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  • 1979 - 1995 (Fox, SN95.0, & 2.3L) -General/Talk-

Not another "which shifter" thread...

  • Thread starter Thread starter NIKwoaC
  • Start date Start date Oct 13, 2011
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NIKwoaC

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Oct 13, 2011
#1
  • Oct 13, 2011
  • #1
OK, it kinda is.

Went to the track last night, got 4 runs in, and of those 4 runs, I missed a gear on 3 of them. In order: missed 3rd, did OK, missed 3rd, missed 2nd.

Now, I've been driving this car for almost 10 years, so I have a hard time believing that my driving just really sucks that bad. But maybe it does, who knows. All I know is that shifting it at full tilt seems to be the bane of my existence.

Anyway, the car currently has an old BBK shifter in it that I've had for years. The function on this thing is questionable, I've had to change the springs on it at least once to get it to center itself properly in neutral. Other than that, though, driving around town it does not give me any trouble.

SO, the question is, would it be worth it for me to look into getting something like a Pro5.0 or a MGW? Or is it more likely my driving just sucks, and a new shifter would be just pissing away money?

Thoughts? Be brutally honest here.

Yours truly,
Nik withouta C
 

srtthis

the guy doing it does every local racers rear end
15 Year Member
Jul 3, 2009
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Oct 13, 2011
#2
  • Oct 13, 2011
  • #2
im very happy with my pro5.0... hopefully i time to finish machining my handle so i can REALLY beat on it again.

also something to look into is the knob you use... i had a steeda knob for awhile and while it didnt give me issues it left my hands black from the rubber grip on it. so i went back to the stock knob and i missed 2nd a few times from my hand coming off the shifter and 3rd a lot. went to a hurst pistol grip and never miss now. but ive broken the handle...

so before getting a new shifter WHY are you missing gears? hand coming off shifter? timing between hand and foot off? just not going in gear?
 

90lxcoupe

20+ Year Stangneter
Oct 7, 2003
3,596
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Oct 13, 2011
#3
  • Oct 13, 2011
  • #3
Are you powershifting? Hows the clutch adjustment? What shifter knob are you using?

Im running the pro5.0, tri ax handle and a stock shifter knob. Ive tried 3 different ones, and the stock shifter knob is the best by far. The bigger and bulkier the shifter knob, the more i would miss gears. I bought one that was the 5 speed pattern on a 03 cobra knob and that one was by far the worst.
 

SteedaGT9150

Advanced Member
Nov 10, 2004
1,351
59
68
Maryland
Oct 13, 2011
#4
  • Oct 13, 2011
  • #4
I have had a steeda in both my cars and love it. Ran the mach 1 knob in the fox and currently a termi knob in the sn95.
 

4rdnut

Member
Dec 14, 2010
188
1
16
Oct 13, 2011
#5
  • Oct 13, 2011
  • #5
The 3.35:1 first gear ratio is one problem with the 5 speed transmission trying to power shift to second and of course having 5th gear next to third gear when power shifting you always hit a brick wall. Get a 4 speed manual transmission with a real shifter or get a c4 transmission and click, click with the accelerator pedal on the floor.
 

NIKwoaC

中國製造
15 Year Member
Oct 31, 2006
5,525
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Chengdu Province
Oct 13, 2011
#6
  • Oct 13, 2011
  • #6
srtthis said:
hand coming off shifter?
Click to expand...

Nope.

srtthis said:
timing between hand and foot off?
Click to expand...

Missing 2nd is very rare for me, though it did happen once last night. NEVER have missed 3-4 (knock on wood). 99.9999% of the time it's the 2-3 shift. If my timing was off, I would think that id be randomly missing any gears.

srtthis said:
just not going in gear?
Click to expand...

Yes. Either grinding or just not going.

90lxcoupe said:
Are you powershifting?
Click to expand...

No. Granny. Well, a fast granny.

90lxcoupe said:
Hows the clutch adjustment?
Click to expand...

2ish inches off the carpet. About what it's supposed to be.

90lxcoupe said:
What shifter knob are you using?
Click to expand...

A custom titanium one I made years ago. You can see it in this pic. I don't remember the dimensions, but it's not big.



4rdnut said:
The 3.35:1 first gear ratio is one problem with the 5 speed transmission trying to power shift to second and of course having 5th gear next to third gear when power shifting you always hit a brick wall. Get a 4 speed manual transmission with a real shifter or get a c4 transmission and click, click with the accelerator pedal on the floor.
Click to expand...

Yeaaaaa... None of those are happening, haha.
 

4rdnut

Member
Dec 14, 2010
188
1
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Oct 13, 2011
#7
  • Oct 13, 2011
  • #7
So much for the experts. LOL.
 

TwoToneHatch

Active Member
Mar 22, 2007
170
2
28
New Jersey
Oct 13, 2011
#8
  • Oct 13, 2011
  • #8
You would be happy with a steeda tri-ax mine works flawlessly , feels great with the stock handle , and throws itself infront of 3rd everytime .My dad had a Pro 5.0 shifter in his '04 GT and it has real short throws and felt good so it comes down to preference personally I like the Pro 5.0 alittle more than the Steeda.
 

