After unbolting the stock shifter, we had the chance to examine the OEM design. There are a lot of movable rods and joints which all add play to the shifting system and points that wear out over time to further increase slop and a loss of precision.
The rear of the stock shifting mechanism uses this big, soft bushing to mount the rear of the shifter to the chassis. Without the optional MGW lower shift mount, the MGW shifter will still utilize this soft rubber bushing.
The front of the OEM shift mechanism is held in place by this bushing. The lower section is the attachment point to the transmission’s lever that is responsible for changing the gears. The solidity of this is also key for reducing slop.
The OEM shift lever itself is a 2-piece design with an isolator bushing that separates the shift knob from the actual steel transmission shift lever. This bushing fails over time, especially from radiant heat from the transmission, and becomes loose. If you have extreme, excessive play in your stock shifter, this bushing is probably destroyed like it was in our car.
After removing the shift lever, we can see the worn-out rubber base inside the shift mechanism cup. This is another area that is responsible for a lot of shifter slop, since all of the commands of going through the different shift gates laterally, and longitudinally are all transmitted though this cup.
11 comments
Are you rev matching before you shift? Double clutching definitely helps the gears engage smoothly and should reduce shift effort substantially.
I assume that you are doing this considering your motorsport background, but for some reason not everyone does it, probably because they don’t have the seat time in to get it down. It can also be pretty loud depending on your exhaust system.
Cool parts, it’s a shame that the billet goodness is buried in the tunnel. It’s almost worth reshaping the tunnel to have the entire linkage exposed, but that would only be worthy if it was a racecar with the entire interior removed.
Double-clutching is a very rare technique that definitely help smoothen out downshifts for cars with bad synchros. I’m proficient at it but typically don’t do it on the street or in races.
I don’t do it at low speed but I find it absolutely necessary at high speed or spirited driving. Also, it’s imperative to get into lower gears smoothly at an Autocrox.
People seem to think that double clutching and rev matching are ‘show off’ maneuvers, but if that were really the case then it would be pointless during canyon carving which is when I do it most. In reality, the shifts are so smooth and easy, that it’s obviously a better method to anybody with mechanical sympathy. As an mechanical engineer, I would never waste my time with a technique if I didn’t actually think it performed better.
Granny shifting not double clutching like you should! ;P
The shifter mechanism is nice and all, but that lower mount is pure overengineered art and a darn shame it’s hidden.
I’ve got a Blainefab 4″ dildo shift knob on a regular T56 MGW shifter.
http://www.blainefab.com/shiftknobs.html
I can’t imagine a short knob on the thing. It also gets the shifter closer to the wheel with the shifter itself angled toward the left. This is on my road race only 4th gen Camaro, I really like this combo but I don’t know that I’d want it on my street driven Corvette.
while I know this shifter is great, just upgrading that giant sloppy bushing to a 2 post bracket will get you most of the way there. When I had my S197 it was literally impossible to shift fast at high rpm. I got a Barton 2 post bracket and I could slam shifts on it like any Honda… Although my Mustang was new at the time, with higher mileage there could be other wear on the shifter and transmission which might reduce “shiftability”.
Basically its Tremec 100% best, MGW shifter 65% best (based on Billy’s comments on the last page), quality brand 2 post bracket 55% best. And the 2 post brackets are like 1/4 (or less) price of a full shifter setup like this. When I just bought the Mustang I was planning to go ham on the shifter cause of how horrible it was stock, but after getting just the bracket I didn’t see a need to spend more money. And like Billy, I’m also not a fan of overly short throw shifters, I thought stock throw distance was perfect, so not having to go to a short throw shifter was a bonus.
Im looking forward to the rest of this series. If there is one. How does the car handle on the track? I have an S197 and value what I’ve been reading. Thank you for the time putting this together.
I am with Shane above. Would love to hear how the car performs on the track. Thinking for using some of the same parts
What would be a good affordable brake upgrade for this s197 build that could handle track duty with rubber like a sport cup 2 or Supercar 3?
I’m sure this depends on skill level but something much less expensive than an Essex 9668 372mm kit.
For most applications, the “2005-2014 Mustang Ford Performance Front Brake Kit – 4 Piston – 14″ brake kit would be more than enough. It is essentially the front S197 GT500 brake caliper and 14” rotor.
I would not run an aftermarket rear caliper on an S197 or any pad more aggressive than a Hawk HP+. The S197 does not use the tires under braking due to the geometry of the suspension. Adding more rear braking performance will just make ABS kick in sooner and hurt braking performance.