Third gear nowhere to be found, = HUMILIATION!!!!
12/14/07, 04:49 AM
#1
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Third gear nowhere to be found, = HUMILIATION!!!!
Yesterday, on my way home from work, I run into a 300 Hemi. He initiates some play and as luck would have it,....we get a clean light on a back-road.
Now, mind you, the road is still a bit wet after a drizzle so I cannot launch like I normally would. I squeezed off into first, succesfully managed to increase throttle without spinning, and began to overtake him. We are on a slight incline and I am winding out 2nd pretty good, I go for third (yes, stock shifter....I know)......and it has been removed from the freekin tranny!!!! Every stinkin time I load up the torque/rpm's on any kind of hill, 3rd is nowhere where it used to live. SUCKS!!! I was completely humiliated as that barge pulled on me hard. I never caught up. The guy was cool and gave me a wave, but Jeeez. It bothered me for the rest of the day. I soooo hope I see his a$$ again today on a dry sunny day. My car shifts great at WOT,....that is on a FLAT road, and quick shifting, which I could not do yesterday due to the wet road. If I take my time and bring up the revs slower, or there are any twists on the raod, third leaves the building. Now, I have felt/driven cars with after market shifters, and have had several in other Mustangs as well. (B&M, 5.0, HURST) I have not gotten one in this car, because frankly, I hate the way they all feel and sound. It usually makes the car (my daily commuter car) a PITA to drive, and noisy as heck. Has anyone tried that Steeda thingy to help with the torque wind-up??
Leason learned (other than my shifter sucks, unless quick-shifting),.....don't try and play in the rain. It aint worth it. My car does one thing well, and that's it. It needs to come off the line like a BOOH, and let me yank through the gears like a gorilla. THEN, it performs. If not,.....I get beaten by huge 9,000lb sedans!!!
Now, mind you, the road is still a bit wet after a drizzle so I cannot launch like I normally would. I squeezed off into first, succesfully managed to increase throttle without spinning, and began to overtake him. We are on a slight incline and I am winding out 2nd pretty good, I go for third (yes, stock shifter....I know)......and it has been removed from the freekin tranny!!!! Every stinkin time I load up the torque/rpm's on any kind of hill, 3rd is nowhere where it used to live. SUCKS!!! I was completely humiliated as that barge pulled on me hard. I never caught up. The guy was cool and gave me a wave, but Jeeez. It bothered me for the rest of the day. I soooo hope I see his a$$ again today on a dry sunny day. My car shifts great at WOT,....that is on a FLAT road, and quick shifting, which I could not do yesterday due to the wet road. If I take my time and bring up the revs slower, or there are any twists on the raod, third leaves the building. Now, I have felt/driven cars with after market shifters, and have had several in other Mustangs as well. (B&M, 5.0, HURST) I have not gotten one in this car, because frankly, I hate the way they all feel and sound. It usually makes the car (my daily commuter car) a PITA to drive, and noisy as heck. Has anyone tried that Steeda thingy to help with the torque wind-up??
Leason learned (other than my shifter sucks, unless quick-shifting),.....don't try and play in the rain. It aint worth it. My car does one thing well, and that's it. It needs to come off the line like a BOOH, and let me yank through the gears like a gorilla. THEN, it performs. If not,.....I get beaten by huge 9,000lb sedans!!!
12/14/07, 09:22 AM
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Had the same problem with the '05. Anytime I got above 5500 and tried to shift to 3rd, it was gone, just like you said. It didn't exist. Switched to a Hurst and that fixed it. But I think the larger problem is torque. To really fix the problem, you need some stiffer motor mounts and torque limiters. I'm going to be installing a new K member with torque limiters and stiffer motor mounts this spring.
12/14/07, 10:17 AM
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I managed to miss 2nd gear at the track once, I was mad! Out of all the gears I could miss, I botched the one that was a straight shot down. I have missed 3rd a few times as well though too, happens to everyone. I plan on getting an MGW shifter within the next few months, hopefully that will help.
Out of all the gears I could miss, I botched the one that was a straight shot down. I have missed 3rd a few times as well though too, happens to everyone. I plan on getting an MGW shifter within the next few months, hopefully that will help.
12/14/07, 11:01 AM
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I was with my cousin and we were doing burnouts and he went to smack third gear, but instead he broke the shifter off and then proceeded to move his hand and the broken off shifter into the dash. It cracked the radio display. We were very hard on things when we were younger. Never had a shifter break off before...so literally 3rd gear was no where to be found! lol.
12/14/07, 12:01 PM
#10
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Slip,
Come on man, I think 3rd is the most common one to miss~!! I've never missed 2nd. I can do straight back....it's up & over that's messin me up!!
I read someone said in another post that open-palming third is the way to go, and he is right. I usually let it sit back centered in the gate....this time I man-handled it and make a jack-azz of myself.
