Mgw Short Throw Shifter Needs Too Much Force To Shift

Badwolf

New Member

Oct 7, 2014

3

0

1

Virginia

Oct 7, 2014

#1

• Oct 7, 2014

• #1

I have a 2005 Mustang GT Premium that I purchased used a few months ago. The previous owner installed a MGW Short Throw Shifter. It recently started to act up. It takes all my strength to change gears. Anyone have any advice? I'm not sure where to start.

Thanks

 

F. Jason Garriott

15 Year Member

Mar 18, 2012

58

4

19

Huntington Beach CA, USA

Oct 7, 2014

#2

• Oct 7, 2014

• #2

Badwolf said:

I have a 2005 Mustang GT Premium that I purchased used a few months ago. The previous owner installed a MGW Short Throw Shifter. It recently started to act up. It takes all my strength to change gears. Anyone have any advice? I'm not sure where to start.

Thanks

Click to expand...

Hey Wolf: A worn pilot bearing or release bearing, may not be letting the transmission spin down enough to shift easily. Try rev-matching the engine and trans. Blip the throttle when you down shift.

 

Noobz347

Stangnet Facilities Maint Tech... Er... Janitor

Admin Dude

Jan 4, 1985

42,976

21,154

234

Box behind Walmart

Oct 8, 2014

#3

• Oct 8, 2014

• #3

F. Jason Garriott said:

Hey Wolf: A worn pilot bearing or release bearing, may not be letting the transmission spin down enough to shift easily. Try rev-matching the engine and trans. Blip the throttle when you down shift.

Click to expand...

As well as worn synchros within the tranny.

 

derf7

New Member

Oct 14, 2014

27

0

1

chicago, illinois

Oct 21, 2014

#4

• Oct 21, 2014

• #4

I ended up putting royal purple manual trans hid in mine. 2nd gear was always a pain. Smoothed it out real nice.

 

derf7

New Member

Oct 14, 2014

27

0

1

chicago, illinois

Oct 21, 2014

#5

• Oct 21, 2014

• #5

Fluid

 

K

kwesty

Member

Sep 23, 2011

4

1

13

Oct 23, 2014

#6

• Oct 23, 2014

• #6

The MGW throw is adjustable. You can try adjusting it so it may have a bit longer of a throw but it won't feel as notchy when you shift. I've heard a lot of different methods to fix hard shifts from changing the fluid to poly motor mounts.

 

Badwolf

New Member

Oct 7, 2014

3

0

1

Virginia

Nov 5, 2014

#7

• Nov 5, 2014

• #7

Noobz347 said:

As well as worn synchros within the tranny.

Click to expand...

So, the problem just got a lot worse. The last time I was out, two days ago, I was nearly stuck at a McDonald's 10 miles from home. I couldn't get the car into 1st gear. I called my husband and he said to take off in 2nd gear. That kinda worked, I got the car home.
Now I am home and trying to drive the car, but it won't go into any gear with the engine ON. I removed the leather boot so I can see what is going on better. With the engine off, the car will go into all of the gears fine, clutch in or out. I can start it in 1st gear or reverse. In fact I backed out of my driveway and then once on the street I went to put it into 1st gear and it would not go. I turned off my engine, put the car in 1st gear and started down my street for a test drive. I couldn't get it in any gear without shutting off the car. I came home and now I'm stuck here.
Help? I don't know what to do.

 

derf7

New Member

Oct 14, 2014

27

0

1

chicago, illinois

Nov 5, 2014

#8

• Nov 5, 2014

• #8

Our cars have a safety feature that won't let us put the car into gear or start without having the clutch depressed. It sounds like sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. The wierd thing is that it'll let u start the car but not shift all the time. The clutch pedal should have a plunger switch making contact. Poss on the pedal arm. Just in case check that. What also might be a gd idea is to jack the car up, have 1 person underneath and 1 trying to shift to see if there is anything binding the shifter. Also if needed you can adjust the shifter from there to make sure it goes in gear. Question. All you changed was the shifter correct? Not the clutch. Also check you fluid.

 

jetmech807

10 Year Member

Dec 1, 2011

1,195

326

164

Crestview, FL

Nov 5, 2014

#9

• Nov 5, 2014

• #9

Sounds a lot more like a clutch issue, than a shifter.

 

derf7

New Member

Oct 14, 2014

27

0

1

chicago, illinois

Nov 5, 2014

#10

• Nov 5, 2014

• #10

I would think that too if nothing was changed,but after the shifter install is kind of suspect.

 

Badwolf

New Member

Oct 7, 2014

3

0

1

Virginia

Nov 5, 2014

#11

• Nov 5, 2014

• #11

Okay, I bought the car from a dealer who put it on Craigslist. The dealer, "Autos By Choice", sold it to me as is.
It won't pass inspection they told me. At the time of purchase I knew it would fail for broken E-Brake cable, and no Catalytic Converter.
We fixed the E-Brake, and changed the rear brakes. I've checked the fluids, they're all good.
I had it inspected. It failed for no catalytic converter, the center brake light (it was just unplugged), and they said that they saw fluid dripping and pinned it as a problem with the rack and pinion. My husband said that they just saw fluid and wanted me to pay them a lot of money to fix it, basically that it would pass if I took it to my regular inspector.
So my point is, I haven't messed with the clutch, transmission or the gear shifter. They all came with the car.
At this point, the problem is constant. The car is now unsafe to drive due to the fact that in order to change gears I have to have the car engine off.

 

Dino Dino Bambino

15 Year Member

Jun 13, 2007

1,672

89

79

Cyprus

Nov 6, 2014

#12

• Nov 6, 2014

• #12

If you can shift gears easily with the engine off and not shift gears at all with the engine on, it's definitely a clutch issue.
If the pedal feels consistent but heavy, you probably just simply have a worn clutch plate in which case a new clutch assembly with release bearing will solve the problem.