90lxcoupe

20+ Year Stangneter
Oct 7, 2003
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Oct 13, 2011
#9
  • Oct 13, 2011
  • #9
2 inches off the carpet seems pretty low to me, you want it so the clutch has about an inch of free play up top, which should get the clutch releasing towards the top of the travel. That may be the problem
 

NIKwoaC

中國製造
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Oct 31, 2006
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Oct 13, 2011
#10
  • Oct 13, 2011
  • #10
90lxcoupe said:
2 inches off the carpet seems pretty low to me, you want it so the clutch has about an inch of free play up top, which should get the clutch releasing towards the top of the travel. That may be the problem
Click to expand...

Hmmm, so I may need a little more disengaged travel at the bottom? This would open my window to shift, correct?
 

srtthis

the guy doing it does every local racers rear end
15 Year Member
Jul 3, 2009
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Oct 13, 2011
#11
  • Oct 13, 2011
  • #11
sounds like your hand is moving faster then your foot to me...
 

VibrantRedGT

"STANGNET'S PENGUIN SMACKER"
15 Year Member
Nov 29, 1999
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154
Boca Raton, Florida
Oct 13, 2011
#12
  • Oct 13, 2011
  • #12
I had a Steed Tri-Ax in my 94 but people have been raving about MGW being the best shifter out there right now. That's IF the shifter is really your problem, learn how to drive man (j/k).
 

90lxcoupe

20+ Year Stangneter
Oct 7, 2003
3,596
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Oct 13, 2011
#13
  • Oct 13, 2011
  • #13
NikwoaC said:
Hmmm, so I may need a little more disengaged travel at the bottom? This would open my window to shift, correct?
Click to expand...

In my opinion yes, you dont want to have to push the clutch all the way in to shift a gear, you should only be pushing the clutch in 30-50% when you are racing it. With my faceplated trans you push the clutch peddle just enough to release the clutch, then bang the gear. You are wasting a lot of time between gears if you put the clutch to the floor every shift.

and being smooth with the car on the street and hammering gears at the track are two very different things. You have to get yourself out of your comfort zone and not treat it like street driving to get a good timeslip.
 

NIKwoaC

中國製造
15 Year Member
Oct 31, 2006
5,525
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Chengdu Province
Oct 13, 2011
#14
  • Oct 13, 2011
  • #14
srtthis said:
sounds like your hand is moving faster then your foot to me...
Click to expand...

Could very well be... Or vice-versa.

VibrantRedGT said:
Learn how to drive man (j/k).
Click to expand...

Haha, you don't need to "J/K". I've been driving this car for a long time, but I'm still a noob when it comes to racing it, and I'll be the first to admit that.

90lxcoupe said:
In my opinion yes, you dont want to have to push the clutch all the way in to shift a gear, you should only be pushing the clutch in 30-50% when you are racing it. With my faceplated trans you push the clutch peddle just enough to release the clutch, then bang the gear. You are wasting a lot of time between gears if you put the clutch to the floor every shift.

and being smooth with the car on the street and hammering gears at the track are two very different things. You have to get yourself out of your comfort zone and not treat it like street driving to get a good timeslip.
Click to expand...

Hmm, I've always pushed the clutch to the carpet when I shift, so learning to do it any other way will take some serious muscle memory reprogramming. I'll have to play with the clutch engagement thing and see what it does for my shifting.
 

90lxcoupe

20+ Year Stangneter
Oct 7, 2003
3,596
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Oct 13, 2011
#15
  • Oct 13, 2011
  • #15
just start powershifting it
 

srtthis

the guy doing it does every local racers rear end
15 Year Member
Jul 3, 2009
5,129
1,666
204
Maryland
Oct 13, 2011
#16
  • Oct 13, 2011
  • #16
90lxcoupe said:
just start powershifting it
Click to expand...

wait... people lift when they shift?
 

1991notchbackLX

Active Member
Dec 25, 2007
1,483
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48
New York
Oct 13, 2011
#17
  • Oct 13, 2011
  • #17
On the stock clutch and trans in my '91, I remember only having to put the pedal to the floor to get the car to roll into first from a complete stop. After that, I'd only have to push the clutch down maybe 1/3 of the way to shift. When banging gears, I'd really only tap the clutch slightly to get the gear to engage.
 

Beasty306GT

Active Member
Dec 19, 2002
671
4
28
Oxford,Mass
Oct 13, 2011
#18
  • Oct 13, 2011
  • #18
i love my pro 5.0 shifter
 

Mr. Rustypwnz

Advanced Member
Jun 1, 2005
1,761
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69
indianapolis/ valdosta ga
Oct 13, 2011
#19
  • Oct 13, 2011
  • #19
mgw, or tri-ax. or just let me drive it, ill give you $300 upfront for a newish t5. basically anything is better than a stock shifter, but the mgw is the best BY FAR.

I only saw your first and your last run last night.
 

LarsD

Founding Member
Jul 2, 2002
2,680
119
123
Texas
Oct 13, 2011
#20
  • Oct 13, 2011
  • #20
I love the MGW on my TKO. Well, when the TKO is in the car.
 
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