Yes, if I vere see that guy again,......on a sunny/dry day like today, he is toast! I will show him what my car can do.
I will look into a shifter, but I am more interested in hearing how I can stiffin the whole tranny/linkage, since it seems that as long as the torque moves the entire shifter, I may have this problem.
Come on man, I think 3rd is the most common one to miss~!! I've never missed 2nd. I can do straight back....it's up & over that's messin me up!!
I read someone said in another post that open-palming third is the way to go, and he is right. I usually let it sit back centered in the gate....this time I man-handled it and make a jack-azz of myself.
Yes, if I vere see that guy again,......on a sunny/dry day like today, he is toast! I will show him what my car can do.
I will look into a shifter, but I am more interested in hearing how I can stiffin the whole tranny/linkage, since it seems that as long as the torque moves the entire shifter, I may have this problem.
12/14/07, 12:10 PM
#11
I don't know, I've been able to get any new Mustang to squeak the third gear shift with 3:55's. 07's have improved shifters, but I've never come close to missing a shift 
Probably came off the clutch a little too quick and crashed into the gate. Usually missing a shift is the footwork more then the shifter, although getting 3rd clean in an 03/04 cobra is a crapshoot.
Probably came off the clutch a little too quick and crashed into the gate. Usually missing a shift is the footwork more then the shifter, although getting 3rd clean in an 03/04 cobra is a crapshoot.
12/14/07, 12:26 PM
#12
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Kev,
Nope.....I actually have the foot-hand timing down. Believe it or not, I have been driving stick forever. This particular car definitely twists that linkage, I can feel it. It does it most often on a slight turn too......it seems to magnify the body twist and displaces the linkage just enough for me to hit the gate instead of the groove. Like I said, i am fine in a staright line and quick-shifting. Put the car on a incline, or curve, and slow the shifts down, and this is what seems to happen. It's as if I either thrash the car like I stole it, or miss third like a LOSER!!...lol
Either way, this guy must have been laughing when he heard the rev......I didn't grind at all, but my rpm's jumped and I faded back. How embarassing. A stupid 300C. Well, at least it was a HEMI and not some lame-o R/T Charger or something.
Nope.....I actually have the foot-hand timing down. Believe it or not, I have been driving stick forever. This particular car definitely twists that linkage, I can feel it. It does it most often on a slight turn too......it seems to magnify the body twist and displaces the linkage just enough for me to hit the gate instead of the groove. Like I said, i am fine in a staright line and quick-shifting. Put the car on a incline, or curve, and slow the shifts down, and this is what seems to happen. It's as if I either thrash the car like I stole it, or miss third like a LOSER!!...lol
Either way, this guy must have been laughing when he heard the rev......I didn't grind at all, but my rpm's jumped and I faded back. How embarassing. A stupid 300C. Well, at least it was a HEMI and not some lame-o R/T Charger or something.
12/14/07, 12:33 PM
#13
Oh well, life goes on.... 
The engine/tranny mounts are definitely more then a bit rubbery and the shifter bounces all over the place on bumps. May want to look into the CHE K-member brace with torque limiters. A lot of people that have them swear by it.
The engine/tranny mounts are definitely more then a bit rubbery and the shifter bounces all over the place on bumps. May want to look into the CHE K-member brace with torque limiters. A lot of people that have them swear by it.
yea we all do miss a gear sometimes. and those that say they dont are LYING!
12/14/07, 02:22 PM
#15
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ive missed third twice only cause i tryed to slam it in like a maniac.......but i noticed if i take my time with third only for a half of a second its perfect...... i used to drive my dads 04 z06 all the time and that thing was nice, every shift was crisp and perfect like it was meant to do......my first car was stick and i always had imports so its a little different now, that also played a big part for me with my integra was flex, second was a PITA unless you took your time...... i believe when i get my new roush or hurst shifter for christmas and a shock tower brace and maybe lca's and all that good stuff it will make it better
12/14/07, 11:09 PM
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Mine's in the shop right now because of the POS tranny. What ever you do, don't take it to the dealer. All you get is attitude and "there is nothing wrong, that's normal, they all do that".
12/15/07, 11:14 AM
#18
We usually just replace the part, its kinda stupid to say its normal as the dealer made $0.0 NOT fixing it. 
You do understand dealers get paid to fix things under warranty?
You do understand dealers get paid to fix things under warranty?
12/15/07, 11:44 AM
#19
Cobra Member
Here's a few items to help wiht your problem.
http://www.cheperformance.com/cartge...pid=208&cid=15
http://www.mgwltd.com/mustang2005_shifter.shtml
http://www.cheperformance.com/cartge...pid=208&cid=15
http://www.mgwltd.com/mustang2005_shifter.shtml
