Transmission, Manual
Shifter Cup Replacement Tips
Having just completed the task, I have a few observations to share:
It's not that bad a job. One thing that surprised me was the weight of the exhaust system that you must lower to get to the cup. I was under the exhaust when the center rubber hanger let go and it was dificult to get out from under the weight. Don't trust that center hanger to hold the exhaust's full weight. I did, and now I must replace the center hanger. To reinstall the exhaust, I used a jack to lift it into place. Before lowering the exhaust, I attempted to split it by removing the clamps just behind the cats. It did not come apart easily, so I decided to lower the entire exhaust as an assembly. I suggest you remove the rear muffler before lowering the exhaust because it reduces the exhaust weight by about 40 lbs. I chose to replace mine with an RMB while I was down there.
The most difficult part was loosening the lock washer on the linkage. I did this by holding the linkage tube with a large Channel Lock and both hands. For the nut, I used a Craftsman 17mm "stubby" open end wrench. ($9.99 from Sears -- this wrench is also handy when turning the lock nut on the timing belt tensioner.) To apply the necessary torque to this short wrench I used a bottle jack. I put a crowbar (flat end on the bottle jack saddle and "V" end on the wrench handle) on top of the bottle jack and used the jack to apply pressure to the wrench end. Find a friend who's willing to come under the car with you and pump the jack handle.
The cup itself was very easy to remove, because mine was completely loose. I did not have to pry it loose, as some have. To reinstall, I purchased a high quality, US made ratcheting strap for $8.99 from the hardware store. (Lowes and Walmart sell them too, but you'll have to buy a package of four, and they are low quality imports.) The strap is too long to tighten on just the tube and cup, so I placed a wooden block at the base of the torque tube directly under the cup to take up the slack in the strap. From there, it was easy to reassemble everything. Total job time was about 7 hours.
Best of Luck,
LeeH (Mechanical Engineer - apprentice mechanic now)
87 S4 5sp
I just completed my second shifter cup replacement in as many months. My 83 required a cup two months ago and apparently was sooo happy about it, it spoke to 87S4 parked next to it and before you know it, the 87 demanded one as well....
Anyway. I did the 83 shifter sup replacement by the book (in the 928 International catalogue and in 928 archives as well) which recommends disconnecting the shifter assembly prior to changing the cup. Disconnecting the shifter from the front rod allows much more movement of the front rod.
The problem is that it is a pain to get the shifter, springs and clips back together, notwithstanding use of dental floss, wire, strong language, etc....(OK Wally I know you can do this in the dark in under 5 minutes
with one hand tied behind your back and a beer in the other, but it took me many many attempts to get the springs back in without crushing the plastic bushings too badly.)
I did the 87 ball shifter cup change without removing the shifter assembly. Youcan pull the shifter rod far enough over toward the passenger side to get a 17 mm wrench on the nut. It can be pulled far enough over with no detrimental effect whatsoever.
BTW. My 83 shifter spring set-up has nice big spring c-clips with a large grip
area on the back side of the "c". My 87 shift linkage as teeny-tiny e-clips
that would have been a total bear to get back in had I taken them out.
If your car has the small e-clips, and you want to change the shifter bushings,
I would recommend looking into getting the earlier C-clips---provided they fit
(I do not know for certain). They would be way way easier to install.
Does anyone know if the clips are interchangeable??? Your 928 friends on the
list would benefit from a confirmation/correction of this suggestion. Does
anyone have a parts book that can tell if these parts are interchangeable?
Phk