Having initially replaced the worn shifter linkage at the transmission end with a short shift kit last year which removed a considerable amount of play I was still experiencing a little trouble selecting gears (especially between 1st and 2nd in both directions). I therefore decided to investigate the shifting stick itself as I'd read on other forums that the pin can wear over time, not surprising since the number of gear changes over the 26 years of the life of the car so far.
THE TASK
You'll need the following:
Flat bladed screwdriver
Long-nose pliers
13mm socket
Socket wrench
Socket extension bar
Graphite/Multi purpose grease
Protractor
Sliding bevel
THE HOW TO
(Amateur mechanic job time: approx 30-40 mins)
Start by peeling back the leather gaiter around the base of the shifter to expose the inner rubber gaiter (you may need the flat bladed screwdriver to get you started prising gently under the lip). Then do the same with the inner rubber gaiter to expose the metal shifter stick.
Remove the spring clip that secures the gaiter to the stick and pull off the gaiters to expose the stick
Next pull off the circlip that connects the shifter stick to the black transfer bar and decouple the pair taking care not to loose the spring washer. At the base of the shifter stick you'll find two 13mm bolts, you'll need to pull aside the sponge sound absorber.
Undo these bolts being careful not to loose the upper gripper washer and lower washer that come with them. Then simply pull the shifter leaver assembly up through the opening.
Next you will need to separate the gold metal part of the leaver from it's ball-joint mount. Do this by pushing the leaver down to push the white plastic cup out of the black housing. Then use the flat bladed screwdriver to pop the the leaver ball joint out of the white cup socket.
Old leaver left alongside new one right (Part number 477 711 205 D approx £25 direct from Porsche). Transfer the black rubber bung to the new leaver.
Black shifter mount and white plastic ball-joint cup
Comparison of pin wear - tapers off from middle of pin outwards (old shifter left, new shifter right)
Now remount the new shifter stick through the black mount and pop back into the white ball joint cup (mine was still in really good condition so didn't need replacing just a bit of a clean up).
Next take the sliding bevel tool and set it 85 degrees as stated in the Porsche maintenance manual
Remount the shifter stick assembly back in the car using the two bolts, star washers & washers so that it's just loose enough so that you can slide the black mount towards and away from the dash. Add a little grease to the stick pin then re-attach the transfer rod not forgetting the spring washer first and the circlip last. Then make sure the stick is in neutral.
Now take the sliding bevel tool and rest it flat across the metal lip that the rubber boot would attach to. Now slide the shifter stick mount until the stick lines up as best you can with the 85 degrees of the sliding bevel making sure the stick is still in neutral. Now tighten up the two bolts fully.
Finally reattach the rubber and leather gaiters not forgetting the securing clip and all is done.
Here's a couple of videos to demonstrate the before and after play in the shifter pin.
Before.....
And after....
FURTHER READING
Before deciding to write this tutorial I stumbled upon some other useful information and some work-around's that other other 944 owners have used.
One alternative suggests using a small piece of metal cut from a soft drinks can as a small shim, this is then wrapped around the shifter pin to reduce the play and then inserted back into the shifter bar. Several wraps may be required depending how worn the pin is. Might also be advisable to use metal from a steel can rather than aluminium as it should be harder wearing.
A second alternative actually involves modifying the shifter pin of a new lever and then using the bushes from a Porsche 968 after some drilling of the shifter pin hole in the transfer bar. A full write-up and pictures can be found on the Porsche Club GB forum (you will need to register with the forum to view the thread)
A third alternative uses bushes found in a Porsche 924 with a G31 transaxle.