Did you install the shift stops? If yes, make sure there is some clearance between them and the shift handle. If they are making contact, it will rattle, hum, buzz........

 

here is the link to the ebrake fix. if you put too thick of dynamat on the sides the plastic pieces will not snap back together so you may have to remove some of it.

http://www.mgwltd.com/george/EBRAKERATTLEFIX.WMV


regards
george

 

George , it's been about 2 weeks , are they ready yet

 

okay you have 2 options now


1. you can buy the current race **** on the old mustang site which has the m12x1.75 threads and buy a shaft for your mgw shifter from us with the older threads which we now have in stock.

2. in about a week and a half i will have the race ***** ready with the finer m12x1.25 threads too for the 2005-2009 mustangs.

 

Thanks George ...

 

Woohooo, thanks George. Just called in an order for the new shaft!!!

 

George, on item 2 there, will that fit the stock shifter? I am such a newb, I don't know the size of the threads on the stock shifter.

 

yes it will fit the stock shifter fine.


regards
george

 

I got my MGW shifter last week and completed the install last night. What is amazing is that I originally thought the S197 shifter was pretty good. Compared to the MGW shifter, however, I can't believe I was actually rowing gears with that stock wet noodle!

No offense to Dynomat or MGW but I did not like the idea of "taping" the gaps with the supplied Dynomat. I just didn't think it resulted in a professional looking install.

So I tried modifying my stock shifter boot as seen below...

The modified stock boot did take a bit of persuasion to get it back into postion.

Start by putting it on the MGW shifter before dropping it in the hole. Then I had to alternate between tugging at the boot from inside the car and pushing it up from underneath but it eventually sealed nice and snug. It helps to start the shifter retaining nuts loosly on the studs to minimize movement of the shifter while positioning the modified boot. Doing so still allows some movement of the shifter to maneuver the boot but not so much that the shifter drops down too far and erasing any progress made to get the boot into position.

The results---seems pretty quite (no noisier than stock) even though it was impossible to stuff the supplied sound barier under the MGW square shifter base, so I just left it lay on top of the square base. The supplied rubber mat did fit under the MGW shifter base with a little persuasion.

 

I was on the original group buy and I finally installed it on Monday (called in sick to work). Mine came with the progressive rate srings loaded in and I put the upgraded linkage in with the blue bushings so mine has all the upgrades as far as I know.

I followed TacoBill's step by step process and the install went very well. Anyone know why he deleted the step of dynomating the top part of the shifter hole? Also, the great MGW packaging made things very easy and clean.

Mot250, I was able to stretch the sound barriar around the base of the shifter after a few tries. I got it around the top corners and then stretched the whole piece around the bottom two corners at the same time. It was easier this way than working each corner individually (if that makes sense). I used the Dynomat and the sound seems about the same as stock, maybe a hair louder.

I'm at 8 or 9 turns out right now and it is very tight. Awesome for cruising around and slamming gears but I was in Chicago rush hour traffic for a few hours the next day and it was way too stiff for that- especially 1st and 2nd. I plan to go to 4 or 5 turns and raise the shaft a bit and see if that helps. Any other tips? It's stiffer than my fox T-5 Hurst and the Hurst in the Shelby GT I drove. I've had a sore leg from the heavy clutch in my '89 GT but never a sore arm from a shifter. A lot of people were describing a very nice click when engaging each gear. I've noticed this in all gears except 1st and 2nd which have more of a loud clunk. The sound is in the shifter, not in the trans. I'm guessing it's because I have the shifter set near the shortest throw. I love the adjustability of this thing!

 

Phorty,

The way I reused the bottom-most portion of my stock shifter boot won't allow the sound barrier mat to go under the MGW shifter base because my modified boot lip sticks up a bit at the hole in the trans tunnel. I may go back and try to stretch it around (but not stuff it under) the MGW shifter base over the weekend.

I set mine at 10 turns out and drove in Chicago rush hour (stop hour ) traffic yesterday as well. I wasn't sure if my arm was a bit sore from the stiffness of the new MGW or from my attempts to throw the shifter farther (like the stock throw length) as I get used to the new shorter pattern (kind of like tennis elbow - I would think). I've got almost 30K miles of the long throw to un-learn.

 

It will get easier over time. I started at 8 turns, went for a month or so, then went to 10. No sore arms yet.

 

You are better off installing the shifter and sound deadening materials the way George intended. I think it's a very professional look, not that anyone is going to see it anyway. It also keeps any dust or road debris from getting into the top of the shifter base.

 

I did some adjustments today. I raised the shaft an inch higher and went to 6 turns out from 8. The difference is night and day! It's so much easier to shift and it's very smooth. I think raising the shaft made up for 90% of the improvement although I preferred the look when it was lower. I might end up back to 8 turns or even 10 as Stoenr did.

However, one problem did come up. When I was done adjusting I went to tighten the nut on the linkage stud and it never got tight. I realized it was just spinning and the stud or nut must be stripped. I couldn't get it to loosen either. Even if I get a new linkage arm or new nut, how am I supposed to get it apart?

 

Oh Oh, that sucks. I did that before, but I had the Saleen adapter on, so I was able to pull that off the shifter and then pulled the linkage arm out. Unless someone has another idea, you're going to have to disconnect the linkage arm from the transmission and pull the shifter out. Then you have to cut through the nut to get it off there.

Now you have a few choices. You can cut off the stripped stud from the linkage arm, drill a hole and tap a better stud through there (it's been done before). You can try to re-thread the stud. Or buy a complete new OEM shifter so you can get a new linkage arm (this is what I did and the link is below). Ford does not sell the arms by themselves.

One good thing is the car is still drivable. I wouldn't be banging gears, but the nut's not going to come off.

Good luck!!!

http://www.newtakeoff.com/index.asp?...OD&ProdID=8186

 

Been there, done that too. Had to disconnect the whole shifter and linkage and put it on the bench and cut it off. You'll probably mangle up the bushing in the process, so I'd ask George to send you another set.

I'd recommend the drill and tap as the cheapest, but most labor intensive approach. But in the end you end up with a stronger stud that won't strip on you again.

The new link arm/shifter is definitely the most expensive, but gives you some OEM piece of mind, if that's what you'd prefer.

The stock linkage and nut were obviously designed as one-time use. The more you mess with it the weaker it gets. However, as long as you avoid over-torquing it (which is easy to do, done it twice myself) and then use loctite the last time you tighten it once you've found your setting, you should be ok.

 

Phorty... you might consider using a dremel tool with a thin cut-off wheel to remove the nut... cut it in three or four places length wise along the nut, until you can break the individual pieces off... you can use the OEM bushings if you mess up the blue ones.

It would require some patients to avoid cutting into the stud threads. As you get closer to where the nut hex and washer flange meet, it might be necessay to use something abrasive on the wheel to reduce it's dia. so it will continue to cut the nut without getting down into the threads.

Just a thought....

Bobby M.

 

There is also a nut splitting tool but I'm not sure if there is enough room to get a nut splitter into position.

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/w...m_ite=handtool

 

Thanks for the responses, guys. So it seems that the concensus is that the stud is stripped but the threads can be repaired? I'm not familiar with that process. Where can I get a new nut if I cut it off?

 

There's enough room if the DS is removed, or at least drop the front of it. That or remove the shifter with the linkage arm. That's a pretty cool tool by the way.

I'm sure someone here can give you the size, sorry, I don't know it. Whatever you do, make sure you're either ready to be without a car until fixed, or make sure you have all the parts ready as soon as you take off that nut. I left mine alone for about a month until I found a linkage arm...actually bought a takeoff shifter from newtakeoff.