The Porsche 924, 944 and 968 have a lot going for them, good weight distribution (good handling), reliability, interesting styling, pop up headlights (cool!) as well as reasonable power levels which allow them to keep up with much more modern Porsche models.

I own over 20 Porsche cars, including everything from a 1980's Porsche 911 Turbo, through to a modern day Porsche Boxster and yes, a few front engined, watercooled Porsche, in fact, one of each model except a 924S. So I can say, hand on heart that these are fabulous cars, and if you have never driven one, I think you should. Just make sure it is a well sorted one, because there are a few items of wear and tear which can really ruin the experience.

One problem is the condition of the gear linkages, which is what this article is all about, 924, 944 and 968 Gear linkages and how a well sorted one will massively change your driving enjoyment.

Ever driven a new car? A race car? or a well restored car? One of the best things about a fresh new car, or a well restored old one, is the tactile feedback. This is especially true of Porsche cars.

Tactile feedback is how the car communicates with you, how the steering wheel, pedals and gear lever feel as you move them, as well as how they comunicate back to you.

With a gear lever, if all the linkages are in good condition the gear selection will be precise, smooth and comunicative. Lets take a look at all those aspects.

Precision.

A good precise gear shift pattern is something to behold. You could lay a laser cut H pattern plate in place of the leather gear lever gator, and the gear lever will move in a precise predictable pattern, the benefit of which is that you will be able to find gears easily, quickly and without fuss.

A worn out linkage is just the opposite, sloppy and inprecise. So much so, that gears can be harder to find and unless you have had a very precise gear selector mecahnism, you will never realise how bad the current one is.

Smooth.

A tight and precise gear linkage will also be smooth, without binding or changes in resistance as you change gear which can make the assembly seem vague and ultimately will reduce your confidence in driving the car.

Comunicative.

As long as the transmission is in good working order (they nearly always are) a good gear selector assembly will not only be a joy to use, but will be another point of contact giving you feedback from the car.

A good assembly or linkage will move by slight or tiny amounts as you come on and off the power, as well as when the power is in or out of the ideal powerband of the engine, so as your hand is resting on it poised to change up or down a gear, you will feel those tiny movements through your hand, connecting you further with the car. Unfortunately, any wear within the linkage can reduce or completely remove this tactile feedback from the driveline.

Not only this, but a good gear selector will also work to allow you and the transmission to work together. This may sound crazy, but when driving hard with a good gear linkage, the transmission will assist pushing the assembly out of gear as you start to move the gear lever out of gear, as well as pulling the assembly into gear as you enter that gear. The result is that you feel as if you are just guiding the transmission as to what you want to happen, the transmission then picks up on these signals and works with you to bring the car out of one gear, and into the next. You loose all this with a worn linkage. 

So lets take a look at the gear linkage and see an overview of how it is laid out and what components are involved.

On the left (in red) you can see the main gear lever, at the right you can see the transmission with the rear linkage in blue and in between you can see the main linkage shaft in yellow.

The main linkage shaft is not a problem and rarely suffers from wear. However the main gear lever (or front shifter as it is known) is prone to wear, as is the rear linkage assembly.

3. Wear in the linkages

With standard parts, even within 20,000 miles or just a couple of years the linkages pivot points begin to wear out. As well as wearing out, they begin to rust, which causes tight spots where the linkage binds up or is stiff to operate.

The main gear lever.

In particular at the front of the car, the main gear lever suffers from the main pin wearing, as you can see in this picture. It often wears into the shape of a barrel as you can see here. The pin in question should be a nice fit into a hole in the end of the main linkage shaft. As soon as the pin wears, that allows the front lever to become a sloppy fit, destroying all feedback and precision. Lets take a closer look.

As you can see, the pin has worn into the shape of a barrel, whereas it should have two parallel sides, this uneven wear is caused by a combination of corrosion (which forms because the part is made from mild steel as well as being exposed to damp conditions) and through general wear of the gear lever applying sideways loads onto the pin when selecting 1st, 2nd, 5th and Reverse gears.

Now lets take a look at a standard used rear linkage.

The standard factory rear linkage is made mostly of four materials, mild steel, cast iron, cast plastic and rubber. It also has four main components. In the following gaudy image we have colourised the four main components for the next explanations.

