That’s it for getting to the shifter. If you follow the Numeric official video process and the many YouTube install videos that follow the same process, you first pry off the trim panel on the center console. Then, you start removing each individual sub-assembly in the center console and unhook their wire harnesses. I had gotten stuck for a solid fifteen minutes on trying to remove the trim panel when I decided to reevaluate the situation.
OEMs design parts to be installed in large chunks to minimize assembly time. There is no way they would design for the center console assembly to be installed as individual pieces inside the car. I’m positive that the center console is pre-populated with all of its components at a work station, and then the whole center console is installed into the car at once. The only trick for removing the center console is to move the PCM forward a bit to create clearance to the HVAC controls module at the front of the center console. I can probably remove the center console and put everything back together in five minutes now. Practice makes perfect, as they say, and I probably had the thing taken apart more than a half dozen times.
The slop in the factory shifter comes from all the plastic parts in it and the inherent clearances from the tolerances of the plastic manufacturing processes and material stiffness. The plastic bearings are especially a source of slop. I found the slop most noticeable going into first gear.
The Numeric shifter height is adjustable. I put it all the way down at the lowest setting which places the shift knob at the same height as the factory GT4 shifter. However, the actual throw is shorter. You can see this by comparing the distance from the top of the shaft to the rotation axis of the main horizontal shaft.
I went with the 1.5mm spring, which is softer than the 2mm spring most people opt for. I didn’t want any more effort, just precision. With the shaft adjusted to the lowest position, more effort is already required compared to the factory shifter due to the shorter moment arm.
Numeric uses smooth and precise ball bearings. Porsche uses something cheap.
During one of my installation trials, I removed the whole PCM. The bottom section is made by Harman, and the screen is made by Delphi. One of the cables was an optical cable, which I found interesting. I don’t remember what it was for.
6 comments
Install the Numeric cables because they make a significant improvement and because the stock cable ends have a reputation for breaking.
Took me two days to do the shifter and cables. Miserable work. Adjusting the cable ends on the transmission is fiddly but the vids online help it make sense. Routing the cables in the engine bay sucks. Trying not to break or damage the interior trim pieces made for slow going. Sometime more force than you want to use is the answer. Sometimes a better tool or technique is required.
Regardless, it sucks. The end result is worth it though. They are that good.
Appreciate the insight. So I’ll plan on a 2-day install. I’ve taken apart most of what is needed in the interior to do the cable swap; the only part I haven’t removed yet is the center tunnel and armrest. Looks like I should bundle it in with an air filter and oil change job. Maybe a header swap.
Numeric video on the cable swap into a 718.
https://youtu.be/-5yQTwCA5EY?si=pn1VrN2GOPMohDIw
Thanks for this- Based on how involved this was, I will wait until I wear the stock linkage out to move to Numeric.
I am very interested in the headers, so I hope you pull the trigger on this.
I would say my experience was abnormal. It seems my car was just at the extremes of the tolerance ranges. The grinding I did to the base of the shifter to offset it is unnecessary, just a tweak that I did. Having some washers ready to act as spacers and knowing how to adjust the cables in case you can’t get into reverse cuts off pretty much all the extra time. It really should be less than an hour job.
am I the only one that finds how much extra crap you had to do to make this shifter work ridiculous? its a $700+ part going into $70k+ car and you still had to grind down the part and the car and trim interior plastics…? kinda shameful… Acuity does a 10x better job for shifters half the price for shitbox hondas
I do think they should have done a design update given it’s a known issue on some vehicles to have the clash. And I would have engineered in a few other tweaks. But, it does seem my car is a bit more out of the norm as far as fitment issues.