T5 Shifter?

robbz28 · Apr 26, 2011

Alright, this might be best suited for one of the 5.0 tech threads, but I am familiar with you guys,so here goes. I am in the process of swapping my 67 to a T5, I have been told to go ahead and replace the shifter, I have heard Pro 5.0 and B&M Ripper....most say because of the shifter stops and shorter throw. Have any of you guys bought, read about, used, one of these 50 dollar specials off of ebay? They are short throw with shifter stops and SAY they are billet aluminum. I know you usually get what you pay for, but if anyone knows anything about these shifters I would appreciate some feedback, Thanks.

mustangmutt · Apr 26, 2011

I have been wondering about those $50 ebay shifters myself. I think that unless you are planning on doing a lot of aggressive shifting that the stock unit is fine.

robbz28 · Apr 26, 2011

Well if I understand from what I have read, its a good idea to have the shifter installed before you put it in the car. I don't plan on doing any hard shifting, but I can't say what my brother or whoever I let take a ride may try to do. I like the fact that they have a shift stop and some adapters to move the shifter back an inch, If they are at least the same quality as the stocks I would be satisfied...just don't want to downgrade any, if that makes sense.

2+2GT · Apr 27, 2011

Aftermarket shifters invariably are taller and more bulky than OEM Ford shifters. This often means chopping the hole in the floor for additional clearance, which is not needed with the OEM shifter.

67GTFB · Apr 27, 2011

fwiw all remarks made are spot on .... I did this conversion on my 67 about one ago and installed a new Pro 5.0 shifter (good idea at the time) .... depending on where the shifter fits up into the tunnel, you will most likely have to do some alteration to the tunnel to gain proper clearance for the aftermarket shifter ..... mine needed some excavation at the front of the hole .... you have to disassemble the shifter (remove stop collar) to get the T-5 up and in -- then reinstall the collar (Beware of flying springs and such!) .... another issue I had was that the OEM boot bolt pattern and OEM boot didn't work with the Pro 5.0 with the shift collar .... so we had to manufacture some hold-down plates and and not use the collar (duh !! - so why did I spend all of that $$) .... then you may also have issue with the shifter being one inch forward and that will cause backwards pressure on the shifter handle and may cause the tranny to jump out of 1st and 3rd (mine did, so I switched from the bellows style OEM boot to the soft boot akin to later models. but with the OEM bolt pattern) .... so if you gotta have the shift stops, be prepared to make mods to accommodate the bulkier shifter ..... for me and the way I drive, in retrospect I should have just stayed with the T-5 stock shifter (but I can't tell the Mrs. that) .... good luck -- regardless you'll enjoy the T-5 ....

67GTFB

65coupe408w · Apr 27, 2011

My first T-5 had an ebay shifter on it. I used to have real big issues with the 2-3 shift, just would get stuck between the gates. I am now running a Pro 5.0 behind my G-Force T5 and it shifts smooth as butter and never misses a shift.

I think this is one of those things where you get what you pay for. That said you may need to clearance the hole in the trans tunnel a little.

robbz28 · Apr 27, 2011

Well I dont think i need the stops....others will argue that I do to prevent internal rail damage or something like that, but I have a warmed over 289, may have 220 horses. Our local drag strip closed down 2 years ago, so I wont be going there and powershifting anything. From the guys I have emailed about their swaps, and leaving the stock shifter in place, and from what I have read on here, I think I am going to stick with the stock shifter...money is a bit tight right now anyway since the wife got laid off.

Blue67 · Apr 27, 2011

I have a pro 5.0 shifter in my 67 coupe. I never had any problems with it. My brothers 66 has a stock shifter and you can tell the difference in how they feel. The main difference is distance between 2nd and 3rd. The Pro 5.0 has a much shorter shift.

2+2GT · Apr 27, 2011

robbz28 said:
Well I dont think i need the stops....others will argue that I do to prevent internal rail damage or something like that, but I have a warmed over 289, may have 220 horses.

Um, yeah, there are about a spazillion Fox-body Mustangs out there without stops, apparently the "need" isn't very strong.

iskwezm · Apr 27, 2011

I have the B&M Ripper and i dont care for it. Some other shifters are spring loaded to make the 2-3 shift easier. Weather or not you think you need the stop, its cheap insurance to avoid pullin the trans again to repair something that couldve been avoided.