In this image you can see the yellow section. It is manufactured from mild steel. It connects to the main linkage shaft via a single bolt, and it passes through the red item which is made of plastic. The problem with this is that in time water enters the gap between the mild steel and plastic, causes corrosion of the mild steel, which then acts as an abrasive against the plastic, the result is the plastic section worn out and loose, as well as in some cases the yellow item can no longer pivot easily inside the red section. If you look in the previous picture, you will notice an abundance of rust where mild steel meets the cast plastic part.

The blue section is what actually connects to the transmission. It is made from cast iron and does not rust. However it has a mild steel pin, which passes again through the cast plastic part (red in the diagram) and causes wear for all the same reasons as with the previous (yellow) section.

Lastly you have the area coloured in green. This section is known as the cross brace. it is made from pressed mild steel, it rusts, however this is not the problem, the problem is that this part is designed to anchor the whole assembly against the transmission, to project the force applied to the assembly into changing gear, rather than into just moving the whole assembly. However, this section is connected to the transmission and the yellow coloured item by the use of rubber mounts. In time, rubber degrades, splits and can even fall away, completely ruining the quality of the gear shift.

So what to do?

Now that you have a good understanding of how the 924, 944 and 968 gear linkage works, and why it is probably not providing the best driving experience to you, what can be done about the issue?

The first option would be to replace the items with new factory items. Which would typically cost about £30 for the front gear lever, and about £130 for the rear linkage assembly for the parts. However, in time, possibly as soon as 20,000 miles or within 5 years the quality of the gear selection will again degrade.

The only other option would be to replace the parts with further upgraded parts which will not be susceptible to wear, corrosion and maybe offer a better design than the original parts... But that is a topic for the next article in this series,,, 924, 944, 968 Gear shift issues- Part Two

2024 Has drawn to a close, and it has been an extremely difficult year

Over the last couple of years JMG has seen an explosive increase in demand of our services and time, which is partly due to Porsche Centre Bournemouth moving into their new building just the other end of Cobham Road in Ferndown from where we have been based for the last 12 years, increasing awareness of our existence to new customers.

If we were in the business of selling nuts and bolts, the solution to matching this demand would have been to just order more nuts and bolts to sell. But unfortunately we are in the business of converting technical expertise into repaired Porsche cars, but unfortunately obtaining excellent technicians to increase supply, is not as easy as ordering more nuts and bolts.

2024 in particular has been additionally difficult due to this Family run business suffering the passing of two elderly parents due to illness, which not only subjected two key members of staff to a great deal of emotional pain, but also understandably had these key members absent from the business.

These two factors caused a perfect storm of demand and enquiries being fielded by JMG Porsche completely swamping our abilities to respond to enquiries, with us having to make the choice of working on customers cars, or answering telephones and emails.

A simple choice may have seemed to be one of hiring someone to just answer the phones and respond to emails. We tried that, however without that person having technical knowhow and experience of Porsche cars, we actually increased our problems by turning telephone calls and emails into a physical person interrupting a technician, distracting them from working on the customers cars.

The solution is a work in progress.

What we have learned from this situation is that in 2025 we will need to focus our strengths, which will also result in changes which will not be popular with everyone, as we can no longer be all things to all Porsche owners, but the changes will be for the better.

It may seem unusual in business to list the reasons why you should not call or email JMG Porsche, but the first step in these changes is let all Porsche owners know why we might not be the right Porsche specialist for them, and therefore reduce the number of enquiries we get which might not be the best use of your time or ours.

* We are not cheap - Our hourly rate is priced somewhere between that of a typical Porsche specialist and that of the main dealers, which is also more expensive than the average repair garage. But we believe we offer the very best in knowledge, experience, skill and quality of parts. Asking us for a price to perform a job, just to see if we are the most competitive on price alone could be a waste of your time and ours.

* We do not fit customer supplied parts - If a customer supplies parts there are numerous issues which come into play. Liability, Quality, a supply paper trail, and the part even being right are all loose ends that any good garage should be careful of. If there is a specific part you would like us to use, let us know in advance of your appointment, and we can order it from wherever you were thinking of buying it, but if you already have the part, we will not install it.

* We only work for nice people - Most of our customers over the decades have been very nice people, but the minority of Porsche owners can be bad people at their core, the kind that will be dishonest, disrespectful, or in some cases bullying in the hope that we might prioritise them over other customers. This has worked for some customers in the past, who might threaten a bad review if we do not comply, which has resulted in sometimes those who shout loudest get the most prompt service, at the expense of the patient, loyal. honest and nice customers.

