This is a great shifter, but I am going to save some of you some time in doing this. This is coming from a guy laying on his back on his garage floor. A vast majority of this shifter install is easy and straight forward except for the following. This is specific to my 2014 Coyote powered car that is still bone stock from the factory, except for a set of muffler delete pipes out back. Yours may be similar from this era: 1. Your biggest source of trouble will be at 3:57 and at 8:07. If you still have the factory 2 piece driveshaft like I do, loosen the center support bolts until you just have 2 or 3 threads engaged. If you have the car on a lift and you are standing under it, maybe you can get the leverage to pull the transmission down. If you are lying on your back and have XXL hands and large forearms like I do, you can't get your arm wrapped around good enough to get the transmission down far enough to get that bolt out or back in for that matter without the extra flex allowed when that driveshaft support is loose. 2. When you install that bridge starting at 8:17 you will find that the stainless bushing will be tough to align with the hole while on your back. Find yourself a bolt that is the same size as the factory one, but shorter, so there is room to push it in straight without having to pull the transmission down. Then push on that bolt with one finger while you push the bridge around until that shorter bolt slides in and out smoothly. Now, leaving that bolt fully pushed in, attach the strut to the side of the transmission that you will NOT be wrenching on. Just tighten the side bolt enough so that the strut doesn't come off. This will help keep the bridge in place while you are yanking on things. Pull the short bolt out of the hole, making sure it still pulls out smoothly. Now, you will not be trying to align that hole while pulling down on the transmission and trying to push that longer factory bolt in. 3. 9:21. Put that boot on NOW. Believe me. That is the time to do it. If you need to adjust the the reverse lockout, you will still be able to do it with that boot installed. It will not be as easy as with the boot off, but it can be done. I ended up removing the shifter to get that boot on. And it is not as easy as taking the bolts off and sliding it out. I had to remove the side struts from the transmission to give things some slack AND drop the transmission back down to get the thing out. So basically I had to start 3/4 of the way over when I was just about done to install a rubber boot. Again, I can't stress this enough. Put that boot on NOW. One big problem too is that I had already installed that heat shield to the underside of the shifter, it is now scraped up since this shifter is a tight fit into and out of that hole in the driveshaft tunnel even without it. Hopefully this will save some people a bit of aggravation. I'm not sure what year the car was being used in the installation video, but I see some differences between that car and mine. At the beginning of the video, it did state it incorporated some elements of an '11 to '14 and a '15-'18 car. I have to wonder if this car was a '15 and up? It looked as the hole in the transmission tunnel was larger than mine was. Maybe these steps that I outlined will help out a person doing a car that is an '11 to '14.
Installing this weekend. Thank you for this. Btw, this video was filmed on an 11-14, so I'm not sure why there's so many differences. Maybe it was an '11 or '12. I have a '13 so this guide will help me a lot. Appreciate this!
@@MassimoO hopefully it helps. Once you get this shifter in, you will be glad you did. The best thing I have done to my car so far. Considerably better than the factory junk shifter.
@@capriracer351 most definitely. I had MGW on my '07 GT and it was my favorite thing I did to that car. MGW is a classic example of you get what you pay for with their competitors. I've heard time and time again no short shifter compares to MGW on these Mustangs. You pay more but you definitely get your money's worth, which I have no problem dropping on cash on situations like this.
Thanks for your advice! I ran into that same problem with the bolt (at 3:57), and found another trick that helped me get it out. Once I had unthreaded it, and was stuck on that last little lip of the transmission mount, I grabbed the open end of a 10mm box wrench, and started rotating the bolt counterclockwise, one quarter turn at a time... Since the threading was caught on the lip of the transmission mount, turning it helped slowly force the bolt that last little bit out of its hole. The same strategy also helped me get it squeezed back into the transmission mount, when I was trying to fit it back in. I pulled up the mustang shop manual, after the fact, and apparently Ford's official method, for removing that bolt, is to detach the driveshaft entirely, so that the transmission can drop a bit further down.
