Question is what happens if the proof comes out. How many of us will scramble to dump the B&M? Poll?

Damn. I just got mine installed too, ontop of a sweet new tranny to boot!

 

I was there myself today looking thru his memos for 2 hours.... like i said... it was at least 2 months ago... worse case scenario i will get a copy of the preliminary memo which was a genaral statement about all "aftermarket" shifter.
be patient... I'm wasting a tech prescious "booking hours"... I can't just "get a copy" intil we find it.
Last resort, he said he will contact the district manager...

 

Not a chance for me.

 

Man I can't believe you guys are asking him to waste his day going through papers so you guys can SEE the paper....
Either believe him or don't, he is telling you what he saw and I am telling you what I was told. If you need written proof go to your dealer and ask for it.
Evan

 

No one's forcing him. He doesn't have to do it. But if he doesn't mind wasting his time...

 

I said "asking" .
Evan

 

I saw a UFO in my backyard. Today. And some goofy neighbors also said they saw it. The rest had doubts.

Still looking for something objective.

Like the memo which has turned out to be a preliminary something.

I do keep my mind open for new info.

 

Here is my subjective take on the question. I have had stock, B&M, and Porsche SSK in my 996. The B&M and Porsche SSK are virtually the same, as you would expect since they are both made by B&M. The feel of the shifters is very close, I actually thought my B&M was a little smoother than the Porsche unit. The difference in feel is certainly within the adjustment standard of deviation IMO. These shifters are very sensitive to proper adjustment.
Anecdotally, I have noticed differences at the track. One of the reasons I got rid of the B&M, it seemed to have problems shifting 2-3 and 3-2 in certain situations , it would hang up in the gate. I also missed 2nd on several occasions with the B&M, always when I tried to shift too fast and the gear would buzz or grind. Again this only happened a few times. Not too long ago I decided to try the Porsche SSK, it feels very good and has yet to get locked up in a gate or buzz 2nd gear, it feels great at the track. So maybe, just maybe there is something to all of this. But most likely not.

 

thank you "dj996"... u explained my nightmares.... so well.
I TALKED TO MY TECH A FEW MINUTES AGO.... I SHOULD HAVE IT TOMORROW NITE... WILL POST.

 

Doug,
Do you really think it is a shifter design problem or an adjustment problem. If installed and adjusted correctly, they should be the same. After all, doesn't BM make the unit for Porsche as well as some of the other vendors that sell SSK's?
Not sure I'm ready to take mine out(BM) yet.
Chris

 

Chris, It's probably a combination of design, adjustment and driving style/ operator error. All very subjective, but when you can get Porsche SSK for as low as $300 is it really worth it when the tranny can cost $8K (the tranny is "non-servicable" there are no parts available for it at this time). If my car was still under warranty I would get the Porsche unit for a few bucks more.
Doug

 

This raises two questions for me, a new 996tt owner as of two days ago (thank you :-) ).

Where can I get the Porsche SSK for 300 (and can a handy person install it solo)?

And (3 questions, whoops), isn't the tranny some version of the race transmission with slide on gears? I seem to remember that being a selling point.

 

Braman Porsche was selling them thru ebay a couple of months ago at that price.

 

I asked Peter Smith if he knew about this memo. Peter is the shop manager at my local dealer and a PCA tech advisor. He knew nothing about it, but he is just one person. He is the one who wanted to know how he could report a car with a B&M to PCA. Some dealers install the B&M for customers

I would not be suprised if there is a memo that warns against aftermarket shifts. Porsche did something like this with the Boxster. A warning not to use aftermarket one touch top devices so you could operate the top while moving. Now I hear that for 2005 Porsche has made this feature standard on the Boxster, like they did in 2003 for the 996 cab.

The bigger picture is Porsche. The B&M unit is identical to the Porsche version that came out last year as far as I'm concerned, but not all agree. I said this a long time ago, I would like Porsche to give a B&M owner a hard time due to the shift when Porsche sells it's own version which I consider a clone. Then hold both versions up next to each other and let them try to explain the difference. I do not have an extra B&M and my dealer does not sell it. Otherwise I would go there today with my camera.

 

i should have the memo tonight....i m not aruing about wether the dealer will report tu or not... nor anything else. you "tool pants" have myself. "dj996", and evan from "FVD" who all experienced this problem.. ever since we- ALL- three of us switched out of the b&m, for some strange reason we cant get the gears to "hang in the gate"...
I agree with"dj996" that the problem might be a combination driver error/ design. If you drive to the office and back a few times a week, i must say you will never experience this problem.