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Porsche 924/944/968
Shifter Linkage Coupler

Assembly and Installation Procedure

A02 Release Copy M. O’Donnell 03-April-2022

A01 Draft Copy M. O’Donnell 04-March-2022
Revision Release Author Date
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Bill of Materials and General Arrangement

The coupler kit is designed to be a direct replacement for the original plastic part. In the
event that any hardware needs to be replaced, the part numbers and dimensions given
below may be used to order replacements from a 3rd party retailer of your choice.

Item Quantity Description Vendor Part Number / SKU

1 1 Selector Arm 944-424-013-02 *
Porsche
2 1 Main Shaft (Assembly P/N)
3 1 Circlip, 15x1mm Volkswagen N-012-415-1
4 1 Shaft Washer, 15mm Porsche 477-711-139-A
Bearing Stack, 15mm 5909K13 – QTY 1
5 2 McMaster-Carr
28mm OD 5909K73 – QTY 2
Bearing Stack, 10mm 5909K11– QTY 1
6 2 McMaster-Carr
24mm OD 5909K71– QTY 2
7 1 Shaft Washer, 10mm Porsche 477-711-139
8 1 Conical Lock Nut, M8 Belmetric NCLH8YLW
9 1 Coupler Housing BD Racing 80085
- 1 Shim, 0.16mm BD Racing -
- 1 Shim, 0.32mm BD Racing -
Note: Porsche 968 assembly is slightly different, however, this kit is still compatible.
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Compatibility
• Porsche 924 – with Audi 4-speed and 5-speed manual transaxles (not G31)
• Porsche 924S – with 5-speed manual transaxle
• Porsche 944 – with 5-speed manual transaxle (all models: base, 16v, Turbo)
• Porsche 968 – with 6-speed manual transaxle

Required Tools and Shop Supplies

• Standard equipment to safely jack up vehicle, remove wheel, etc.
• Ratchet / Sockets: 10mm and 13mm across flats
• Wrench: 17mm across flats
• Snap ring pliers: External type or universal type
• Cleaning solution: Simple Green, Brake Cleaner, wire brush, etc
• Rags, paper towels, etc
• Blue Loctite or equivalent
• Good quality bearing grease
• Optional: Thread chaser die, M8 x 1.25mm
• Optional: A helper (anyone will work, only 5 minutes of their time required)
• Possibly needed: small gear puller (can usually rent for free at auto parts stores)
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Removal and Teardown

1. Loosen the lug nuts on the rear left wheel (driver side, if left-hand drive region)
and jack up this area of the car so that wheel can be removed. Remove wheel.
2. Put the transmission in neutral.
3. Identify these 3 fasteners to be removed:

Bolt 1: Slide back the rubber boot to expose the M8 bolt that joins the black
shifter rod to the linkage. Remove the safety wire, and then use a 13mm
socket to remove.
Bolt 2: Use a 10mm socket to remove the bolt securing the linkage to the
transaxle stub shaft.
Bolt 3: Use a 17mm wrench to counter-hold the bolt fastening the linkage
arm to the back flange of the linkage. Use a 13mm socket to remove the
locknut and do not lose track of the washers.
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4. Pull the linkage toward the rear, as though you were shifting into 4th gear.
5. You should be able to separate the linkage from the black shifter rod (coming
from the front). You can try spinning the 2 parts relative to each other if it is tight.
6. Remove the linkage from the stub shaft to fully remove it from the car. If the part
seems to be stuck onto the shaft even with the bolt removed, you can use a gear
puller to remove it. Do not use a heat source as there is a seal for this shaft in the
transaxle, which may be damaged.
7. With the linkage out of the car, remove the lock nut, Item 8. This is not to be
reused. Do not lose the washer from just behind the nut.
8. Use the snap ring pliers to remove the circlip, Item 3. Do not lose the thick
washer from just behind the circlip.
Note: Keep circlip if it is in reasonable condition.
9. Remove the 2 main metal shaft pieces from the plastic coupler.
10. Clean all pieces thoroughly to remove grime and surface rust. You may wish to
chase the threads on the selector arm (Item 1) if they are in poor shape.

New Part Installation

1. Apply a small amount of bearing grease to the surfaces where the plastic coupler
(Item 9) will contact the metal rods.
2. Install the new coupler assembly (complete with all bearing stacks) onto the main
shaft, Item 2. Do not install any of the provided shims yet.
3. Follow the coupler with the large washer, Item 4.
4. Install circlip, Item 3. A new circlip is included, but using the original clip is
recommended if it is good shape.

