DDK - Die Deutschen Klassiker

First proper trip out in the 914 yesterday!
Car drove very well on the trip to Porsches by the Lake BUT on arrival I was asked to reverse up an embankment and park up which I did.
Now parked on a steep bank with a lake in front of me I put the car in reverse and the handbrake on and thought job done.
I was then asked to reverse back another foot and when I tried this I couldn’t engage reverse for some reason!
Anyway it was a great day out, slightly marred for me by a stressful drive home using a variety of forward gears in no particular order
On leaving I still had no reverse and first gear was very difficult to engage, felt like it wasn’t going in far enough.
The other gears felt slightly off also, it’s a 901 box and the best way I can describe it is it feels like the H has slightly rotated
I’m hoping it’s just the linkage needs some adjustment also wondering if it’s worth taking this opportunity to fit a Rennline shifter if that’s the case?
Any tips welcome

Gearbox coupling bushes worn?

Bootsy wrote: ↑Sun Jun 28, 2026 9:29 am Gearbox coupling bushes worn?

Could well be

Just seemed like very similar symptoms to something I experienced although on my 915 box - see here viewtopic.php?t=72529&hilit=coupling

Thanks for the link, I’ve actually done that previously on my old SC, i rebushed it with the powerflex kit, hopefully it’s something like that

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Also worth checking that the conical grub screw locating the splined coupler hasn't worked loose (or dropped out) ...

Is it a tail-shift or side-shift gearbox ? - if t's still the original 914 box it should be tail-shift version.

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As above, change the bushings firstly. 914 guru Kevin recommends Powerflex PFR57-430H for the rear one - the hole is round rather than oval as some are.

There are two conical grub screws so be sure to check both for tightness. Original replacements have a plastic sleeve, but loctite ideal if that seems long gone.

We have a Rennshift and it is good. Much less throw. Thankfully bought second hand a few years ago. However, it still takes some finessing through the gears. We have done the international trip the last few years which is great fun - 100+ 914s! Many, many, many cars crunch into 1st gear

Lightweight_911 wrote: ↑Sun Jun 28, 2026 3:14 pm .

Also worth checking that the conical grub screw locating the splined coupler hasn't worked loose (or dropped out) ...

Is it a tail-shift or side-shift gearbox ? - if t's still the original 914 box it should be tail-shift version.

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Thanks Andy,
I guess this is side shift?

Car looks awesome, sorry to hear it developed ‘character’

I’d be tempted to look at clutch adjustment, 1st and reverse are always hard to engage if it’s dragging

Thanks Gary

Typically it looks like the side shift box uses a different Rennshift to the other boxes so would have to be ordered from the USA so will persevere with the standard shifter, at least in the short term.
Does it look like the rod should be engaged a bit further into the coupling?

I have a Rennshift in Tango 914 - well worth doing.
C

https://early911nzdownloads.yolasite.c ... ntrols.pdf

This may help?

Bruce M wrote: ↑Mon Jun 29, 2026 8:18 pm https://early911nzdownloads.yolasite.c ... ntrols.pdf

This may help?

That’s really useful Bruce, thank you!
I have the day off tomorrow so will have a play around with it and will try to adjust the shift rod or at least check it over and that document is really helpful.

Right, I’ve started looking into this today and it seems I can get reverse gear when the engine isn’t running as I put it in reverse and can’t push the car forward, take it out and moved fine.