Aftermarket shifter question--seem right?

FoxBodyGT · Jun 28, 2004

Hey guys, basic question here.

Background. I bought this car and it has an aftermarket shifter on it, I haven't taken the boot off to see what brand, but it looks to be a Tri-ax or an MRT (tri-ax knockoff).

Now that being said, should the shifts be notchy? I mean at a stand still, it will shift 1-2, 2-3, etc, quick and straight.

When going down the road, like during my test of the new fuel filter, the 1-2 is really notchy. I can feel it "catch" in the middle. It is hard for me to explain.

Should it be smooth as silk? Is this normal for an aftermarket shifter? This is my first one.

I am thinking of getting a crappy baseline on the car at a local track on Wed, but don't want to mess up my tranny as I almost did the other day. I thought it was in second during a small powershift, let off the clutch and nothing but major grinding because it wasn't in gear because of the notchiness.

Make sense?

I have been told it may be the clutch not engaging all the way, but I never hear any grinding. Sometimes I don't even notice the notchiness, who knows.

Thanks

FoxBodyGT · Jul 1, 2004

I am still having a problem. I finally took the boot off and inspected it to make sure it was, in fact, a Steeda and it is.

Last night at the track I had my buddy compare it to his Pro 5.0 and he could not believe the notchiness of mine. He didn't even start the car, it was turned off, clutch in and going through the gears. I tried his and didn't have to push the clutch in and his was smooth as silk, couldn't feel any notchiness.

think if the tranny fluid was low, or the tranny is bad, that it would feel so different

ECU5.0 · Jul 1, 2004

probably internal transmission problems

25thmustang · Jul 1, 2004

Mines notchy as well, compared to all the other standard cars I have felt. I have a pro 5.0 but think its my tranny. Hard to diagnose it, but I just live with mine.

stangbear427 · Jul 1, 2004

If your clutch isn't tight enough it will do exactly what you are describing. Are you still using the stock linkage? If so, the cable may be on it's last leg. If not, is your cable adjustable, or do you have a firewall adjuster? If you do, you may want to try taking some slack out of the cable. Getting more serious- your pressure plate could be on the way out, and not releasing all the way. Does it shift better if you toe the clutch to the floor? Most serious is the aforementioned internal transmition problems. On the other hand, if you are used to a T5 and this car has a Tremec, it will be a little notchier, but it shouldn't cause problems. I've waited till last to get out my soapbox: I hate Steeda, and having had thier Tri-Ax shifter I am not impressed with it at all. Neither was one other member of this board who found out the hard way they aren't as good as they say they are... see the picture below. If you want a real man's shifter you can depend on, get a Pro5.0

FoxBodyGT · Jul 2, 2004

WOW!!!. Well, I just drained the fluid and it looked as brown as used motor oil. Filled it up with ATF, took it for a drive down the road and it still had the notchiness. Will it take some miles to smooth out and circulate?

stangbear427 · Jul 2, 2004

It should shift better when it's good and hot than stone cold, but it isn't real cold out right now, is it?

p.s. it should be changed once a year

super302 · Jul 2, 2004

STEEDA is nice, i love mine...don't want to start an argument tho. Your problem is probbaly what stangbear427 was talking about.

cjman15 · Jul 2, 2004

i agree with super302, i love tha way my tri-ax feels... it's kinda stiff somewhat... but i like that... it forces you to rip thru tha gears to get goin... thats my kind of shifter

HISSIN50 · Jul 3, 2004

bottom line is that the shifter should not make that much of a difference in how the shifting is. unless the shifter is binding up, notchiness, etc are problems with the trans and drivetrain (clutch components/adjustment). i bet Jess has hit it on the head with the adjustment. search for V8 only's article on adjustment - i still have not gotten around to readin it, but as ECU will attest, it is very well written.

basically, i would dial all of the freeplay out of the adjustment and see how it shifts. sounds a bit like it is not disengaging all the way, as said.
what flavor of trans fluid did you put in it?
good luck.

stangbear427 · Jul 3, 2004

cjman15 said:
i agree with super302, i love tha way my tri-ax feels... it's kinda stiff somewhat... but i like that... it forces you to rip thru tha gears to get goin... thats my kind of shifter

Sounds like you'd like a PowerTower then. They are known for thier click-click! shifts, which many people don't like. Steeda on the other hand, is supposed to be the most silky-smooth shifter on the market. My Steeda sure was; it just didn't have the balls to get the job done all the time. Having used Pro5.0's for years, I wouldn't describe anything about the Tri-Ax as "stiff" except maybe the price. But, if smooth is what you want at any cost, it's probably the way to go (as long as you have your clutch set up perfectly, the tranny is in fantastic shape, the fluid is spot-on, and the weather in the clock is happy- otherwise it'll go out to pasture fast like mine did, or worse- like the one in my above picture).