* We will not cut corners - As well as some customers wanting to find the cheapest repair, some customers would like to have the minimum work performed to keep costs down, which might not be compatible with proper repair standards. A good example is the replacement of steering and suspension components, where changing just one spring is a bad idea and potentially unsafe and will undermine the excellent handling, road holding and stability of your Porsche, and changing the springs in matching parts is the proper way of performing a safe and sensible repair. Beyond this, if one of our customers sells their car, a potential buyer needs to be assured that our invoice in the service history is proof that the job has been performed properly. If you would like corners cut while your car is worked on, for the purposes of speed or price, another garage or specialist may be a better fit for you.

* We are often booked up for weeks in advance - Normally if you provide plenty of notice you can often pick and choose your appointment date, but if you need something done urgently we should be able to do it, but we might need you to understand that existing bookings take priority here, which means it might not happen right away.

* Diagnosis Authorisation - If you book your car in for a problem to be diagnosed, we will ask for a minimum of two hours labour to be authorised for initial diagnosis of each fault. We might not need this much time, you might not be charged for this much time, but if we are to assign a technician to diagnose a fault, we need to allow them to delve into the problem without constantly stop the process to ask for more time, which not only burns valuable time, but also interrupts the technicians focus. Once diagnosis is complete, the technician will call or email you with the findings. In some cases even more time may be requested if more time is needed.

* If your car is here, we may need you to answer our emails or calls - We are often booked up for weeks in advance but keep some room in the schedule to be able to perform additional repairs that are not expected. If we contact you by email for authorisation to make repairs, or with recommendations for repair, if there is a delay in your reply, you may loose those gaps in our schedule, without more availability for weeks, which may delay your car being completed, but what's more we might need to reassemble your car at your expense so it can be moved off of a lift, so other cars can be worked on. It is ok to ask for time to think about it, or even to ask questions or say "No" to the repairs. If this is not acceptable, then another specialist may be better for you.

* Repair Authorisation clarity - We will not start repairing your car until we have clear authorisation to proceed, ideally via email, so we are absolutely sure that you understand the costs and there will be no misunderstanding later. A simple "Yes, please proceed" or a "No thank you" is good enough, being vague will not result in repairs proceeding.

* Used Car Warranty Repairs - If you have purchased a car from a used car dealer, who has provided a used car warranty, we are happy to help, but there are some issues with what the warranty companies will and will not pay for. They expect a lower hourly rate than even normal garages charge, they will often not pay for diagnosis, they will not pay for time we spend administrating your cars claim, such as being on hold, taking photographs for them and other hoops they will expect garages to jump through which are time consuming. In these cases we usually arrange for the warranty company to pay you for their contribution to repairs, and that you pay our invoice. Any time spent on your claim will be itemised on the invoice, even if it is for being on the telephone to the warranty company listening to "on hold" music for half an hour, at our usual hourly rate.

* Tyres, Body repairs, valeting, detailing, alloy wheel repairs and selling cars are not things we do - We can recommend good businesses that can provide these services, but us providing them or being a middle man is not a good use of our time.

* There are some classic models we no longer work on - They are the 356, 912, 914, 916, 928 and very early pre fuel injection 911 models. We have the knowledge, we have the tools and experience, but they are such infrequent visitors today that we do not stock parts for them, and there are specialists out there who specialise in these models.

* We do not currently work on fully electric Porsche - New faults, diagnostic procedures, recalls/campaigns are still developing for these models at the main dealers, and although we are keeping up to date with these cars, we believe they should continue to be supported by the main dealers until they and their technology have matured and settled down.

* Servicing every year - Servicing by the most experienced Porsche technicians is more important than you might realise. Simple problems are faster and less expensive to deal with is caught early, rather than when they have developed into a breakdown. To help us to not be spending our time dealing with disasters, help us by having your car serviced with us on a yearly basis and follow recommendations.

* We might include some unexpected but real expenses within our estimates and invoices - If for example you have a classic Porsche, some parts that your car may need, may be a problem to source parts for, where the Porsche factory and the aftermarket may have discontinued production. In some cases even routine wearing parts may be unavailable, so sometimes we may have to spend additional time researching or sourcing parts, which may sometimes attract a charge for this time. But likewise, you may have a modern Porsche model with an very unusual problem, which may require time pouring over electrical wiring diagrams to analyse where an electrical fault may be linked to. This time also will be described and listed on your invoice, as it will be a genuine use of our time.

