What is wrong with my shifting?

Sounds like you are letting go of the clutch a little too early...

I think that is the gears grinding because they werent engaged yet when you let off the clutch and dumped power into them... Just make sure your letting into the gear fully a split hair before you let off the clutch. Sounds like your timing on the let go is premature...

I have issues sometimes putting the car in first if I am not totally stopped or still moving .. sometimes it will just go into gear but rough but other times ...it will grind and grind bad .. not all the time .. but sometimes ..when I say sometimes I mean maybe once a week if that ... I assure you the clutch is pinned to the floor when it happens..


Anyway I thought this was my shifting or my shortcommings as a driver so I ran this by someone who knows these cars pretty good. .. He indicated to me that the synchros in the T5 in his words "suck" and that contributes to some of the rough shifts .. missed shifts and grinding .

could be premature eclutchulation

You almost have to be at the floor boards with the clutch so maybe your sitting back too far.

Chris_NY said:

I have issues sometimes putting the car in first if I am not totally stopped or still moving .. sometimes it will just go into gear but rough but other times ...it will grind and grind bad .. not all the time .. but sometimes ..when I say sometimes I mean maybe once a week if that ... I assure you the clutch is pinned to the floor when it happens..

Anyway I thought this was my shifting or my shortcommings as a driver so I ran this by someone who knows these cars pretty good. .. He indicated to me that the synchros in the T5 in his words "suck" and that contributes to some of the rough shifts .. missed shifts and grinding .

Click to expand...

Dunno about the T5. But unless I'm mistaken the tranny in the 05 is the tremec 3650. Same basic tranny as all late-model V8 Mustangs. I'm guessing your odd 1st-gear grind occurs before the tranny is fully warmed-up. Like, in the morning after just a few minutes driving. And when shifting into first while slowing from that last few mph. No problem when fully warmed-up?

the V6 has the T5 the V8 has the Tremec ...

it happens really anytime warm or not. What you describe other then the timing of it, is exactly right. Sometimes it will happen if I come to a stop and I am in 3rd and go around and try to pop it right into 1st too. Especially if I am still creeping or coasting a little. It's not that often to be a big deal and I never force it in gear when it happens. I just let go of the shifter wait a second or 2 and try again.

I also notice that if your going to downshift and your going a little faster then you should be for second or first gear it happens. When you try to push it into either of those 2 gears it will resist till you slow down a little more. This is another instence where 1st will grind more often or not. like if your pulling into a parking lot and you want to shift down to first from second but still be moving and it will resist. When it resists if you try to force it, you will get a hellacious grind That means the tranny is definatly spinning while your trying to mesh the gears. To me this either means bad synchros because they should stop the tranny from spinning when you press the clutch down. It could be bad clutching. (but I know I am putting it all the way down) OR could be the clutch is not adjusted right. BUT since it only happens in first or on these odd times we talked about that can't be it cus it would happen in all gears all the time most likely.

I hope some of this chatter is helping or giving ideas to the original poster.. I don't want to hijack the thread. I just thought my experiences might be helpful in diagnosing his issue.

Have you ever worked on a Mustang clutch? I am not sure you have the right idea how it works, or maybe I am just misunderstanding your post.

The clutch is a pressure plate pack that allows for slipping while the transmission syncronizes with the turning engine. I could explain it but it would be simpler to view an animation (http://auto.howstuffworks.com/clutch1.htm). And then look at the diagram at (http://auto.howstuffworks.com/clutch3.htm). That should help clear things up...

Anyways, the grinding isnt going to come from the clutch (in that the grinding is a metal on metal grinding sound - unless of course the clutch is severely worn down and that takes a couple of years usually). Clutch pad grinding sounds more muffled and softer, but still doesnt sound pleasant. Nothing like metal on metal though.

If you are hearing metal on metal that is the gears themselves. Also, that resistance to go into a gear (say when you are severly downshifting) is the transmissions safety mechanism to keep it from getting damaged by dumping into a gear not fit for the engine rotation. Insisting on the gear shift is completely wrong and just because the transmission finally lets you force it, does not mean it is okay. You are changing the gear a little too high for the speed.

I would suggest taking an experienced standard transmission driver (preferrably someone who drives domestic muscle cars) to critique your driving habits. Your transmission is not going to last long with that kind of abuse... Just trying to help...

I don't ever force it in gear or extreme shift. I forced it once or twice and I got a nice grind and I learned my lesson. I thought I kind of made that clear in my last post. Extreme would be throwing it in second comming off a highway at 50 or some trash you can hear her spin up like a top and see the Rpms jump from 2 to 5 or some trash like that. I wasn't trying to explain somthing like that.

When it does grind if ever I just let go of the stick give it a second to let everything catch up. Make sure my foot is on the floor and then try to push it back into gear again.

I think you misunderstood a lot of what I was saying OR more then likely I misrepresented it when I wasy trying to put it into words.

About the resistence safety mechanism thing you mentioned. I thought the same thing. Then I asked someone who I believe is very knowlegable he told me I was wrong that there was no such mechanism. Maybe hes wrong, but this person really knows cars in particular all late model Mustangs and I tend to take him on his word.
I mean this person can regurgitate at will any stat on any Mustang at will hes like Encyclopedia Mustangica or some crap. I also had said person ride with me like you mentioned. I wanted to make sure I wasn't doing anything stupid for sure he he.

**EDIT**
I just checked out those animations thanks for the links! I am trying to teach the GF how to drive stick. I try to explain what happens when she presses the clutch and it's really hard to put that into words if the person who your explaining to has absolutely no idea what is happening .. Now I can show her he he he .

first and foremost, I would not recommend power shifting a brand new mustang under at least 1000 miles. This previous occurance may be why you are experiencing trouble now. As you stated, the clutch should be or is a little worn in now, but this may be why you are having problems. ????

Chris_NY said:

When it does grind if ever I just let go of the stick give it a second to let everything catch up. Make sure my foot is on the floor and then try to push it back into gear again.

I think you misunderstood a lot of what I was saying OR more then likely I misrepresented it when I wasy trying to put it into words.

About the resistence safety mechanism thing you mentioned. I thought the same thing. Then I asked someone who I believe is very knowlegable he told me I was wrong that there was no such mechanism. Maybe hes wrong, but this person really knows cars in particular all late model Mustangs and I tend to take him on his word.
I mean this person can regurgitate at will any stat on any Mustang at will hes like Encyclopedia Mustangica or some crap. I also had said person ride with me like you mentioned. I wanted to make sure I wasn't doing anything stupid for sure he he.

**EDIT**
I just checked out those animations thanks for the links! I am trying to teach the GF how to drive stick. I try to explain what happens when she presses the clutch and it's really hard to put that into words if the person who your explaining to has absolutely no idea what is happening .. Now I can show her he he he .

Click to expand...

I thought maybe I was reading it wrong, but in any case when I said mechanism maybe I should have worded it differently to say safety by design. There isnt so to speak an actual bar or anything keeping you from shifting, but more of a resistance to enter the gear based on the inability to use that gear at that time. As the synchros spin up to match the speed, eventually you will get in that gear, you may just end up doing a whole hell of a lot of damage.

Anyways, if you liked those other animations, I would suggest a walkthrough on "how manual transmissions work". That sight is pretty awesome if anything just because they spend time to make animations of some pretty interesting things. Great reference. I particularly like their animation on a cross section working shiftable animation on this page(Manual Transmission at work animation). And you can view the basic design behind synchros here. Happy trails...