The stock shifter in my 997S feels very much like the short shifter I put in the Boxster which was a big difference from the stock Boxster set up. This why I haven't bother changing the shifter in the 997 as I believe anything much shorter would negatively impact shifter feel and make engagement more difficult.

 

I suspect when folks complain about shifting on stock 997 shifter - perhaps it just needs a bit of adjustment. From all the parts in the car it is the last I would bother to change, 2nd, 3rd and 4th gears are perfect to switch into and very precise. 5th and 6th are less precise but still no major issues there.

I suspect 1st gear stiffness may be improved by cables adjustment but too lazy to open up console to get access to cables. But honestly throw wise shifter is quite perfect IMHO to my taste, I would not like to have it shorter.

 

I've put 30,000 miles on my 997S / 997GT3 / 997.2S. Driven several 997s with OEM short shift kit. The best shifting I've had to date was the 997GT3 (shorter and more precise feeling, tighter "spring") and the OEM SSK feels like the GT3 I had. So, I just bought an OEM SSK for my 09 C2S from Huntington Porsche ($299 including delivery). Throws will be 20% lower and when my shop puts it in, I'll talk with them about how it's installed, any adjustments that can be made, spring stiffness (ie: For all I know you can use a GT3 stiffer shifter spring in the 997S), etc.

 

Hmm. Mine hasn't arrived yet.

 

The STANDARD factory shifter in the 997 already has a 15% shorter throw than the 996 .
That's probably why you had a more noticeable difference between your 996 and the B&M shifter .
The Porsche "Sport Shifter" throw is about the same as the B&M ( maybe even a bit shorter , but not enough to mention )

PS: if your shifter ( standard or Sport ) is a bit "notchy" it just needs to have the cable adjusted.
I installed mine myself and after tweaking it , it's "silky smooth" ( except in cold weather of course , but then every shifter is, until the tranny warms up )
A quick test is to drive the car and see from what max. speed you can still downshift into first
(I can get into 1st @ ~ 15 mph or so )

 

is there any know-how you could share of that 'tweaking' process?

 

If you install it yourself, take a test drive ( before re-installing the console ) Lol
then just " fine tune" the cable length
I doubt any mechanic will take the time to get it "perfect" . Besides, the cables will need some "readjusting " after several 1000 miles , so it's good to know how to do it yourself anyway.

Most of the work is actually removing the center console ( at least the first time )
if you have done it before, the total install should take about 1 hour .

btw: I did not get any installation instructions with the Porsche shifter ( I guess they assume their mechanic will do it )
I used the B&M shifter instructions , which were excellent .
If you have the complete Porsche shifter unit, you can probably disregard 75% of the instructions ( which deal with installing the B&M stick into the Porsche housing and other Porsche models)

 

Ron, did you get the SSK installed yet? How does it feel? Hopefully they sold us the real thing...

Mine arrived yesterday, but haven't put it in yet.

 

Axxlrod
Just a report on my shifter. Its def a shorter throw.. like mentioned, im coming from a 996 which 15% longer than my stock 997. I had a B&M in my 996 and when i got that put in my 996 it was literally 50% shorter. I was expecting the same thing in my 997 but to feel 20% is minute. But its def shorter after playing around w the car. And i will say the shifts are RIDIC crisp and its literally like putting a hot knife through butter the shifts are SOO smooth i grin when I shift. You will love it man. Let us know when u put it in my man.

 

I got mine last week, but it won't go into the car until next week (at the shop now for roll bar, harnesses, GT2 seats, Sharkwerks Fire Extinguisher). Of course it's a "real" Porsche OEM SSK - the part numbers are right on it, it came from a reputable Porsche Dealer (Huntington).

It's not going to be a dramatic change, but 20% shorter is 20%. Should be more like my 997 GT3 shifter was...

 

Some asked me to post my review. Picked up my car on Saturday and WOW the SSK is fantastic. If you can't tell whether you got a SSK or not, then either you already had one, switched, and there's no difference because they are the same, OR you paid for a SSK and didn't get one.

With mine, the part numbers are different between the old (original non-SSK) that was on the car and the SSK Huntington sent me.

Man, I love the shifting now - just like my 997 GT3 was but with a softer spring, which is good. Blends the best of both worlds, the nuance of the OEM gate spring and the shorter throw of the GT3. Not at all notchy (and it was about 32 degrees when I picked up).

 

Does anyone have one of these they would like to get rid of? Looks like the deal on Ebay is over.