SLC 24 Howard Jones

[Howard Jones]

So I have been in a wait-for-it mode since I ordered my new Grbx from California Motorsports. One of the changes I will need to make is the shifter. The 996T 6-speed is different from the G50s in that the cross gate throw is the opposite direction movement of the cable. Not the shifter but the direction the cable moves. I had an old shifter that was given to me that was meant to be used with a ZF, so I used the box to make this one. It is a direct copy of the Porsche shifter I bought used on eBay.

So far I have more or less completed the actual box and shifter. Mine makes all the same motions and throw lengths as the Porsche. When I get the Grbx back, I will make the other end mechanism that is on the Grbx. I want to shorten the cable lengths and change the directions of their approach to the levers. The 996 shift levers are on the side of the case instead of all the way at the rear like on the G50. The other difference is the 996 Grbx is flipped and so the levers are on the opposite side from standard.

There is going to be a long flat bottom that will mount the cable's anchors as well as mount the entire unit in the same location and use the same mounting holes as my current G50 shifter.

The first picture is mine with the Porsche side by side and the last is the Porsche alone.

 

[Howard Jones]

GRBX ready. I should have it, as well as my G50 home in a week or so. I am looking forward to getting it in the car so I can work out necessary modifications to the G50 install set up. I will post a lot of information as well as pictures as I do that.

 

[Howard Jones]

Here's the final prototype shifter installed in the car. I will need to get the grbx back in and complete the install so I can run the cables in situ. The main thing it to verify that the shifter throws are complete and correct. If not fix it. Also I will need to be sure to avoid the heat by running them in the best way to do so. Lastly length will need to be verified. The cables I have may work, but Its pretty easy to order new ones that are the correct length once I use the ones I have to mock up the exact length required.

I think the grbx will be on the way this coming week.

 

[Howard Jones]

With the cockpit end of the shifter system complete (fingers crossed) I now have completed the GRBX end of the system with the cable anchor and cable mount. Pretty simple really but it needed to be made to fit my needs. I got the rest of the remaining pieces today so I can install the GRBX onto the engine, Then put into the chassis and begin the rest of the modifications as needed. More pictures as I finish stuff.

 

[Howard Jones]

I've made some progress on installing the 996T 6-speed. So far so good. Moving the engine forward 1 1/2" really paid off. Not only has it substantially improved driveshaft angles but it also gave me some more room to fit it in on length. So far I had to lengthen the wing mount a inch to provide clearance to the end of the GRBX. (see pic). I have also confirmed that the clutch/bellhousing/input shaft end of the GRBX is the same as the G50 and bolted right up. The width between the output shafts is also the same as the G50 so the driveshafts can be reused.

Today I am going to install the exhaust system and see how that fits. Fingers crossed!!!!! Moving the engine forward SHOULD have improved the clearances on the exhaust system where they were minimal before so we'll see. Then I have to make a rear GRBX mount. The one in the pictures is used to lift the engine/GRBX as well as to use my transaxle lift cradle. Then remount the GRBX cooler pump and radiator as well as remake the plumbing for it. All the mounts need to be remade.

I am still undecided on GRBX cable routing. I can see that I will need new cables as the ones I have are clearly too short even using the most direct route. I will do this last I think.

 

[Howard Jones]

This is a very slow process. Think until a solution presents itself then try and mock up the hardware as much as possible, cut the existing pieces apart and refit as close as possible. Tack in place, reinstall, check fit, cut apart again more often than not, re-tack , reinstall and check fit. Remove and final weld.

Not a single piece at the rear of the car avoided modification. There is a lot more there than it looks. Even the muffler supports got completely cut off the mufflers and all newly made ones welded back on. That took a full day. I'm not complaining, I really like to make things but I will be glad when this is done.

So far so good but the longer length has really eaten up all of the room . I will really have to get creative installing the oil cooler and pump for the gearbox. I want to put them back in a similar configuration as before but things are really tight. I may have to locate the cooler somewhere else. The only two places in the airstream are the nose. Can I get a hell no on that. Or in the rear (somewhere) and run a brake duct style hose to it. Not a lot of room for that either.

