GilmourD

OK, so, my '12 GT is my daily. I'm not going to bring this beast to the track or anything. However, I still don't like the sloppy shifter and would like something nicer.

As such... I'm not gonna go crazy and get the whole Barton Hybrid 3 or MGW shifter setup. I want something that'll give me crisper shifts (especially on the 1-2 and 2-3) and is an easy install.

In fact... I'm even waffling on getting a set with a bracket since I don't have a place where I'd be allowed to put the car up on jack stands (my house lease even specifically says I can't...) so if you guys talk me into the bracket I'd have to bring it to a shop.

So, which shifter would you guys suggest for me?

Oh, and I know the SR one is junk. LOL

shaneyusa

Well you ruled out the one I am considering, the MGW. So I guess there will not any help from my input.

GilmourD

Yeah, I feel like I'd be buying something I would never see the full use of there. Is it a glorious shifter? Sure. Will I see the benefits on my 13 minute commute to work? Maybe, if I have to blast past a garbage truck that's blocking the way. LOL

Bert

I was thinking MGW too; I hear they are about the "best" and not sure what the problem would be? Shifting on the street isn't much different from shifting on a track so I'm not sure what you have in mind.

The shorter the throw the higher the effort and the notchier it will feel; I'm pretty sure the MGW is adjustable; so you could adjust it toward stock throw.

Also I hear the transmission support and/or shifter brackets and/or bushings make a big difference in taking out the sloppiness so you might want to start there first.

PonyMuscletang13

You said easy install. Give these a look.
KDT928
KDT962

And get a Ball Shifter **** if you're still using the factory.
Adapter Jamnut

GilmourD

Is shifting on the street really the same as shifting on a track? My brother and father have put the Mustangs they've had through their paces at Englishtown and Island Dragway and their street cars were always... less stout than their drag cars.

I'm just looking to improve the shifts, not my quarter-mile times. Also, like I said, a shifter-only install is something I can do in my driveway. Anything that requires jackstands will incur an extra cost in having a shop do it, and that even includes the bracket.

In my mind, I'm basically looking at the regular Barton or the Steeda. My wallet says the SR but I know that there've been a ton of problems with the reverse lockout on that and it's not worlds different than the stocker.

GilmourD

Those look interesting, although the install guides are giving me a 404.

As far as a ball shifter, I actually swapped the stock ball (it's a 401a) to the base ****.

EF1

By ruling out from the beginning what is arguably the best mustang shifter in existence you severely limit the amount of replies you will get. Many of us went through the same process a few years ago with our cars. The problem is due to the use of a remote mounted shifter on the MT82. Under hard acceleration torque causes a misalignment of the shifter and transmission causing shifting problems. Typical solutions from highest to lowest cost included after market shifters, Blow Fish Racing brackets, and urethane transmission mount bushings. These fixes can be used in any combination depending on your driving style and wallet. For your use you could probably get away with the bushing and the Blow Fish bracket if they are still available. I ended up with the bushing and a MGW shifter. I didn't see a need for the Blow Fish bracket after installing the MGW I have the older style MGW, not the current race spec version. The new MGW race spec shifter incorporated the design elements of the Blow Fish bracket into the shifter eliminating the need to buy both at a price that was less than buying the two items separately.

GilmourD

I mean, I get that... Trust me... I wish I had a driveway where I could do my own work like when I lived with my parents and had full access to both my father's and brother's toolboxes (both professional mechanics) along with their help. I'd buy the MGW and install it myself. Unfortunately, my brother moved to Tennessee and my parents live in a tiny apartment across the state...

Now I live in a two-family place with my wife and kids where my lease says I can't do ANY automotive work. I'd be sneaking installing a shifter from inside the car. The MGW would require that I take the car to a shop and that would pretty much double the cost of the shifter or get near it. I just had to have my starter replaced and that cost me $370, and this is at a shop where I have pull because my brother used to work there.

EF1

That does complicate things. If I couldn't work on my own car it would be much closer to stock.

GilmourD

Yeah, at this moment I'm just trying to do things I can get away with that'll give me a tangible, functional improvement.

PonyMuscletang13

Another option would be to rent DIY workspace.

GarageTime

JimB.

I have the Barton shifter and am happy with it's performance. It is kind of notchy but I think that is because I have it set for a very short throw. Is it better than the MGW ? Probably not. I think that it would be almost impossible to swap out the shifter without putting the car on jack stands.
Maybe the back wheels on ramps and the front on jack stands. I did mine without removing the drive shaft but it would have been much easier if I had.

Bert

I am talking about road track (when I think strip I think automatic). Crunching third on a road track isn't much different from missing third on the street; except you might be in a bit more of a hurry on the track. A better shifter will shift better in any situation.

That said, the Barton or Steeda would probably work too; but I think I'd look into the brackets and bushings first; and unfortunately there is no getting around the installation quandry.

SilrBult

This is a subject that has been discussed quite often here and on other Mustang boards as well. Based on other people's experience and from watching various videos showing the construction of the factory semi- divorced shifter and the MGW I think if I were to replace my factory shifter on my '14 GT I would go with the MGW with the Barton Hybrid 3 being a close 2nd. I realize you are limited in having a place to work and paying a shop to do it adds greatly to the cost. Is it possible to do as one person suggested and rent a place to work that isn't all that expensive? Any friends that have a place? I have tried the bushing that fits in the transmission mount. It fills the holes and does stiffen the mount. The good part is it's pretty cheap, and easy to do, the bad part is that it dosen't make a huge difference and it does require getting under the car and using a jack to support the transmission while you remove the cross member. It also allows for a slight increase in vibration. After taking a good look at how the factory shifter is made and attached to the transmission I think it should be possible to stiffen the mounting at minimal cost, but it would require some fabrication that may be beyond your ability to say nothing about the lack of a suitable work space. I don't doubt that stiffing the factory mounting would also increase vibration. So what to do? I don't know how much experience you have with manual transmissions so if you have a lot of experience please don't be offended by this advice. I'll be 76 years old in less than a week and I learned to drive on a manual transmission with a three speed on the column [ Three on a tree ]. I also drag raced a four speed car in the late '60's and early '70's and I've driven plenty of other manual transmission cars and trucks as well so safe to say I have some experience here. In spite of that it still took me a little time to get comfortable with the factory shifter on the MT82 in the '11-'14 Mustangs. Your right the shifter is a bit sloppy and the gates are fairly close, although not as close as the early Bartons. The key to getting decent, not great, shifts is to let the centering spring do the work. If you try to guide the shifter into gear especially 3 rd and 4th either upshifting or downshifting it will usually hang up in the gate. 1st to 2nd will almost always be a little notchy even when warm, just be decisive and firm. When going for 3 rd. don't try to guide it, just use the palm of your hand at the back of the **** and slam it forward, the spring will do the work. 4th is just as easy, straight back and let the spring do it for you. 4th to 5th does require some guidance and is just a little notchy. 6th is usually pretty easy, back with just a little pressure to the right. Downshifting is similar, let the spring do the work. Do I trust it to make full throttle, redline, no lift power shifts, well no, but once you get comfortable with it's idiosyncrasies it's really not that bad.

flipper521

I just installed the MGW on my 2011. Love it. Pricey, but that's OK, I need it every time I drive! Top quality. A bit notchy at first, but it smooths out (or I get used to it). Had one on my previous Mustang and I loved it on that car as well. If you are fortunate enough to be in the Georgia area, MGW will do the install for you at their plant.

GilmourD

Unfortunately, I'm in Jersey, and now is definitely not the time to take a long trip and deal with people face-to-face.

So... Here's what I'm thinking after talking to my brother about this: