I installed the B&M SSK with an Evoms billet link on my 02 996 yesterday. I like it much more than stock, but am not in love with it. I pretty much hated the stock shifter. It is perhaps the most disappointing design on a "drivers" car. Looking to see if anyone local has it and it feels any better, in case I didn't get everything right. I'm an engineer and understand the linkage design, and there is only a limited number of ways that it can be improved.

The only thing that is adjustable on the B&M is where the shift lever angle is relative to the neutral position. It is essential to get the blue, left hand connection correct as that indexes the tranny forks (I assume) in the correct location for the correct gear pairs. The right hand gray one, is the throw. Too short and the forward gears (1,3,5) may pop out because the shift lever hits interference before the gear is fully engaged. Too long, and the same applies to 2,4,6. There is some adjustment to set how far forward you want 1st to be, before you hit interference. I wanted the forward position gears as far back as possible.

The relative effort is determined by the angle of the cable relative to a tangent to the arc that the lower end of the shift lever prescribes. It appears you can only rob Peter to pay Paul, ie: making the neutral to 1st easier makes neutral to 2nd harder. If in neutral the right hand link is directly below the pivot of the shift lever, then both directions are equal. This appears to be the default if you install the B&M with the cbales insertedin the same positions as the stock shifter. (Soley based on my one shift exchange experience). Of note, I installed the Evoms billet link with the B&M (bought the whole assembly including the cage, used from Joe, and he had already set it up for his GT3(?) and it seems fine so far for mine) and while I don't think that there is any weakness in the original link, it IS looser on the pivot, and weighs a lot less, so the extra mass and tightness help the shift. The OEM link head is rubber formed over the plastic ball socket so there is probably some noise and vibration isolation that is reduced. I haven't had the B&M through all its paces to be sure yet.

It is a much more solid mechanical & noisy shift, and the gates/gears can be easily felt. It is dramatically less civilized feeling than the stock, and I suspect that is what people here are calling notchy. I don't think the effort of the shift is anything to speak of at all, EXCEPT if you are comparing it to the effortless, vague shifting of the stock arrangement. I honestly think B&M went too far in shortening the shift, based on SSK's I've used on other cars. So far I like it more than stock, and have no problem with shifts in any gear even when cold (65F) but I am intrigued by the tranny link option that I've read about on other posts. I've never heard about that kind of option before.

 

It was nice to see an engineer's perspective on this.

I recently installed the B&M SS on my 08 Cayman S. On hard shifts into third I have noticed the shifter smacking although I have adjusted the connection to the cable so the gear engages slightly sooner, so most of the time it does not smack, but it its still annoying.

The biggest problem I have with it is the play that is in the ball/slider connection on the left (not sure of the correct terminology). In the stock shifter there is a plastic square piece that fits over the ball. There is still some play with this design, but surprisingly there is more play with the B&M. I would guess the movement is about a millimeter at most but that cheapens the feel and reducing the preciseness. Have you noticed this?

 

Well, maybe 3 months or so after that post I replaced the B&M with the 997 stock shifter, and reused the Evoms link. If the B&M is a 30% shorter shift, then the 997 is about 15% shorter. No more play , like you described and that annoying mechincal clunk/slam is gone. It is 95% of what I was looking for, compared to 70% for the B&M. The 997 one comes with the shift alignment tool, so getting everything correct is easy.

 

I've put the stock shifter back in for now. The feeling is very vague compared to the B&M but less lateral play. I noticed there is quite a bit of play in the plastic connectors to the shifter cables. You mentioned you have the Evoms linkage. I have seen pictures but cannot tell from them how the linkage connects and if it would correct the play found in the stock plastic linkage. Does the Evoms linkage correct the play?

 

If it's the play I think you mean, then it does correct a lot of it. I hesitate because you said the left hand ball/socket, which is the left/right position, and uses the same ball/socket as the original shifter. The Evoms replaces the right hand one, which is the forward/back position. That ball/socket is much tighter than the original, as the socket is delrin(nylon?) socket pressed into the aluminum body vs a plastic body on the OE. It attacheds past the alignment threaded part of the cable with 3 metric Allen set screws. It is definitely much harder to adjust than the OE design. Are you sure the play wasn't from the pivot bearings in the shifter shell? Those are VERY touchy to get the play out, trying to get the locknut tightened without too much play or too much binding. On my B&M unit there was no play in any of the ball/socket joints at all. Are you sure its a real B&M and not a copy? A lot of theused ones floating out there are the chinese version which had some poor bearings and tolerances, but otherwise, look identical.

 

Correct. The forward/back movement is what I was referring to with the Evoms replacement. Good to hear that the play is corrected as the cable definitely seemed to dance around in the stock linkage unit.

Quite sure. I adjusted the shifter lever perfectly both front/back and side/side. There was zero play in this. When I held the white plastic socket arm motionless (on the left of the black plastic shifter housing) and moved the shifter side to side, I found this is where the play was.

I think it is real but cannot be sure. I purchased this from www.bumperplugs.com which is actually listed on B&M’s site as a reseller here http://www.bmracing.com/PRODUCTS/Porsche . The unit was sealed in the B&M box with all supplied parts. Perhaps I should ask Bumperplugs where they purchase the units from. I am told by B&M that the left ball that goes into the white socket arm should be .507 to .508 inches. I do not have a caliper so I have not had a chance to measure this yet.

 

Bumperplugs only sells real B&M shifters. Eric would never sell a copy. Since my B&M is removed, I'll get it out and recheck the play in the ball/socket joint.