Now some reasons to use JMG Porsche...

* All the reasons listed for NOT choosing us - If you read the list of reasons not to choose us as your Porsche specialist and thought "These are exactly the reasons why I do want to use them" then it sounds like we are already a great fit.

* Experienced technicians - Our senior technician has over 35 years full time experience on all models of Porsche, is a second generation technician who grew up having stripped down his first engine at just 6 years old, so you could say he has 48 years experience. He has been obsessed with developing his skills, knowledge and understanding way beyond what you will find elsewhere from a Porsche technician, he can not just remap your car, he can program custom software for it, diagnose repair or modify the control units at component level. He also can use machine tools such as lathes to make tools to repair parts of your car at component level and invests his time supporting and training other technicians at JMG in their development also. Jon is also a published Author and technical advisor to Porsche clubs and the media.

* Special equipment and tools - Including main dealer tools and devices, but also custom made equipment to solve unique problems not available elsewhere.

* The highest quality parts - We do not have the time to fit a part twice, so we believe in using the highest quality parts available, which often will be Genuine Porsche parts, unless there is a better alternative that we can offer.

* High standards - As mentioned we will not cut corners or compromise on quality of workmanship, even if a customer asks us to.

* More time for your needs - As we actively try to repel the wrong kinds of customers from burning our limited time, we can concentrate more time on our customers who are the right fit.

* Value for money - We mentioned we are not cheap, but that does not mean that we are bad value for money, quite the opposite, quality workmanship, expert diagnosis and high quality parts actually provide good value for money and longer term reliability.

* Every Porsche is equal - If the customer owns a 924 or a 992 GT3 they are just as important in our eyes, it does not matter if it is rough around the edges, or in pristine condition, again it is equal, as long as the customer would like the car to be as good as it can be, even if this has to be in stages and too a budget, you and your car will have out utmost respect and appreciation. Our job satisfaction is just as great in improving a old model in need of love, as our efforts to maintain an almost new supercar is always being as good as new.

* Servicing beyond the schedule - The service schedule for your Porsche was designed to see it through the first few years of it's life (and the warranty), with only specific items getting attention during a service based on the original service schedule. At JMG we have experienced your model evolve over the years and what kinds of problems develop later in life, these potential problem areas are added to the things we look at on your model, with our service schedule covering decades into a Porsche model lifespan, rather than just a few years.

* We genuinely want to help you - The human element is important to us, which means that if you are in distress and in need of our help, we can often go beyond the call of duty, even if that means we have to put in extra effort and time to reduce your stress and make your wishes come true. Nobody needs a Porsche, they are a little like babies, they do not provide a function that you can not get elsewhere, but they do represent something for you, it could be your dreams, your reward for hard work, or any number of reasons, that it is our job to respect and help those reasons remain positive and possible.

If we seem like a good fit, then please email us as your first port of call, sometimes we might be too busy to answer the phone, but if you would like a call back, leave a voicemail.

JMG Porsche, Independent Porsche specialists for modern classics through to the very latest models.

Porsche servicing, diagnosis, repairs and modifications.

With our roots going back to the early 1970's, we are a family run independent Porsche Specialist spanning three generations.

We have the same or better equipment, training and technical information access as enjoyed by the main dealers, while remaining friendly, honest and with a common sense approach.

Call us on 01202 488800 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with your requirements.

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Your 924, 944 or 968 is in the best of hands at JMG Porsche, where even with servicing we go beyond the factory schedule.

The factory schedule for many models called for a service every two years, which was fine when the car was new and to make the car last beyond the factory warranty without issue. However we strongly recommend that all models are serviced annually, alternating between a minor and a major service each year. Click here and read our article for more information. 

Here is a breakdown of our servicing.

Service interval - We strongly advise that all Porsche cars are serviced every year, with a major service every two years.

The service schedule can be confusing with some service items needing to be performed every X amount of years, with other items being specified every Y amount of miles.

At JMG Porsche we have built a database for each model car, where every two years of age for your car, has listed the major service it requires in that year, which combined with every year in between major services the car having an annual service.

This means that for your model of Porsche, we can provide you with a plain price list for servicing, no matter what year your car was made, which makes it easy to see what service items are due and what the total cost will be.

