2011 shifter from mgw close to completion...some specs and info>>

[blk5.0]

i just got shifter and man it comes with a lot of things cant wait to install

 

[kystang615]

Got mine yesterday, cant wait to install either..

 

[08StangGT_CS]

I just got on the list yesterday. Wish it was here now!

 

[Scott_0]

I know its prolly buried in this thread somewhere but how much is MGW charging for this work of art? I sold my Barton so I guess I really need one of these

 

[08StangGT_CS]

Here it is. Had to go through it Monday when I was calling.

hey guys,

an update...

first of all i have sold out of the 100 units...( but i made 120 so pretty much everyone that has called will get one.

we have already started on the next run of shifters.

the boots should be here wednesday . and the heat shields about the same time so julie and debbie will be making their calls monday and tuesday so make sure you are available .

here are the final prices...


shifter 375.00

heat shield and manneglass thermal barrier. 25.00

(this kit is a bit more than i estimated BUT it is for good reason.)
i made this shield TWICE as long as i wanted at first so it covers the entire shifter and bushing bracket and seals the rear of the shifter to the tunnel.

mgw shift knob 35.00

deluxe jam nut 10.00

extra handle if you want to use the stock knob also 15.00

george


i am hoping to start shipping end of the week.

 

[Scott_0]

Thanks!!! thats a great price for what you get, I paid $350 for my Barton w/bracket so this is a bargain IMO

 

[Bender]

Got mine yesterday and installed it last night. This thing is amazing. I had the hang ups everyone else talks about. A couple of things I did to make the installation easier was when assembling the 2 parts of the shifter housing I put the thicker piece in from the top then crawled under the car. I laid the thin piece on top of the drive shaft and placed the shift linkage with bushings on the thin piece and then moved the thick part over and lined up the studs. When they were aligned I pushed the whole assembly up against the top of the trans tunnel and gently pushed the 2 parts together. It is a very tight fit. The other thing was when I was installing the shift boot I had a hell of a time getting the larger flange in under the opening in the trans tunnel in the back right corner. So I crawled back under the car and removed the tail mount and pulled the shifter down went back up top and had no problem getting the boot installed. Then I pushed the shifter back up and reinstalled the tail mount. It pushed the boot up a bit and it doesn’t fit under the lip like the other sides of the boot does but some of it is under it. I had no noise when I drove it. This thing shifts like a dream now. Anybody have the address to Ford. I want to send my stock one back to them with a note that says “Nice try, you should fire the engineer that designed this.”

Edit: The only cut I got was from a spot weld under the car on my finger and a little rash from the heat shield.

 

[yellowrubiu]

Tracking UPS anxiously

In reading through some of the last few posts it sounds like the shifter bracket bolts should just be lightly threaded in until the rubber boot is in place.

 

[JAJ]

... when I was installing the shift boot I had a hell of a time getting the larger flange in under the opening in the trans tunnel in the back right corner. So I crawled back under the car and removed the tail mount and pulled the shifter down went back up top and had no problem getting the boot installed. Then I pushed the shifter back up and reinstalled the tail mount. It pushed the boot up a bit and it doesn’t fit under the lip like the other sides of the boot does but some of it is under it. ...

That's the same challenge that I had exactly - getting that back right corner of the boot into place on the top of the opening in the tunnel. I also slid back underneath, but I only lowered the screws on the rear bracket until they were at the bottom of the studs, and that allowed me to pop the boot down the rest of the way and get it evenly seated the whole way around.

I have more comments on the boot install. The instructions and the video more or less say "do it" but my experience is that it's challenging but it's easier if you attack it systematically.

The boot installation happens in three distinct phases. The first is getting the bottom hole over the top of the shifter body. The new instructions that differ from the video are correct - you push it down over the top of the shifter and work it into place by putting your fingers down through the oval hole on the top. I slid a 6" x 1/4" ratchet extension down the hole as a guide to hold the rubber away from the aluminum. I walked the nice smooth chrome plated rod around the outside of the shifter body and pushed the rubber down and into the slot as I went, and it was pretty easy.

The second phase is getting the top oval slot over the gold member. It's easy, full stop.

The third phase is getting the outer ring pushed down into the hole in the top of the tunnel. The gap between the shifter and the right rear of the hole is pretty narrow and there isn't room for two layers of boot as is needed when you're pushing it down into place. Hence the instructions above about dropping the shifter down and fitting the boot, then pushing it back up into place.

The only constructive input I'd offer about the shifter install is to skip using the armored nuts and Loctite and get some stainless lock nuts instead. It's brutal to get the Loctite in place; if I'd known just how difficult it was to do a good job, I'd have hustled down to Fastenal and bought some stainless nylock nuts. If I ever take it apart again, that'll be the first thing I change.

