problems shifting

ubermage · 04-17-2003

first problem might be how it's supposed to be... with first gear, sometimes i can't put it in to first, usually if my rpms are higher than 1000.

second problem is with reverse, it feels like i can't get into reverse without letting up on the clutch a little. (different problem) also sometimes i can get it half-way into reverse and it sounds like it's grinding gears (eeeeek, yeah, i pull it back to neutral real quick) but when i try again (very carefully again) it seems to work flawlessly.

any help would be appreciated.

Terrible Juan · 04-17-2003

Eh, what year/model do you have...

ubermage · 04-17-2003

woops... i have a 99 mustang v6 base model. i haven't done anything to mod it except the white gauges.

PonyBoy1574 · 04-17-2003

I have the same thing with my car which is a 2002 v6. You don't really want to go into 1st but if you insist tap the gas to get revs up and it should glide in. With reverse make sure that the car is completely stopped and not rolling back when you try to slide it in. If it is then tap the gas and let it jump in by it's self.

Glen · 04-17-2003

It kind of sounds like the old T-45 bent fork problem that many GT owners have had. But yours is a T-5 tranny, and it should be a a stronger shifting mech design.

It could also be a clutch on the 1st gear issue, but that dosen't explain the reverse problem as well.

Not to sound stupid, but have you adjusted the clutch? If not, it's easy to do. Just slip you foot under the clutch pedal and pull up on the pedal hard. then press the clutch pedal all the way to the ground. It's a self adjusting clutch, sort of, but you have to help it along.

Also, I had a Mustang that was tough to get into reverse, not grinding but just didn't like to get into reverse at all. So, I would engage the clutch and then quickly slide the shifter into 3rd and then into reverse. Since 3rd is on the same gear ring as reverse, I think it seemed to align things up better.

Hope this helps,

Glen

ubermage · 04-17-2003

never touched with the clutch, i'll try that tomorrow.

stang50 · 04-28-2003

on my 92 gt with a t-5 i need to put the shifter into fifth gear and then back into reverse and it goes in fine. otherwise sometimes itll grind a bit. but i have also done quite a bit of power and speed shifting practice with this tranny so that might be part of my problem.

drunkenfarmer · 05-07-2003

ford does not reccomend downshifting into 1's until you are under 20 km/h (bout 13 mph)