This is a problem which I've had for quite some time now. I bought my car from Carmax last May with 26,800mi on it. I've never really tried stepping on it until I took it to the track like 3 months later. I realized that at the high RPM's, it wouldn't go into 3rd. I already had the MGW installed at the time and I installed it without the shift stops. Basically at the high RPM's like above 4500, whether I do it fast or slow, it wouldn't go into 3rd.

Then for the last 1-2 months, it would go in at random times. I had the transmission fluid drained and put in 3.2 quarts of RP Synchromax. Sometimes it would go in, sometimes it wouldn't. Most of the time if I tried to thrust it into 3rd, it wouldn't go in.

I was at the track yesterday again and something happened that happened to be once before when I was trying to figure out my tranny on the freeway ramp. Basically I went through 1st and 2nd as normal, then clutched and moved the shifter to 3rd, the shifter went into 3rd, and then once I let the clutch out, the rev's shot up to the limiter and the car and transmission started to shake violently. It was almost as if I put it into first but I know of course I didn't.

I've asked people about this before and I've gotten serveral opinions. Some think it's the synchro, some think the clutch cable and etc needs adjusting/replacing.

So thats pretty much it. I was wondering if anyone knew what could be the problem or is it time to just start saving for a new transmission. Right now all my mods are in my sig and the cars got about 32,300mi on it. Regular driving is not a problem at all in any gear so thats smooth as far as thats concerned.



Thanks,
Brandon

 

Sound like the synchros are going bad but before anything I would try to adjust your clutch, sometimes that happens. I actually think that all that might change when you adjust it, if it´s the stock clutch cable you just have to press the clutch in and take your foot out of its way so it releases really fast (I havent had a stock clutch cable in a long time but I think this is how you do it), it you dont have the stock one you will have to go under the car. I can help you adjusting your clutch if the cable its not stock, just PM me or something.

 

By the way, I have done some research and its more likely to be your clutch, T-3650s dont go bad in 40K miles.

 

Thanks for replying. Well I have the stock clutch cable and all and appearently you put your foot under the pedal and lift the clutch pedal up as high as it goes and then push the clutch down, repeating a few times. I do it regularly but I don't notice any difference in anything.

Do you mean the clutch itself could be the problem? Cause like I said it goes into all gears just fine when I regularly drive and occasionally goes into 3rd at the high RPM's but almost never when I try to thrust it.

 

It's most likely the 3rd gear synchro, if the previous owner ran it hard and missed a few "power" shifts then 28k miles would be more than enough to mess things up.

It could possibly be a dragging clutch, however that would likely create problems in all gears, at any RPM...

 

sounds to me like driver error, "wont go in third when Im in high rpm at the tracK" + " I never romped on it until I went to the track"... if was messed up it would be messed up all the time. Mustang trannys take some getting used to. thats why companies sell so many "shifters" because dont know how to drive them and they think this will "fix" them.

Could be a problem with the car, Im just saying I see this all of the time, and in probably 80% of the time its the driver, not the car

 

When you adjust it, you should hear a click noise unless its adjusted all it can be.

 

I know it's not my shifting error because I've tried doing it fast and slower. As long as it is at a high RPM, it won't go in. I only discovered it at the track because I've never really stepped on it until that night at the track. Yeah the previous owner might have ****ed it up but the car was completely stock and it was a corporate lease vehicle so i'm not sure if the car has been through a lot of "performance" driving.

 

Playing devil's advocate here--as a corporate lease car it may have had multiple drivers, with various levels of manual transmission driving experience, all of whom were driving a car that didn't belong to them...