shifter not centered in shifter hole

95PGTTech

Member
Jan 28, 2008
302
20
19
went to install MGW shifter in 94GT today, came up with this:

100_4080.webp

100_4079.webp

100_4078.webp


The shifter is extremely far up in the shifter hole. To the point where the second picture is me removing one of the transmission crossmember bolts and dropping it down 4" to have enough room to remove the front bolts of the shifter.

The longer MGW bolts do not fit in the front even with the mentioned clearance. Even using the stock bolts with MGW's lock washers under them, the bolts are pressed up against the bottom of the body there by the shifter hole.

Has anyone else experienced this? I do not remember my 98 Cobra being like this or a 95GT we put a MGW shifter in.

A suggestion was that since this transmission shifts so well at 140K miles on a car that is otherwise BEAT, perhaps it is a replacement transmission and came from a Fox. I know there is a difference in the bellhousings and input shafts, but is there anything about a Fox transmission that would locate the shifter farther forward in a SN95? Is there any way to identify what year a T5 came from externally?
 
went to install MGW shifter in 94GT today, came up with this:

100_4080.webp

100_4079.webp

100_4078.webp


The shifter is extremely far up in the shifter hole. To the point where the second picture is me removing one of the transmission crossmember bolts and dropping it down 4" to have enough room to remove the front bolts of the shifter.

The longer MGW bolts do not fit in the front even with the mentioned clearance. Even using the stock bolts with MGW's lock washers under them, the bolts are pressed up against the bottom of the body there by the shifter hole.

Has anyone else experienced this? I do not remember my 98 Cobra being like this or a 95GT we put a MGW shifter in.

A suggestion was that since this transmission shifts so well at 140K miles on a car that is otherwise BEAT, perhaps it is a replacement transmission and came from a Fox. I know there is a difference in the bellhousings and input shafts, but is there anything about a Fox transmission that would locate the shifter farther forward in a SN95? Is there any way to identify what year a T5 came from externally?


Chris just need to get under it and check the angle of the clutch fork in the bell housing. Being that the exhaust looked stock for a 94 gt i think the trans is a 94/95 t5. Ill get under it and check the next day im there with you.

Still dont understand why its so far forward.
SDC10058.webp


Mine looks close but not as far forward as yours.
 
The fox III trans and bell idea sound quite possible. It's a 5/8" difference IIRC.

Would you wanna dremel the area above the bolt holes so you can acess them better in the future?