I know this sounds crazy. Has anyone installed a Ford automatic transmission in a 2008-2009 Bullitt? Getting on in years and it has become difficult to coordinate the clutch, shifter, and brake simultaenously when stopped on a hill. Thank you.

 

It can be done, but you'll need to swap out the computer and harness (not sure if just transmission or complete engine harness) to make that happen. Need a 5R55S, flywheel, driveshaft, trans mount, shifter assembly /linkage, and brake master cylinder.

The computer and harness swap is because they are different from manual to automatic. The computer will have to be programmed to the body and keys and such. You can't retrofit a clutch computer to the automatic trans, it won't work... unless you somehow retrofit an old AOD or something like that, which will work... somewhat. You'd have to figure out the kick down and linkage but then it can do the job. Or you could forego the kickdown and when you wanna punch it, pull the T handle back yourself, if you just hadda. Clutch computer and old analog transmission would be like an old school setup with a carb where the trans doesn't know what the engine's doing and vice versa, unlike today's transmissions what talk to the engine and vice versa. Overall, for functionality and such, I'd not recommend retrofitting that kind of setup and would go with the correct 5R55S trans, computer and harness so it's right.

The rest is fairly straight forward. The brake master cylinder swap is to remove the clutch fitting. You could optionally just plug that up, but I don't know what's involved for that. The driveshafts are different, I understand, but the axle's the same. Everything else is bolt in/swap out.

Regarding the pedals, one could just not worry about that clutch pedal and just secure it to the firewall after removing the rest of the clutch system. Or one could acquire the brake pedal only setup and swap it out, completely your call.

However... It may or may not be the better part of valor to swap the car and let the Bullitt stay true to its build. Yes, I know it's a Bullitt, and you wanted that (just as I wanted my car, clutch and all), but it's a Bullitt. Seems a shame to tear it up a little from its original build when you could probably swap the car for easier/possibly cheaper/make a profit even... Just a consideration from waaaay over here, pay no mind to me, I'm not yer boss and stuff. I do know that when Awesome and I have difficulty I'll be facing that kind of thing, but then... they make suicide shifters for motorcycles, so...

Hope that helps though. I'm sure I left this or that out, but that should be fairly much it. Good luck with whatever you decide to do!

 

^ houtex covered the technical part already, so here is a slightly different angle on it:

I don't know how attached you are to the Bullitt, I see you have had it since it was new . . . but now might be a good time to sell it, I bet you can get more than you ever imagined for it. It would lose a lot of value if it does not have the manual transmission, so you might want to consider that.

Then you can buy a different Mustang GT with the automatic transmission already in it, save a lot of time and hassles, and probably come out with money in your pocket. And if you can wait until the used car price bubble bursts, before you buy a "new" one, you could come out way ahead.

 

What They Said!

 

Thank you all for your responses; I had the feeling that it was not going to be a simple swap out, as to start the car you had to depress the clutch. If I decide to sell the car, I could not locate a section for selling Mustangs on this site. Can you help?. Thanks again.

 

Looked again. Found the Marketplace!