Realmongo · Apr 27, 2011

I bought the Hurst Competition Plus for my T5 and still have it. I found the factory shifter was junk and did not offer any positive stops for transmission protection.

robbz28 · Apr 28, 2011

New question, have any of you damaged your transmission by not having the stops? I have had 3 vehicles with T5's (all chevys, but still T5's) The first one when i was 15 and first got my license and it was in a truck with a LONG handled shifter on it, lots of leverage to tear something up...I beat and banged on that shifter as expected of a 15 year old, never missed a lick. Is this more of a mustang issue than an inherent T5 issue? I'm just curious because I had never heard of this until recently, wanna make sure I have a good understanding about the problem.

2+2GT · Apr 28, 2011

Near as I can tell it's a boogeyman invented by shifter companies to get people to buy their products. The only real danger of this is when the car is used in competition, particularly drag-racing, where slamming the car into gear with adrenaline-induced superhuman strength is the norm.

horseballz · Apr 28, 2011

A few thoughts for my friend Rob:
>One thing I think you won't like is reaching forward for a standard short handle/stick on a T5
>The after market "simulated" 4-speed sticks for T5 shifters are WAY overpriced
>A slick solution is to find a shift handle/stick from a 3-speed Mustang, cut the bottom off of it, mill/grind a flat on each side, drill 2 holes to mate to the stock T5 (or many after market) shifter and bolt it on. It will be generally in stock Mustang position and will look like you have a 3-speed.
>Some 3-speed sticks are solid & some are hollow. If you end up with a hollow one, simply trim the threads down a tiny bit on an appropriate size/length carriage bolt, drive the bolt into the hollow and cut it off prior to milling/grinding the flats on it. What ever way you go, once you have the right rear gears, you'll LOVE your T5.
Just My $.02,
Gene

robbz28 · Apr 28, 2011

I have thought about doing that with a 3 speed shifter....but my only problem is procuring the original stick. No good junkyards around here, and the ones on ebay are 30-40 bucks plus 15-20 bucks shipping, then they are rusted....if anyone has a good old 3 speed stick they will let go of cheap...hit me up!

Hack · Apr 28, 2011

I personally don't like shifter stops. However, I DO like aftermarket shifters. I don't like the stock T-5 shifter feel. It's like you're shifting some *** crap 4 banger or something. I don't know about the cheap Ebay parts. I have a Hurst on my 3550 and love it. I just rebuilt a T-5 that came with a Hurst in a junker Fox Mustang I bought last winter - I haven't driven it yet, but bench shifting and with the car on jack stands it works well.

I like to buy brand names and I think you usually get better quality construction and a better design in general with them. The Hurst shifters I have are quality parts work well and last. I've heard good things about Pro 5.0 but never used one.

I have rebuilt T-5s that had broken forks and cracked shifter plates. That kind of damage is caused by power shifting or slamming gears, I believe. You won't do damage like that by performance driving if you respect and understand how the parts work and use them as they should be. T-5s shouldn't be power-shifted anyway - at least not when they have factory internals. They just aren't built for it.

mustangmutt · Apr 30, 2011

My driver is a 90 GT and I have owned three other Fox body stangs, all with T-5's and stock shifters and I never had a problem breaking anything. Like I said, unless you are planning on beating the car mercilessly the stock shifter will be fine.

And +1 on modifying the 3spd lever. I did that on a 69 that we put a T-5 in and it works great. Or you can use a Hurst Lever for one of their 4 spd shifters. It might be serrated on the wrong side, but it will bolt on. Bruce at Modern Driveline has the best price that I have found. It'll still cost about $80.00 when all is said and done, it's still cheeper than the fake 4spd lever.

2+2GT · Apr 30, 2011

horseballz said:
>The after market "simulated" 4-speed sticks for T5 shifters are WAY overpriced

Really? Try making one and get back to us. I don't like paying the price, either, but I do like the results.

The Hurst stick can be used, I've used these, for $80. You still have to buy a knob, of course, either way.

View attachment 190427

horseballz · Apr 30, 2011

Rob,
I've got one for you. Already cut, milled and drilled. A few small pits, but not rusty. $25 + the ride from 89119 zip. I was a hollow one that I filled with a bolt.
Gene

A66Auto · May 8, 2011

I have a Pro 5.0 shifter in my 66 with the Mustangs Plus "restromod" remote shifter and I love it. It is ugly as hell, but works so well.

T5 Shifter?

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