Aftermarket Shifter Selection and Installation

[Darren5.0L]

Aftermarket Shifter Selection and Install - Darren5.0L

If you have purchased a Mustang that was built between 1984 and 2004, then chances are you have had the joy of shifting with one of the most terrible shifters the OEM could place in a sports car. This shifter found in the factory T-5 (T-45 and T-56 similar) Transmissions is very good at what it was designed for, it is simple, cheap to produce, and achieves the NVH (Noise, Vibration, Harshness) standards as required, it even manages to allow you to move between gears with relative ease. Where this shifter fails is in the department of Performance driving, whether at the track, or on the street, and the simple solution is the purchase and installation of an aftermarket shifter.

There are many brands and designs out there and I suggest you research to find which is best suited your driving style and budget as well as individual expectations. Many online resources can provide you with the opinions and experiences of fellow drivers who have tried and tested the designs before you. Some common names are B&M, Hurst, Steeda, and MGW each has it's own strengths and weaknesses or pro's and cons'.

To decide what you are looking for in a new shifter you should first understand what causes the factory unit's shortcomings. The notable features of the Stock shifter are, the long handle design which is responsible for the "long throw" experienced in gear changes, but is also what allows the driver to shift with minmal effort. Next is the weak centering springs which can make quick selection of 3rd gear challenging. Lack of "Shifter Stops" can lead to bent shift forks when shifting aggressively. And perhaps the most glaring issue, is the rubber bushing that mounts the shifter handle to the shifter base. This bushing is solely responsible for the "spongy" feeling noticed during hard shifts, and when combined with the weak factory centering springs, the resulting missed shifts can lead to serious transmission damage.

The subject car of this install is my 1995 Mustang GTS, at the time it had 140,000km's and still shifted well, but after a couple of missed shifts at crucal monents of driving I decided to change out the factory unit in favor of the UPR Bluthunder. This shifter is a near identical copy of the famed Steeda Tri-Ax design and features all billet construction, positive shift stops, excellent centering springs, lifetime warranty and a two position adjustable "trickstick" handle.

Before starting, ensure you are working with the car turned off and the parking brake set as you will have to move the shifter about during the install.

Here is a product shot of the of the complete UPR shifter.


Here is what comes in the kit as well as the assortment of tools you can expect to require for the install. (Individual kits may vary)


Next photo shows the factory shifter and it's postion in 1st gear.


To begin, place the transmission in 1st gear and remove the shift knob. I used a rubber strap wrench to rotate the knob counter-clockwise, be sure to support the shift handle to aviod damaging the shift linkage. Once you have the knob moving freely, simply unscrew it by hand and place it aside.


Next, remove the shifter boot and trim as a unit, in SN95 cars this is accomplished by gripping the inside edge of the trim ring and pulling straight upwards. It may require a bit of force to overcome the retaining clips so take care not to break the plastic trim. (79-93 Mustangs may be different) After you have the trim loose gently move the trim and boot upwards so that you can access and unplug any electrical connectors as shown below. My car has a 12V DC power point, 99+ Mustangs may have the TCS connector to unhook has well, be careful. When that is completed simply lift the assembly away, and set it aside.


You should now be looking at the dust boot and cover, the next step is to remove the shifter handle. Simply remove the 2 bolts that connect it to the base.


By this point you should be able to see the terrible Rubber bushing that is sandwiched between the handle and base as mention in the introduction. This particular example is in excellent condition but older vehicles may have damaged/rotted bushings leading to excessive play in the shifter.


With the installation of the new shifter this bushing is eliminated from the entire system lending itself to more positive gear changes. There is however a bit of a tradeoff, the end user may experience more "whine" from the transmission, especially in 3rd gear. In my opinion this is the way things should be in a proper musclecar, a bit of drama, and event never hurt anybody.

Next remove the dust boot and cover, it is removed by taking out the 4 small bolts that secure it to the transmission tunnel, on Fox Mustangs the bolt heads may be hidden by the carpeting, be sure to find them all before attempting removal.


Now simply remove the dust boot and cover to expose the shifter base.


There are four bolts which secure the base to the top of the transmission, one located in each corner, and three are visable in the above photo.

After you have removed the bolts you should be able to remove the shifter base. It may however be difficult to remove as it is installed from the factory with a silcone type seal. With the transmission in neutral, I suggest loosely reattaching the factory shift handle with the top bolt only. This will give you a flexible handle to use to pull the shifter base straight up, be careful as sometimes it takes quite a bit of force to break the seal, and can it come free quite suddenly.

With the base now removed you should now be looking into the top of the transmission, be sure to scrape any remaining gasket from the mating surfaces. It is suggested to stuff a clean rag into the top of the housing and make sure you collect and remove any debris that may fall in. This is also a good time to inspect the plastic cup that the shifter ball resides in. If it appears cracked or worn, visit your local Ford Parts Department and obtain a new one. Everything should now appear as in the picture below.


Next up is installing the base of the new shifter, start by laying a bead of silicon sealant around the maunting surfaces, taking care to avoid getting sealant into the threaded bolt holes. Then gently place the shifter ball in to the cup mentioned above and roughly center the base plate with the mounting holes. Using the supplied hardware, hand thread each bolt in a couple of turns, one at a time until all four are in place. Now finish tightening the bolts until the are snug. At this time, with the car off and clutch in, attempt to move the shifter between all gear positions, if one or more cannot be engaged, loosen the base and adjust it's position slightly. (There should not be much adjustment anyway)
When all gears can successful and easily be selected, be sure to tighten the base completely.

Warning: The Transmission housing is made of Aluminium, and therefore ensure you do not overtighten the bolts as serious problems can result, remember a shifter is not a load bearing part and only needs to be snug.



From here the Shift stops (If equipped) require adjustment, check with your product manufactuer's recommendation for exact tolerences when adjusting. In my case the proceedure is as follows. Place the transmission in 3rd gear and adjust the front stop until there is about a dime's width between the head of the stop and the shifter handle. Tighten the locking nut to ensure it does not back out.


Repeat the same proceedure for the rear stop by placing the transmission in 4th gear and continuing.


If you are satisfied with the placement of the shift stop, you can now reinstall the dust boot and cover in the opposite order of removal.


Now install the new shift handle with the provided hardware and choose the position you prefer. (If applicable) I adjusted mine to the lowest setting to ensure the shortest shifts possible, should you not like the increased shifting effort from the short setting, use the tall setting. It is recommended to use a Loctite compound on the shift handle bolts, as the viberation from the tranmission can cause the handle to shake loose and cause an annoying "Buzz/Rattle"


Reinstall the Boot and trim opposite of removal but do not forget to reconnect any electrical components.


Then reinstall the shift knob by rotating clockwise, make sure it is tight and will not come loose during spirted driving.


Finally take the car for a test run to ensure it new unit shifts smoothly, make any required adjustments and you are off to the races.

[shakes]

Great article Darren, thanks.

[freakshow12]

nice tech piece Darren! I just put a tri ax in my mach and let me tell you, it took 2 men and a little boy to get the stocker out of the trans. that goop they put on is tight! also on the later tremec 3650 there is a plastic cover that is on the stock shifter ball that goes in the trans. YOU MUST USE IT! it just pops off the old one and onto the new one. also the 3650 has internal stops so there is great debate about using the stops on the new shifters. I put mine in but left a little more space. its working fine

[Darren5.0L]

That is a good point, with the t-5 they usually stay in the fork assembly but I'll make a note of that in my article, thanks for the help.