[dmarlowe]

My name is Devon, and I have a 2001 Ford Mustang Cobra convertible. Since yesterday I've had problems with the gears shifting when the engine is on. When I start the car, in neutral, I cannot engage any of the gears even though the clutch is to the floor. Then later yesterday the problem went away entirely and the gears shifted fine. Again today it worked this morning but started acting up again this afternoon and now I have the same problem. It's fine if I start the car with the clutch in and in first gear; then I can drive it in first no problem. So it does not appear to be a problem with the clutch itself (which is only 2 years old). It is also worth mentioning that the weather here has been really bizarrely unstable the last couple days with the humidity levels and air pressure constantly changing. So I wonder if that is tripping out the car's computer and creating bubbles in the transmission fluid.

 

[2Manystangs]

you need either a clutch adjustment, a new clutch or an aftermarket shifter or a transmission rebuild...there is no way for weather to affect shifting or the ECU unless you are driving it in deep water.

 

[dmarlowe]

Thanks. The fact that the problem is intermittent at this point leads me to believe it's not the transmission (I hope not!), otherwise I would think it would be totally broken. The shifter or a clutch adjustment makes sense. I hope either of those options is not terribly expensive.

 

[Brutal Metal]

how does the clutch pedal feel? lots of slack? firm? Does it engage on the floor or can you release up a good bit before the car rolls? (how I prefer it)

 

[dmarlowe]

The clutch feels the same as it has always felt since I got it a couple years ago, which is that it engages an inch or two off the floor. Once it starts to engage, it does so rather quickly, but not as quickly or tightly as with the original clutch. It really hasn't changed since I got it a couple years ago. Also, there seems to be no difference in the way the car drives now; it's just that shifting is sometimes difficult. I think at this point it's the shifter.

 

[2Manystangs]

yeah, it sounds like you are due for a rebuild, use a modern kit from www.thegearbox.org

 

[dmarlowe]

still having the same problem

I replaced the shifter in the Cobra and now have a short-throw shifter. However, the problem still persists with the car finding the gears. The shifter was not the problem. Has anyone experienced a similar issue? Please do not post links to web sites as part of a salesman's agenda. I have my own resources for finding parts, and only need some advice from someone who might have experienced this problem themselves.

 

[2Manystangs]

I'm not a salesman bro, I'm trying to help you fix your problem at the lowest possible cost, what shifter do you have? It's possible it's the problem, they can be adjusted

 

[dmarlowe]

I'm not sure off the top of my head about what kind of shifter it is. I'll have to double check. I just had a mechanic look at it and he said it appears that a spring came loose in the clutch and fell down in it and got stuck. So I'll need a new clutch which sucks because that clutch is after-market and is only 2-3 years old. It has about 25000 miles on it. At least it's not the transmission.

 

[rj8806]

This is a case of the clutch cable needing replaced and adjusting the clutch, period.

Can you shift through the gears when the engine is off? If the answer is yes, then you've just eliminated the transmission from the equation. If you CANNOT shift the transmission when the engine is not running then yes, you have a transmission issue.

My best educated guess is the cable (the cable that connects to the clutch fork from the clutch pedal) needs to be replaced. They are famous for getting heat soaked and stretching which sounds exactly like what is happening to you.

If I am right and the tranny shifts fine with the engine off, then replace the cable and re-adjust the clutch.

Before throwing anymore money at the problem hoping it fixes it, let me know the answer to my question above. Then (assuming I am right), remove the metal clutch fork cover from the side of the bell housing and look up in there. What you should see is a 1/8" gap between the face of the bearing and the fingers on the pressure plate when the pedal is up at the rest position. Anything more than a 1/4" gap and you are not getting full release of the disc and that can cause hard shifting issues as well as tear up the syncronizers.

Let me know.....