The Definitive "Hard To Shift" Thread

[James33411]

by these do you mean the che brace?

Yes. I had a Hellion single kit installed a few months back. With all of the extra piping, wasnt sure it would clear.

 

[krang00]

I'm running a custom turbo set up and there's no way the CHE brace will fit with the way the piping is run. I've read through all 11 pages of this thread -anyone have another suggestion?

Shifting from pretty much every gear is painfully slow (like 2 seconds between gears) if I want it to engage at almost full throttle and under boost. Running the MGW shifter, SPEC 3+ clutch and steel flywheel with a set of SR solid motor mounts.

 

[skwerl]

I'm running a custom turbo set up and there's no way the CHE brace will fit with the way the piping is run. I've read through all 11 pages of this thread -anyone have another suggestion?

Shifting from pretty much every gear is painfully slow (like 2 seconds between gears) if I want it to engage at almost full throttle and under boost. Running the MGW shifter, SPEC 3+ clutch and steel flywheel with a set of SR solid motor mounts.

The more I messed with my 3650 trying to fix it the worse it got. The $5000 answer is for sale at JPC.

 

[RED09GT]

I'm running a custom turbo set up and there's no way the CHE brace will fit with the way the piping is run. I've read through all 11 pages of this thread -anyone have another suggestion?

Shifting from pretty much every gear is painfully slow (like 2 seconds between gears) if I want it to engage at almost full throttle and under boost. Running the MGW shifter, SPEC 3+ clutch and steel flywheel with a set of SR solid motor mounts.

WOT box.
I took off my ingalls torque damper (a different version of the CHE piece) in order to accommodate my turbo kit and my shifting slowed down but after adding the WOT box and a Barton shifter I can rip 'em pretty good again and it holds boost between shifts.

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[gregsdart]

I didn't read the whole thread, but will trace through what happened to me.
2006 GT, Saleen blower at 7.5 psi.
Best run; 12.42 at 115.1 mph everything bone stock, tires included save for the blower.
I had missed a couple of gears, but didn't think a lot of it at first. (made those runs junk of course)
Tried a second gear burn out and promptly heated the clutch with a bad bog.
On the 1/2 shift, missed second (hot clutch, poor disengagement) ruined the synchro.
Bought a take out 3650 , Mcleod street pro single disc clutch, and put it in with the provided spacer as per instructions.
NO WHERE IN THE INSTRUCTIONS DID THEY TELL ME TO MEASURE THE F-ING tb TO CLUTCH FINGERS!!!!!!!
I had resurfaced the stock flywheel(minimum) and used the stock throw out bearing .
Clutch would not disengage far enough, dragged so bad the car started to move due to the synchro in first or reverse.
Bought a braided line and 2013 GT500 clutch master cylinder. The master cylinder I got looked just like the original despite having the right part number on an unopened box. I put those parts in and the problem was still there.
I called Mcleod at least three times to see what help I could get. They finally agreed to ship a new disc for the clutch that was custom made at .315 versus .340 thick for their standard clutch disc to help disengagement.
I also purchased another spacer for the TB.
I had the clutch to TB distance measured and it needed most of the second spacer to get down to the minimum of .100 compressed TB to clutch finger free play. Max is .250. So to get to .100 it took two spacers, with just a little shaved off the second one by machining it. These spacers are .200 thick. Having to use that much spacer tells me that was a huge part of the problem; IE, TB too far away for good disengagement.
Both resurfacing the flywheel and installing a new disc add distance between the fingers and the TB, by the way.
Also, due to the limited master cylinder to TB fluid ratio in the hydraulic system the MAX under good conditions the TB will move is .430 against the clutch fingers, once it self adjusts through bleeding.

I also had ordered another master clutch cylinder for a 500 GT from another dealer along with an after market TB that looked identical to the stock one.
This time the clutch is disengaging about half way to the floor!
It shifts very well now, no worry of a missed gear.
This tells me the issue is very little disengagement of the stock clutch is a big problem, not allowing enough TIME for the synchro to do its' job and get the trans into the next gear. Also, anything you take off the flywheel to resurface it aggravates the problem. There is VERY little room for tolerance changes. That is what is what I figure to be our biggest problem.
Anything else in the combination that flexes under the load of power shifting( fluid line, shifter, motor mounts, shifter rails, you name it) is going to increase the time it takes to get the shifting mechanism working fast enough to get the trans into gear with the very short disengagement time available. Now with the long time provided with the long travel on mine, all seems to work great despite having a stock shifter , mounts, etc.
So thats MY story!!

 

[sdleo29]

I know this is an old thread, but thought I would add my experience with Syncromesh . This was recommended on another thread by Skwerl. I put it in last week and my car has never shifted this good. I had lockout from 1-2 at high rpm, and the occasional grind. Since I put in the 3.2 quarts of SM it's a different tranny; I am pretty happy since I was pretty close to doing a 6060. I am going to put in the WOT box (mostly for the 2-step) and the Torque limiters for good measure.

 

[hunter1022]

So talking with CHE about there K Member Brace and Torque Limiters I asked if any one had broken there Bell Housing (Transmission Case) with this set up and they said early on they had some problems but fixed them with a new spacer on the limiters, Anyone had any problems with them breaking anything. I have the SS Clutch Line a Ram Power Grip Clutch with an .156 inch shim behind the slave and Ram SFI Steel fly wheel, Roush Short throw Shifter. I want to add the CHE K member brace and Torque Limiters but just looks to me as if all that stress from locking down the tranny may break the Bell Housing. Real world info will help with to add or not to add.

