TCI Shifter install done

Casey4s · Apr 25, 2009

I finally got my TCI Street Fighter shifter on Thursday and I got it installed Friday afternoon, with help from "kooldawg6".

I already had the console out of the car, so it only took us about 45 minutes to do the actual install. The instructions that came with the shifter weren't all that explicit in some areas but I already printed two online tutorials that I got the links to here, and pages from the ford field repair manual.

The only tricky part was the two little clips under the car that hold and attach the shifter cable. It's really hard to see and very little room for the hands, but Kooldawg figured it out and came through for me.

Here's a couple of pics...

Old Shifter

New Shifter...

<a href="http://s238.photobucket.com/albums/ff243/Casey4s/ZCAr/Shifter/?action=view&current=002.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff243/Casey4s/ZCAr/Shifter/002.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Shifter works great... just as advertised...

Since I had some idle time I also installed a radiator cover to match my air box that I had recently done a "jewel" job to.

My next addition will have to be the Agent 47 mirrors, the ones I saw on Kooldawg's Stang look great. In fact his whole car looks outstanding.

Thanks again for all the help Kooldawg

walter · Apr 25, 2009

Is that a black dash panel on your car? I'm jealous not too crazy about the ribbed aluminum look my car has.

Casey4s · Apr 25, 2009

Yeah it's just the stock plain Black dash panel. I would like to have brushed Aluminum or Stainless, or the Silver carbon fiber.

bigcat · Apr 25, 2009

it makes my day when i see stangnetters helping others.

autumn_again · Apr 26, 2009

nice. if i bought an auto that would of been the first thing that went into my car.

and nice job on the airbox. i have one similar, and yanked mine out and sat there for a little over an hour buffing it. looked like a mirror where i finished it. then i realized i had like 5 more sides to go.

gpp · Apr 26, 2009

casey4s,i know its a ratchet shifter but do you have to ratchet it from park,to reverse,and to drive or is it just to go from drive,to 3rd,to 2nd,to 1st and back to drive?i asume when its in frist you just bump it to second,then 3rd,but what about 3rd to drive?

Casey4s · Apr 26, 2009

gpp said:
casey4s,i know its a ratchet shifter but do you have to ratchet it from park,to reverse,and to drive or is it just to go from drive,to 3rd,to 2nd,to 1st and back to drive?i asume when its in frist you just bump it to second,then 3rd,but what about 3rd to drive?

You can drive it in DRIVE like any auto, but if you decide to down shift into third you just pull the t bar back one notch, or from a stop you can ratchet it down to first, and manually upshift to second, to third, and then to DRIVE.

Here is a video I found on line someplace that demonstrates the action.

YouTube - TCI Mustang Ratchet Shifter

EDIT:

The "paddle" acts just like the button on the left side of the stock shifter.

Casey4s · Apr 26, 2009

autumn_again said:
nice. if i bought an auto that would of been the first thing that went into my car.

and nice job on the airbox. i have one similar, and yanked mine out and sat there for a little over an hour buffing it. looked like a mirror where i finished it. then i realized i had like 5 more sides to go.

That air box I had to build from scratch from Aluminum sheet to accomodate the Shaker forced cold air. The original K&N box just wouldn't work, and I wanted to make it more enclosed and put a bottom on it to block as much hot air as possible.

Then last week I had to disassemble it and do the jewelling, polising, and reassemble. If I had it to do over I would do the jewelling just before I did the bending. The radiator cover is a Steeda Stainless Steel one, that I jewelled to match the air box. I have a stainless fuse box cover on order now that I am going to make match the other stuff.

autumn_again · Apr 26, 2009

nice. i noticed the back was open for the shaker, the steeda/ford racing one is a semi similar design.

kooldawg6 · Apr 27, 2009

Glad to have helped out! Yeah the shifter cable sure was a tricky one! It wasn't until you got the flashlight under there that I could see the little push tab Once I saw that, it took no time! Then the other clip that holds the cable to the bracket was a chore as it was rather difficult to get to the top tab to release it. After several minutes it was out and didn't even break That sure is one nice looking shifter
Just let me know when you get those mirrors and I'll be there to help again

stangdude2000 · Apr 27, 2009

Lookin good!

Casey4s · Apr 28, 2009

stangdude2000 said:
Lookin good!

Thanx...

bluecar · Apr 29, 2009

Hi all. Do you think a place like AAMCO would know what they're doing if I asked them to do the install?

whyask · Apr 29, 2009

OMG sweet ! Ive been away from the forum for a minute its nice to see people starting to get there shifter finally ... i know some have been waiting 3 months ! Nice install by the way !

Casey4s · Apr 29, 2009

bluecar said:
Hi all. Do you think a place like AAMCO would know what they're doing if I asked them to do the install?

Almost any auto mechanic can do this install with no problem, but I can't imagine what they would charge you. It really isn't that difficult to do, you might be better off finding a friend or someone to do it for you if you don't feel confident enough or have the tools.

Go into AAMCO and ask what they would charge you in advance if you are planning to go that route.

Casey4s · Apr 29, 2009

whyask said:
OMG sweet ! Ive been away from the forum for a minute its nice to see people starting to get there shifter finally ... i know some have been waiting 3 months ! Nice install by the way !

It took almost a month to get mine and I ordered it directly from TCI which is the cheapest place online to buy one.

darien87 · Apr 29, 2009

Casey4s said:

What's that black tube coming off of the air filter?

Casey4s · Apr 29, 2009

darien87 said:
What's that black tube coming off of the air filter?

Actually it's the cold air going into the filter from the CDC "Shaker" hood scoop. I already had a K&N CAI on the car when I installed the Shaker. The CDC set up would not work "as is" with the K&N air box because it was designed to go into the side of the stock Ford air box.

This is the original K&N air box and the CDC original cold air tubing.

This is the air box I fabricated to accept a cold air tube I fabricated out of conduit. This was the first version,
later I cut the whole corner out of the box.

Here's the first rendition of the tube and air box

A better look at the way things look under the hood before the recent improvements the finish of the air box like it is in the photo you asked about.

I sent some pics to CDC and they thought it was an excellent solution to the K&N air box dilemma.

EDIT:

It looks like this with the hood down:

do-it · Sep 30, 2011

How do they hold up long term?

mdjay · Oct 3, 2011

So how does the TCI shift in comparison to stock? I have found the stock shifter can slip between the gears...

TCI Shifter install done

Casey4s

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walter

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bigcat

start with the upper hole, and if more traction is

autumn_again

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mine works really well and can take a fair amount

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