Why is it so hard to shift into 1st gear from a stop?

I would look into adjusting your shift linkages...that sounds more like the problem...a quadrant gear is just used to take up the slack on the clutch.

I am not sure if the shift linkages are adjustable on the stang's but i know must other cars are.

It doesn't seem to be a sychro problem because like it was earlier said by forpit200gt "reverse is not sychronized" reverse uses something called a reverse idler gear. Most are saying it is grinding in reverse as well as first, which leads me to believe it is the shift linkages IMO.

git-it-83 said:

I have no problems at all with my tr3650, including the 1st and Reverse issues you guys mention. I hope I don't develop them....

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Same here...zero problems - and 100% better than the T-45 in the 01 GT on the other side of the garage.

nex2nutin said:

I would look into adjusting your shift linkages...that sounds more like the problem...a quadrant gear is just used to take up the slack on the clutch.

I am not sure if the shift linkages are adjustable on the stang's but i know must other cars are.

It doesn't seem to be a sychro problem because like it was earlier said by forpit200gt "reverse is not sychronized" reverse uses something called a reverse idler gear. Most are saying it is grinding in reverse as well as first, which leads me to believe it is the shift linkages IMO.

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Shift linkages? Not in the T-45 or TR-3650.

u can adjust to take out the slac on cable tho..

twogts4us said:

Shift linkages? Not in the T-45 or TR-3650.

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ok, this would be news to me. every manual tranny has shift linkages, be it mechanical, cable or electronics. how does it shift gears then on your T45 or 3650??

On our ford traniers here at the job I see mechanical shift rods which are adjustable.

nex2nutin said:

ok, this would be news to me. every manual tranny has shift linkages, be it mechanical, cable or electronics. how does it shift gears then on your T45 or 3650??

On our ford traniers here at the job I see mechanical shift rods which are adjustable.

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The "linkage" you are thinking of is internal on these transmissions (the T-5, T-45, TR-3650, etc) and is non-adjustable. And it is nothing like older Mustang manual transmissions like the Ford Top Loader -totally different way of moving gears. It's really not linkage, per se. It's mechancial (as opposed to electronic, but as stated, completely different than the external rods and levers from old style automobile transmissions), and it's not cable actuated, though the clutch is, of course, operated by cable.
If you own a Mustang...and it has a manual transmission...put an aftermarket shifter in it (or just remove the one that's in there) and you'll see how the transmission's gears are changed.

Here's a Top Loader (note the access plate on the top where the gears are loaded in - hense the name 'top loader') Also, though they are on the other side of the transmission, you can see the shift rods / linkage you were talking about.


Here's another...almost laughable - This is an old 65-66 Mustang 3 speed. (Capable of over 50 ft/lbs torque! ) It's a good picture showing external shift linkage.


And here's a modern Mustang 5 speed, this one is a Tremec TKO-500 (not actually a production transmission, but very similiar to the TR-3650, just beefier). This, and especially the TKO-600, are the most popular manual transmission upgrades for late model Mustangs. Hopefully this helps explain how the modern Mustang transmission works. Though technology has certainly changed since the transmissions shown above, you still can pick out the shift linkage, per se (a pair of rods running horizontially, and the shift forks that ride on them.

Mustang5L5 said:

Reverse is synchronized...in both the T-45 and T-3650. Even the T-5 now has a reverse synchro.


Sounds to me like the clutch isn't disengaging. Try this. Come to a stop, push in the clutch, count to 10-15 and then try for 1st gear. If it goes in fine, then maybe your synchros are a bit worn, if it still doesn't go in, it's definitely a clutch that is dragging...possibly from a stretched cable.

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I stand corrected.