(Continued on next page)

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5. Assess the free-play of the coupler along the main shaft, due to the gap between
the circlip and the large washer:

The ideal fitment will meet the below criteria:

- Allow free rotation of the coupler housing
- Minimum slop in axial direction, and in a bending direction (‘rocking’ on shaft)
- Gap not completely removed, but kept to a very low value (~0.1mm / 0.004”)
- Large washer is not preloaded against the circlip (Important!)
A qualitative check you can do is to move the coupler along the main shaft and
listen for clicking, as you slide it back and forth. A small amount of clicking is
desirable, as this indicates that the circlip is not being preloaded.
Preloading on the circlip may give the impression of a more solid feeling
assembly, but is actually quite risky, as the circlip is liable to become unseated
during use. This has been noted in road testing of earlier revisions.

6. If the above assessment indicates that shimming is needed for an acceptable

clearance, identify the two thin black shims included with the kit. One is thinner
than the other.
Note: Not all linkages will require shims. There seems to be a very slight
variance in the as-built circlip groove location over the years of production.
7. Remove the circlip and main washer, and install the thinnest shim against the
exposed bearing stack. Note that the shim shall be between the outermost thrust
washer of the bearing, and the large shaft washer. It shall not be against circlip.
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8. Reassemble and repeat assessment of gap. The larger shim may be used if gap
is found to still be excessive. If required, both shims may be used.
If the desired fitment is not reached with the shim sizes included, you are
encouraged to fabricate custom shims and report this finding to us.
9. Install the selector arm, Item 1, into the coupler housing. The original washer is
then placed against the bearing stack.
10. Thread on the new locknut provided in the kit, and use medium strength thread
locker. When the nut is starting to contact the washer, stop to assess:
- There should be free rotation of the shaft within the coupler
- Rotation does not cause binding at certain points
A very small amount of extra force required to rotate the shaft is acceptable
(compared to when the nut was completely loose). However, motion should
require minimal effort. Excessive preload will dramatically shorten the service life
of the bearings and may lead to binding issues during operation.
11. Continue to adjust the nut until the constraints in the above step are met.
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Installation to Transaxle
1. Reinstate the linkage on the stub shaft, and install the original set screw bolt with
some thread locker. Hand tighten until the pointed end of the bolt finds the ‘home’
indent on the stub shaft. Final torque is to 10 N-m (7.4 ft-lb).
2. Insert the linkage end into the black shifter rod and line up the bolt hole with the
indent on the linkage main shaft. Apply thread locker and run in the bolt by hand
until you feel it engage the indent properly.
Final torque is to 22 N-m (16 ft-lb). Secure with safety wire, reinstate rubber boot.
3. Put the linkage arm pin through the slot in the back of the linkage, with the
washers in the correct locations. After applying thread locker, start the lock nut
but do not tighten it fully. The linkage arm pin should be able to move in the slot.

Note: The 968 has a different design for this component, and adjustment is
achieved with the turnbuckle mechanism of the arm. Please interpret these steps
with that difference in mind:
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4. Have your helper sit inside the car and hold the shifter lever stationary – the
locknut must be tightened with the lever in a certain position to avoid hitting the
side of the cutout in the tunnel. Start by putting the shifter into neutral.
As the shifter is moved side to side, the linkage arm pin will travel in the slot at
the back of the linkage.
5. With the shifter held in the upright position, tighten the locknut, you will need to
counter-hold the pin bolt with a 17mm wrench. Ensure that after tightening, all
gears can be selected cleanly and the shifter is oriented correctly.
Final torque of the locknut is to 21 N-m (15 ft-lb).

Service and Maintenance

The bearings are largely shielded by the coupler design. However, it is inevitable
that there may be debris ingress and grease egress over time.
You may simply disassemble the coupler and remove the bearing stacks using a
small pick or screwdriver. The bearings can be removed and packed with fresh
grease, and inspected for wear or damage.
Replacement parts may be ordered from a retailer of your choice – reference the
part numbers and dimensions detailed in the Bill of Material.

Please don’t hesitate to provide feedback if you are experiencing any difficulties
with this part, or have any suggestions for improvements. It’ll be sorted as soon
as possible. Thanks again for trying out this product!