I'll get it. I have to.

 

[Howard Jones]

Pretty much have the 6 speed 996T installed. I want to remake the cooler mount strays but I need material. I used what I had available to mock it up but I don't like the half assed look.

This was a lot of work. Mainly because I wanted to reuse the big square body/wing mount and incorporate it into the rear GRBX mount. I was very happy to see that the bodywork did not need to be modified and in fact the only thing I needed to to do was to cut off the corner the top of the square side plate on the big square structure to clear the body when it opens.

You can see the difference from pic # 2653 in post #1266 and pic #2658 in this post.

The last thing to do is measure and order the cables.

 

[Howard Jones]

Further G50-996T commonality confirmation. The G50 clutch system works in the 996T without modification. I finished bleeding the master/slave cylinders yesterday and it feels exactly the same from the peddle effort, engagement point, etc. My shifter cables are here so tomorrow I am going to install them and see where I am with the shifter system. Fingers crossed!!!!!!!!

 

[Howard Jones]

I received the cables from California Push Pull. All correct and shipped the same day I ordered over the phone. I 100% recommend them. Previously, when I finely got everything in place to try the shorter cables I had from the other GRBX I began to wonder if their two inch cable movement was going to be enough so I got the 3 inch ones but the same overall length. Of course this moved the anchor points and I had to remake the anchor mount in the cockpit. I also didn't like the angle of the center cable on one of the cables at the GRBX end, so again, cut and paste that.

So its all in and everything is made and installed. I put the oil in the GRBX last night after measuring the amount needed to fill the cooler, filter, its lines, and the pump. It came to a 1/2 liter, so with the recommended, Rodger at CMS, 6 liters of 75/90 300 Motur all in was 61/2 liters. That's more than a normally oriented 996 in a Porsche but mine in flipped and that makes a difference. No leaks! CHECK.

Now I need to get the car on the ground and start it up and see how it shifts. It feels OK like all the gears are there but.............well....... we'll see.

Pictures later.

 

[Howard Jones]

OK good news so far. I put the car on the ground and found a discharged battery. However I was able to bump the car in gear with the starter and it moves forward when in several forward gears and most of all reverse in reverse, I hope this means that I am close on shifter adjustment. The starter also works as normal same as the G50 with the same parts. More conformation that the G50 and the 996T are very similar in architecture.

I'll charge it up overnight and give it a go tomorrow. Here's the final installed pictures.

 

[Howard Jones]

IT WORKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!YEA YEA YEA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IT WORKSSSSSSS. Jumpin up and down and shakin my ass I'm so happy I could just shit. Fuck I'm so relieved I can't put it into words right now, but it all works, I more or less had it all ready to test drive yesterday but I couldn't gin up the nerve to take it out for a run around the block. I have been so worried that my home made shifter wouldn't work. BUT IT DOES!!!!!!!! fuckin AAAAAAAAAAAAA it does!

Reverse is a little bit of a pull it over and up but 123456 and back down 654321 works really well, maybe soother than my G50 and I believed that it was near perfect.

Man that was a lot of work.

I've been saying this for years. Get the gearbox right first and foremost. I now consider that to be the first commandment of the mid engine car religion. It is really really...... really..... a lot of work to change the design of the gearbox install after the fact.

I'm gonna drink now.

 

[Joel K]

IT WORKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!YEA YEA YEA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IT WORKSSSSSSS. Jumpin up and down and shakin my ass I'm so happy I could just shit. Fuck I'm so relieved I can't put it into words right now, but it all works, I more or less had it all ready to test drive yesterday but I couldn't gin up the nerve to take it out for a run around the block. I have been so worried that my home made shifter wouldn't work. BUT IT DOES!!!!!!!! fuckin AAAAAAAAAAAAA it does!