FoxBodyGT · Jul 3, 2004

Well this is what makes me think it is the shifter. Maybe I'm wrong. When I put the car in neutral and move the shifter back and forth, it is notchy as heck, too.

That should have nothing to do with the clutch. I don't have to push the pedal in but 2 inches to shift gears, I woudl guess it is OK?

Just so everyone understands, when I say "back and forth" I mean when going from neutral to 1st or reverse (5th). When I do that, it is even "not-so-smooth"

Make sense.

OK< well my next purchase will be a cable, quadrant, and adjuster (maybe at FFW Norwalk) so we'll see.

stangbear427 · Jul 3, 2004

Actually, now it REALLY sounds like an internal transmission problem. One way to know is to take the shifter right off and see how loose it is. if it isn't bolted to the tranny, it should move through the (hypothetical) gates with no noise or notchiness at all. If it feels clicky when it's not installed, then you know. I don't think you will find that that is the case though. I'm guessing your synchros are on the way out.

HISSIN50 · Jul 3, 2004

Jess, great info again!
you said it - the quick test is to remove the shifter and try 'air shifting' (as opposed to air guitar).
there is supposed to be some resistance when goin from neutral to a lateral position (i.e. toward 1st/2nd gear, toward 4th/reverse) - it is there to help you find third gear and 4th gear when up/down shifting. i know you know this, but i wanted to clarify that.
having re-read what you said in your first post, i think Jess is probably right about your synchros.

also, if you can disengage your clutch with 2 inches of pedal travel, i would not be so sure that your clutch is not gone. however, the clutch should not affect synchronization. i might try some good synthetic fluid and get the clutch adjusted perfect in hopes of getting the rest of the life out of the components.

sound about right, Jess?

Rick 91GT · Jul 3, 2004

I'd run the tranny fluid for a week or so then drain it again..see if you get any debris out.

Stangbear427 at first I thought that was the Steeda you sold me but that I noticed it is a T-5 version, not a 3550. So far that Steeda feels fine in the Tremec on the blown Cobra I built, but I also prefer the PRO 5.0.

stangbear427 · Jul 3, 2004

Yup, sounds right Hissesn. Oh, I too recommend synthetic fluids- particularly for trannies and rears ends.

I wouldn't do that to you Rick! No, the pic I posted was actually owned (and humbled) by another member of the board, BAERSysteMAX. I sold you mine because I didn't like it, not because there was anything wrong with it that isn't inherently wrong with every aluminum shifter. And that I have a religious distaste for Steeda, of course...

stang2004 · Jul 3, 2004

i have the pro 5.0 and its kinda notchy, nothing all that bad, i thought it was damn hard to shift when i first got driving it, but now it feels "right" feeling the click of engaging gears, and slaming through them and having that very solid feel. Sometimes it will slide into the gear very buttery smooth and ill just got "wtf?" cuz im so used to that notchy feel, actually will make me stumble a bit when driving... quite a few people i talk to that have the 5.0 have that notchy feel.

FoxBodyGT · Jul 3, 2004

I'm gonna have some friends take it for a drive and tell me what they think.

Thanks all

HISSIN50 · Jul 3, 2004

what makes a shifter notchy? using what Stang2004 said as an example, whether it slides right into gear or 'catches' is dependant upon the synchro sliding doing its job (rev matching helps alot) - how does the shifter have anything to do with that?

Im not arguing - i always assumed notchy was a reference to how the gears 'snicked' - (often a synchro characteristic) - not a function of the mechanical shifter. i think i must be missing something here......

stangbear427 · Jul 3, 2004

Right on. It isn't the shifter that is notchy, it's the tranny, or more commonly, the driver. This can be shown by "airshifting" (Hissen term) an un-installed shifter. You will note that no matter which one you mess with, when they aren't bolted to a tranny every one from the $130 Kirban to the $200 Pro5.0 will all feel the same: slick, smooth, and not a bit of notchiness. That every once in a while driving when it just goes "buttery smooth" and your going "wtf?" is when you actually matched rpm's perfectly on a gear change. It is the sliders and synchros moving that you feel to be catching on the gear change, and they don't do it unless they are getting worn, or your shifting skill isn't perfect. Now, Pro5.0 shifters are known to be "notchier" than the others. The fact is, they are made with far more steel than the others, and unlike the mush and give of all aluminum shifters (which tend to be more forgiving) the steel construction is absolute and transfers more of the tranny clockwork into your palm- much like aluminum driveshafts dampen the harmonics and vibrations sometimes induced by lower ratio rear gears, and are therefore recommended over the stock steel one when a gear change is done. So the shifter isn't notchy, the tranny is- or your shifting style is. Just like low profile tires aren't rough, the road is. They just tell you more acurately what is happening down there then tall sidewall tires do. Likewise, the Steeda makes everybody think they shift like a pro, while the Pro5.0 tells you just how good you and your tranny really are (or aren't). If your tranny is in good shape, and you drive enough, the day will come when every shift that you want to be buttery smooth, will be.

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