTs and even with a DMFW you can induce a bit of faint gearbox rattle when loading the engine at very low rpm. I would not operate the engine with any load below 2000rpm.

 

Coming from a fully built 350Z, I know all about cars that don't like low RPM. The Z would shudder in higher gears below 2000rpm. My experience with the 996 Turbo has been different though. It doesn't seem to mind cruising around 1500rpm. There are no vibrations or hesitations, and the only thing I noticed was a bit of gear clatter when applying more throttle. Steady state cruising is just fine. I notice the noise much more with light acceleration in first and second gear.

I did not get a PPI. Most of them are a waste of money anyway. I do all my own work (built and tuned my Z, including the motor), so I inspected the car myself. I bought from a guy who has a good rep on Rennlist and this was one of the cleanest cars I could find. It literally needed nothing done. I didn't even notice the noise until I had already been driving the car for 9 hours straight, so it's not that obvious.

 

Sweet, that's exactly what I was looking for. I figured it was normal. Back to the short shifter install!

 

To each their own man. I hand built my old LS1 FD and didnt mind shelling out 250 for a mechanic that knows these cars to look it over and read the rev types on it. We each drive our cars in our own way and we live with that when the eventual repair/maintenance bills come due. Enjoy the new ride.

 

It's all good. Thanks! Loving it.

 

I have zero and I use 6th gear at 30mph sometimes. One thing I love about this car is how clean it pulls from a high gear at low speeds

 

That's what I've experienced too. It seems perfectly happy to pull from low RPM in a higher gear. Mine just has some drivetrain clatter when it does so.

 

Only one way to know. Pull the plastic body panels and have a look. Rubber bushing on the cardan shaft could be all torn up. Brackets loose, ect..once you get it jacked up, it would take 5 min

 

Lots of good input here. +1 for 32 he is a good guy. See how you can get pretty much the same answer but from different angles?!

 

I do lug mine a little, especially with race car exhaust However I've noticed that I actually get better gas mileage if I let it rev some. Hard as heck for me to do that but I'm trying except in neighborhoods where I don't want to wake the dead. Much last 2500rpm and it gets rowdy with a little pedal!

 

My stock 2003 Turbo doesn't "like" low RPM operation in high gear. While there is no rattle the car emits some kind of a groan/moan sound that is a bit unsettling. I fear for the cardan shaft/front diff as that is where the noise sounds like it is coming from.

Also, I do not like operating the car in the higher gears at low (<2K) RPM for the engine oil pressure is lower and the engine loads higher. Not a good combo.

About the only time my car sees less than 2K RPMs is in 1st maybe 2nd gear when driving conditions demand/require I drive at a lower speed. I pick a gear that has the engine RPMs above 1K and ideally nearer 2K.

Then there is the valve train. At some low RPM the DME switches to low valve lift operation to improve gas mileage end lower emissions. While Porsche states it has tested this switching mechanism to a very high number of cycles I prefer to avoid activating this if I can so I avoid low engine RPM usage.

The 996 Turbo engine is not a low RPM torquer. It does pretty good even with its 9.4:1 compression (compared to say my Boxster's engine with its 11+:1 compression) but it is still not a lugger.

The Turbo engine's torque comes from the boost the turbos make and making boost requires RPMs and torque demand from the driver. So I tend to avoid too low of RPM usage.

 

My car may rattle a tad bit when first turned on but stops at low idle. Then only at 1000 rpm not higher or lower, I never hear anything while driving, but I don't ever let it go far below 2k rpm. I tend to drive the turbo a little like the boxster never drive below 2k rpm unless in 1st or second gear. (Although the turbo is more capable where as the boxster really stated its displeasure when driven at lower rpm's). I would be in 4th at 45mph driving around town and in third if I'm driving aggressively.