 

[gtmiller1001]

Finally drove mine. Very stiff at first but has already "loosened" up a little bit. I'm happy and think it's honestly the best engineered/designed mod I've ever done, simply due to the attention paid and quality of the parts.

 

[george.arnold]

Finally drove mine. Very stiff at first but has already "loosened" up a little bit. I'm happy and think it's honestly the best engineered/designed mod I've ever done, simply due to the attention paid and quality of the parts.

I have to agree. I've been driving with mine installed for 6 days now. While the feeling is still 'notchy,' it is not at all vague and the engagement feels 100% positive. Much more like a rifle bolt as someone said earlier in the thread. I'm really enjoying driving the car with the new shifter.

The boot took me about 5 tries to get on. The first 4 tries I was trying to man-handle it on there. 5th try I slowed down, got the front half of the boot on by stretching it around the front and the I slid the back half around by hand from the inside of the boot like the new instructions say. Then it was time for a few beers

 

[MGW]

The only constructive input I'd offer about the shifter install is to skip using the armored nuts and Loctite and get some stainless lock nuts instead. It's brutal to get the Loctite in place; if I'd known just how difficult it was to do a good job, I'd have hustled down to Fastenal and bought some stainless nylock nuts. If I ever take it apart again, that'll be the first thing I change.

i have put SEVERAL shifters in myself for guys now and i agree i HATE the loctite and armored hardware but i will NEVER use stainless.

it just cannot get strong enough and on those small fasteners you can strip them VERY easily. you must use grade 8 bolts!!!


george

 

[5.0Trunk]

Are these still available, or are they on backorder?

 

[kystang615]

What is the avg. install time if you have a lift?

 

[MGW]

What is the avg. install time if you have a lift?

about an hour and 1/2 to 2 hours.


george

 

[MGW]

Are these still available, or are they on backorder?

i doubt we will have sitting inventory for months. best thing is to just order it and get in the system. they will ship in order of orders. we do NOT charge a dime until it ships out our door so you can cancel ANYTIME!!


george

 

[yellowrubiu]

Add me to the list of satisfied MGW customers

I got mine this afternoon and dove into the install as soon as UPS dropped it at my door. By then I had the car up on ramps and the stock shifter out.

I know this has been said about a million times by now but it can't be said enough... WOW! When you put the MGW shifter side by side with the stock one, the stock shifter looks like it came out of something from the 60's or 70's and the MGW shifter looks like jewelry. The quality and craftsmanship on the MGW shifter is outstanding.

This was my first time doing something like this and I thought the install was tricky at times but for the most part pretty straight forward if you're patient and take your time outsmarting the challenges rather than trying to muscle your way through them. I'm sure it would be a lot easier on a lift but definitely doable on jack stands or ramps. I took my time and double checked things a couple of times before moving on to the next step. The videos on the MGW website are a great reference to compliment the written instructions.

I agree with others that getting the boot on is the hardest part but I also thought getting the shifter assembly bolted to the lower shifter box was very tricky. If you don't have anyone helping you and don't have a cordless screwdriver with the proper extension on it, like the one shown in the video, it could be a bit of PITA. If you don't have a good T-handle allen wrench set definitely get one before the install. For this step I took a small towel and folded it tight then wedged it between the shifter and drive shaft. This kept the whole assembly high enough to make it easier to push down on the shifter and keep the spring compressed while giving me enough clearance to spin the allen wrench without bumping into the center console edges.

As for the boot, I hooked the front and rear part of the oval in the lower grove first by stretching from the inside, then worked the rest of it into the grove by stretching from the inside or pulling from outside. I did this while I still had the towel mentioned above wedged between the drive shaft and lower assembly box to keep the whole thing high enough and make it a little easier to grab.

Finally, I didn't install the rear shifter bracket until I had worked the grove on the boot into the opening of the transmission tunnel. I was hoping this would give me a little more room to wiggle the whole thing around and avoid the problem others have had with trying to get the right rear part of the boot to seat correctly.

I took the car out for a test drive and this thing feels awesome. First impressing is that it feels stiffer than the stock shifter but I'm sure it will break in a bit as I drive it more. Unlike the OEM shifter the MGW has a very mechanical and definite engagement feeling to it, every shift feels very precise. I was at my Ford dealer a couple of weeks ago and sat in a 2011 GT500 with a manual transmission. I played around with the shifter on that car and as soon as I shifted the MGW in my garage after the install it reminded me of how the shifting felt on the GT500.

I'm about to put my car away for the winter but will definitely try to get some miles in with my new shifter before the snow gets here and ruins the fun.

George, thank you for an outstanding product and fantastic customer service. I'm really glad I waited for your shifter.

 

[kystang615]

Got mine in on Sat. All i can say is WOW. Wonder why they dont come like this from the factory. 100xs better.

 

[blk5.0]

Mgw did a fantastic job with shifter. They turkey stand behind there product.

 

[Ivan 5.0]

Just got my name added to the list