To get a copy of the current service guide and price list for your Porsche, just email us to have your copy emailed to you in PDF format.

Eventually we plan on making it possible to register to the website and be able to download the latest version of this price list - Watch this space!

Interesting service and repair information for the Porsche 924, 944 and 968 models.

Engine failures - Not as common as you would expect, we at JMG Porsche have never had to replace one of these engines due to wear, however we have had to replace many due to insufficient servicing and maintenance, but there are still worthwhile ways of avoiding unexpected large engine rebuild costs. One of which is proper servicing by a real Porsche specialist, which may not need cost as much as you think. There are also some ways to avoid unexpected bills by following some of our other advice bellow.

Brake fluid - Did you realise this should be changed every two years? Not doing this can cause problems with expensive parts within your car, such as the ABS pump or any part of the brake hydraulics due to water contamination as the brake fluid actually sucks moisture out of the air (hydroscopic), so even if the car is not used, the brake fluid must be changed every two years!

Water Pump - Often thought of as a part which fails with age, mileage and quite suddenly, leaving you stranded, our expert technicians are used to inspecting these during services, and so may spot tell tale signs of failure long before they become an issue, so saving you from the indignity of being broken down at the side of the road. A 944 and 968 Waterpump is also part of the cambelt drive mechanism, so it failing can cause serious damage to the cylinder head and engine as a whole.

RMS - Rear main seal - Something else you might see horror stories on the internet about, these used to be a real problem and Porsche re designed the part several times to arrive at the current design which is the only one we at JMG Porsche use. Like an IMS Bearing replacement, this is best performed during a clutch change, however on tiptronic models or on cars not needing a clutch, they can be changed at any time.

Transmission services - Not clearly noted by Porsche for when the transmission should be serviced and this vital expensive part of your car should not be overlooked. Just like your engine, the transmission is filled with oil/transmission fluid, which over time degrades. Not only this, but not many realise that many Porsche transmissions also contain a filter, which becomes clogged over time and can starve your transmission of lubrication, causing expensive repairs. We recommend all Porsche transmissions are serviced every 4 years or 40,000 miles, whichever comes soonest.

Diagnosis - Long has gone where cars had limited electrical equipment and a wiring diagram could be found in a manual from Halfords. Now the Porsche models have multiple separate computer systems, which all talk via networks, and many sensors to feed those computers with information about the world around it all tied together with many hidden wiring looms of thousands of wires and connectors. This can mean that in the event of your Porsche suffering an electrical issue, it is important that a Porsche specialist auto electrician is available, as we have at JMG Porsche. It is also important to understand that sometimes, finding the fault will not be as simple as plugging in a computer.

Drive Belt - Many of you may have had cars where a drive belt, timing belt or cam belt needs to be changed at a regular interval. Your Porsche model has a belt which should be changed every 4 years. Failure to do so can cause instant overheating, loss of power steering and damage to the engine very suddenly. We recommend you have this changed at least every 4 years.

Cam and Balance belt - The 924S, 944 (ALL) and 968 (ALL) have a cam belt and balance belt, which has to be set to a very precise tension and run across various pulleys, tensioners and rollers to function correctly, if these are not maintained with a new cam belt and balance belt every 4 years, and a new waterpump, tensioners and rollers (as well as front engine oil seals) every 8 years, the consequences can be catastrophic to say the least.

Brakes - The Porsche 944S2, 944 Turbo and all 968 models are fitted with Brembo callipers, which overtime suffer from corrosion build up which can cause the pads to stick and bind up within the callipers or even make it difficult to fit new pads. When this happens the calipers require a service rebuild of the slider plate mechanism, which needs to be performed by a specialist with the right experience, techniques and tools to make the repair more than a very temporary one.

Heavy clutch? - A heavy feeling clutch which is stiff to use is not normal on a Porsche and often a sign that the clutch has almost worn out. Ignoring this can cause further damage, such as to the dual mass flywheel and clutch fork.

Alarm system - At JMG Porsche we are experts of all Porsche security systems and have reverse engineered all the various control units. This not only means we can program new alarm control units and keys to your car, just as the main dealer can, but in some cases we can repair your old alarm control unit and keys, or in some cases recover your old keys to be used on the new alarm control unit, which is a service unique to JMG.

Alarm system causes - In most cases the cause of alarm control unit failure is water damage, we can perform modifications to your Porsche model to help mitigate the chances of this happening to your Porsche.