Reverse is a little bit of a pull it over and up but 123456 and back down 654321 works really well, maybe soother than my G50 and I believed that it was near perfect.

Man that was a lot of work.

I've been saying this for years. Get the gearbox right first and foremost. I now consider that to be the first commandment of the mid engine car religion. It is really really...... really..... a lot of work to change the design of the gearbox install after the fact.

I'm gonna drink now.

Congrats Howard, well done!

 

[Hector]

Good job Howard!!!, I know the feeling very very well . That shifter looks so much nicer than the Porsche plastic POS. that was a super cool design. Good for you. Now don't go melt shifter cables like I did .

Dang your engine and transmission look a lot cleaner than mine LOL

 

[Randy Folsom]

Fabulous. This is the best about part of owning and building these cars.

 

[Howard Jones]

The Porsche plastic POS is for sale. 75 bucks you pay shipping. Just like this one but used, it works as designed. If you really want it PM me and we can talk.

Porsche Shift Lever Assembly Genuine Porsche 996.424.010.05 996-424-010-05 99642401005 996 424 010 05 | Pelican Parts

Genuine Porsche Shift Lever Assembly Six Speed Manual Trans. Call (310)626-8765. May Qualify For FREE SHIPPING. Parts# 996 424 010 05 996-424-010-05 996.424.010.05 99642401005. 911.

www.pelicanparts.com

 

[Howard Jones]

I went tothe last day of COTA for the year a week ago on the 21th of Dec. This was with Edge Addics again. I really like these guys, andits always fun and well done. Weather was fantasti. Perfect with afternoon air temps at about 78F. The morning was prettycool and track temps were in the mid 50F. Thsi makes it pretty hard to get going because that the track temp my car hayes the most. Just nice enought to want to get afterit but too cold to really gte the tires nd brakes hot in 3-4 laps. Anyway things went petty well. Nothing really didnt work corectly.

I did take out a 1/2 degree out of rear camber. Now it is set at -2 degrees and the fronts are -1.75. The last time i was at the track I believed that I was really heating up the outboard 1/3 of the tire. I think the tires were better this time. It's pretty hard to get a good tire temp when I m there alone. It takes a while to get back to my spot, get out of the car, and try and record temps. There is a lot to do when you are a 1 man band, so I am more and more just enjoying the day and not rying ot push past my fun speed. This car is so much faster than I am that I need to work on getting it hot enough to drive not push it as fast as I can when I cant anyway.

The gear ratios are better espcially 4,5th, 5th isn't much of a overdrive gear anymore and 6th takes the place of the 5th in the G50. IMHO perfect for 185-190 mph max speed tracks. My GRBX ratio chart below.

The thing that really suprised me was fuel consumption. I am using about a gallon every 2-21/2 mins at speed and about half that at warmup and cool down speed. 10 gals every 30 min session. Thank god gas is cheap again.

I have video. Its too long so I need to cut its lenght but i got it. I'll post it when I get it finished.

 

[Howard Jones]

Here is a longer lenght video. I think it was the third sesson of the day and the first one after I moved up to the red group. I did the yellow group (slowest that allows solo a driver (no instructor), I asked to run that group because it was so cold overnight and the red group I was signed up in went first at 8am. This car is really a handfull with cold tires and brakes and with a track temp at about 50F and air temps just above that I just thought it would be better to run the yellow group at abot 9:30 on a trak that had a 1 1/2 hours of traffic. Any way heres what a full sesson looks like without editting.

Maybe some people might like to see what a trackday at COTA is like.

 

[Lee Patterson]

Very cool Howard. It's cool to think you are running on the same track where the F1 big boys run. Nicely done.

 

[Howard Jones]

Latest pictures

 

[Hector]

very cool Howard , I kept waiting for you to pass the yellow vette . LOL . Thanks for sharing. I take it you love your current motor and tranny setup after all the recent changes.

Almost finished with the remodel in New Braunfels and about to put the house on the market , will be in your neighborhood soon. Maybe I can be your tire temperature guy!!!