 

[tcook]

check your clutch master cylinder along with the trans fluid

 

[DeanPLeslie]

I resolved my shifting issues with some modification to the transmission mount I am about to describe. My shifting issues are just like most others high rpm shifting is difficult to get in gear and especially cornering at the same time. I had poly engine mounts before this mod.

This is my first post on any forum so forgive me, also I realize this post is old but I just want to provide a low cost option, and a real world solution that worked for me.

Basically, I just removed the transmission mount and added (by drilling)two 5/16"x2.25" bolts to each side of it to "limit" the amount that it can flex. I used a nylock nut so that I could leave an 1/8" of flex so that it wouldn't feel like a solid mount. I staggered the bolts, one on the front of one side and one on the rear of the other.

I have not extensively tested this but I did test it for a bit and I was able to shift perfectly in all cases that I could not previously.

Hope this can help others and try it at your own risk!

 

[702GT]

'13 GT500 master cylinder is the way to go. I feel the majority of high rpm shift issues stem from the slave not being able to fully disengage the pressure plate from the flywheel. I had motor mounts, CHE torque limiters, and tried shifter braces. Nothing was as absolute as when I installed the '13 GT500 master cylinder. Keeping the driveline straight is neccessary, but if you don't have an adjustable slave or are shimming the slave, you can still have high rpm hang ups.

 

[05gtowner]

Just went to Pennzoil Synchromesh after using the Ford recommended Mercon and then Mercon V. Definitely much smoother shifting and the 1-2 'nibble' is gone. Very happy. I also am running the CHE Brace and limiters with the rubber bushings instead of the race spherical on both ends of the links and a MGW first gen shifter.

 

[2005Redfire6]

'13 GT500 master cylinder is the way to go. I feel the majority of high rpm shift issues stem from the slave not being able to fully disengage the pressure plate from the flywheel. I had motor mounts, CHE torque limiters, and tried shifter braces. Nothing was as absolute as when I installed the '13 GT500 master cylinder. Keeping the driveline straight is neccessary, but if you don't have an adjustable slave or are shimming the slave, you can still have high rpm hang ups.

Whats the part number? Clutch master cylinder or what? I have CHE TQ limiters, urethane motor mounts, braided clutch line, and an MGW and I am getting locked out of 2nd,3rd at high RPMs and reverse. I also have shifting issues just sitting stopped where it locks me out sometimes. Not sure if its the shifter, clutch master cylinder, slave cylinder, or clutch.... I have a McLeod RST. Also my clutch seems to engage almost instantly coming off the floor and I hate it.

 

[golkhl]

Very recently started having a bit of trouble shifting 1-2 and 2-3 at high rpms. No grinding, just feels a bit like lockout? Just drained the 4 year old R.P. Synchromax for some fresh penzoil synchromesh. Only put about 35 miles on new fluid, it feels better already. Car still does not want to speed shift 1-2 or 2-3, but it is not as bad as before.

 

[RED09GT]

Has anyone tried the Blowfish racing shifter bracket?
I am curious to see if there is a big improvement by eliminating the attachment to the body.
I've never had trouble hopping in my buddy's 02gt and ripping off a decent pass at the track and that is the only time I drive that car.

 

[golkhl]

With the fresh synchromesh, the car is shifting a little better every time i drive it. Taking it to the drag strip next friday, that will be the real test.

 

[eighty6gt]

I'm glad to hear that synchromax didn't eat your blocker ring linings. It's been said that it does. I ran the RP for a while myself.

 

[05gtowner]

I was under the impressions since these trans were originally designed to run mercon and that a non synthetic fluid like synchromesh would be fine. I read somewhere that it was the synthetic fluids that tore up the paper blocker rings. I may have that backwards though. I can't recall.

 

[golkhl]

Got under the car today to give the MGW shifter a once over and found the front 10mm bolt that attaches the shifter support arm to the trans was not tight. Was not loose, but it had backed out enough that the lock washer was no longer compressed. This might have been part of my high rpm shift problems. Taking car to the drag strip friday night, will report back.

 

[rocky61201]

I just ordered the blowfish racing shifter bracket for the TR-3650 after I read the post above. Been waiting months/years for something like this to come out. Should be here Tuesday next week. I'll post how much of an improvement it is. I'm on my second transmission and it's already beat up pretty good, plus it would probably be a good idea to get new motor mounts as well but not going to tackle that right now. So we'll see how much better the blowfish bracket makes things now that most of our cars are high mileage.

 

[05gtowner]

I just ordered the blowfish racing shifter bracket for the TR-3650 after I read the post above. Been waiting months/years for something like this to come out. Should be here Tuesday next week. I'll post how much of an improvement it is. I'm on my second transmission and it's already beat up pretty good, plus it would probably be a good idea to get new motor mounts as well but not going to tackle that right now. So we'll see how much better the blowfish bracket makes things now that most of our cars are high mileage.

Interested to hear how this works for you. I saw that they finally made something for the 3650 and was wondering how well it worked. Keep us posted.