I have been contemplating installing a better rear shifter bushing on my Mustang GT but I keep coming back to the fact that Ford may have designed that sloppy rear bushing like that for more then reduced NVH.
The problem with the shifter set up as I see it was the stupid design to not have the case made as part of the trans as on the T5 transmission. Hanging a box off the back of the transmission and mounting one side to the trans and one side to the body would IMHO be the cause of some of the lock out issues. As the motor and trans torque over on the mounts, one side of the shifter is mounted to the body, which is not moving at the same rate as the drivetrain. Solidly mounting the rear of the shifter to the body would cause even more issues, so Ford decided (maybe - just my opinion) to put a sloppy mount on it with plenty of give so it would not throw the angle of the shifter off.
Wouldn't a Barton mount that allows no flex or an MGW shifter which accomplishes the same thing compound the issue?
I am contemplating installing a urethane bushing to eliminate some of the flex.
Maybe I am over analyzing this, because it seems the general consensus from most is that these pieces improve shifter feel.
Opinions?

 

I have 3 letters for you M G W.
Coming from a T56 F-body I was amazed how crappy the factory Mustang shifter was. I can tell you that the MGW shifter feels like it is a trans mounted unit. If that is the feel you are looking for then this is your shifter,

 

My MGW is supposed to ship this week. That being said, I used the prothane poly bushing and it helped the stock shifter a lot. If I shift perfectly I don't get locked out of 3rd at high revs, but get sloppy or try and force it? No bueno, lock out city...That is why I ordered the MGW.

 

Are you having trouble shifting in your Mustang?

Some do, MANY do not, I don't have any shifting issues with my car.

The soft bushings are for NVH reduction, but the poly replacement bushing doesn't make it solid, just stiffer. Lots of people have used them with no ill affects other than some increase in NVH. And the front bushing will still be in place, you only replace the rear bushing.

 

The shifter does not feel precise. I haven't really had the car long enough to give a good opinion on it other then that it feels very rubbery. I have not missed any shifts, but I have not taken it to the track or really pounded on it yet.
I do hate the skip shift and plan on disconnecting the connector when I put the bushing in.

 

I have the steeda bracket. Honestly, all of my mods were focused on improving without adding noise. I don't believe the bracket makes the shifts feel any more precise. I do not get locked out of gear when I shift with my engine under load. I've been considering mgw lately because of all of the claims of it being smoother. I've also read that the mgw is quieter now than 2 years ago when I was doing research. You may be better served going with the mgw

 

I'd highly recommend the MGW. If there is any additional NVH I do not notice it, and I dont remember what the stock felt or sounded like. I have had my MGW about a year now, and it came with the new rear bushings and mount. From recent pictures I've seen it looks like they have made some minor improvements on it again.

The MGW will help considerably with some of the shifting nuances with the MT-82 but it wont eliminate them completely. However, it is a major improvement. Shifts are solid and precise.

The MGW is a well machined and designed unit, and it isnt cheap around $400. So it will depend on what your goals are and how much your budget is if you want to go this route.

For me I love it, and it was worth the money.

 

Try pouring a polyurethane bushing in your transmission mount. I bought a second mount while I was waiting on my Whiteline bushing insert to arrive. I removed all of the factory rubber from the mount and poured my own bushing. I haven't tried it out yet, but will eventually get around to it. Here are some pics.

 

Jig to hold the mount in place while the bushing is poured.

 

Medium grade polyurethane bushing poured.

 

Finished product front shot.

 

Finished product rear shot.

 

Why did that need 4 posts instead of one?

Now 5 posts...

 

Because for some reason all of the pics wouldn't attach at the same time. If my help is not appreciated and you have the authority to do so, feel free to delete them if you wish...Some people these days. SMH

 

I went from stock, to Barton Two Post, to MGW. The Barton bracket alone did not help much in my opinion. Maybe a little on 1-2, but 2-3 was still a brick wall under load. The MGW is a great improvement. I don't think I've been locked out of third one time since I installed it. It actually feels heartier slamming gears at WOT than it does just shifting in traffic.

 

This is exactly what I was going to say. I installed the MGW shifter in my '11 Brembo GT. No extra NVH, much better shifting (although still not perfect), and well worth the cost.

 

When you guys say "not perfect" with the MGW, what is it that you're referring to? Do you still experience lockouts?

 

I've been driving with mine for over 18 months and can say I've missed 2nd gear a couple times. This only happened when I was driving normally and was driver error. The centering spring is quite stiff and when pulling back for second gear you need to apply some left pressure to keep the shifter inline, if not you will hit the gate. Other then that the I have had zero issues. When I took the car to the drag strip the shifter performed flawlessly.

 

I would say the MT-82 isnt perfect, and the MGW makes it better. I dont recall any lockouts since installing it. I have had a few miss shifts, due to driver error, and driving in the bitter cold this winter. I have to be careful until the tranny and fluids get up to operating temps.

 

I just purchased a 2014 GT last month and already have noticed the slop in shift and a couple of misses from 2nd to 3rd. All the research led to one path, replace with the MGW. They do a great job on their website showing not only the installation but explain their reasoning in the design after examining the faults in the stock shift.

Does installation of a MGW void the warranty?