Getting that boot on is a real bear. It's amazing how he just pops it on there like it was nothing in this video. I worked at it forever, separating my fingernails from my thumb and index finger, and getting nowhere. I gave up for a while and tried again later, and I was able to finally get it. I pulled the bottom lip of the boot over the left front corner, then right front, then unhooked it from the reverse lockout bolt on the right where it was hanging up, and then pulled it over the right rear and finally the left rear. It seemed impossible, like I would never ever get it, until I happened to just suddenly get it on. This is on a '13 GT.
11:57 DO NOT torque the transmission crossmember bolts to 76 lb ft. the correct spec from what we could find is 46 lb ft. If you try 76 lb ft, you will probably strip the holes right out of your chassis. ASK ME HOW I KNOW
@@5starmansavagesidots no it does NOT get installed. The shifter mounts solely to the trans not the body. Remove that rear bracket and you can discard it .
@@MGWINC Thank you. The car has not been lowered and no future plans to lower. When I originally bought the (one piece) driveshaft many years ago, the only option was 4 inch. Wondering if I need to replace it with a 3.5in before installing one of these shifters? If I am understanding correctly, it sounds like you're saying there can still be issues at stock height with a 4 inch driveshaft?
@@MGWINC I will give it a shot. I can tell you that I currently have the Blowfish Racing Shifter bracket installed and it is millimeters away from the driveshaft. I haven't had an issue with contact yet, so I am very hopeful the MGM shifter will fit and be the "final" solution. Thanks!
Took me hours, (and my hands hate me) but I finally got using a large flat blade screwdriver and an old brake adjuster spoon from inside the boot. Per @capriracer351's advice above, the boot should be installed with the shifter out of the car. I would also try zip tying the bottom of the boot into the groove on the shifter.
So I just got my shift about a week ago, will be installing it in a couple of days. Does this new video take place of the older installation video? There seemed to be some additional steps in old video, like removing a small circular pad from stock shifter rod and reinstalling it in new one.
This is a great shifter, but I am going to save some of you some time in doing this. This is coming from a guy laying on his back on his garage floor. A vast majority of this shifter install is easy and straight forward except for the following. This is specific to my 2014 Coyote powered car that is still bone stock from the factory, except for a set of muffler delete pipes out back. Yours may be similar from this era:
1. Your biggest source of trouble will be at 3:57 and at 8:07. If you still have the factory 2 piece driveshaft like I do, loosen the center support bolts until you just have 2 or 3 threads engaged. If you have the car on a lift and you are standing under it, maybe you can get the leverage to pull the transmission down. If you are lying on your back and have XXL hands and large forearms like I do, you can't get your arm wrapped around good enough to get the transmission down far enough to get that bolt out or back in for that matter without the extra flex allowed when that driveshaft support is loose.
2. When you install that bridge starting at 8:17 you will find that the stainless bushing will be tough to align with the hole while on your back. Find yourself a bolt that is the same size as the factory one, but shorter, so there is room to push it in straight without having to pull the transmission down. Then push on that bolt with one finger while you push the bridge around until that shorter bolt slides in and out smoothly. Now, leaving that bolt fully pushed in, attach the strut to the side of the transmission that you will NOT be wrenching on. Just tighten the side bolt enough so that the strut doesn't come off. This will help keep the bridge in place while you are yanking on things. Pull the short bolt out of the hole, making sure it still pulls out smoothly. Now, you will not be trying to align that hole while pulling down on the transmission and trying to push that longer factory bolt in.
3. 9:21. Put that boot on NOW. Believe me. That is the time to do it. If you need to adjust the the reverse lockout, you will still be able to do it with that boot installed. It will not be as easy as with the boot off, but it can be done. I ended up removing the shifter to get that boot on. And it is not as easy as taking the bolts off and sliding it out. I had to remove the side struts from the transmission to give things some slack AND drop the transmission back down to get the thing out. So basically I had to start 3/4 of the way over when I was just about done to install a rubber boot. Again, I can't stress this enough. Put that boot on NOW. One big problem too is that I had already installed that heat shield to the underside of the shifter, it is now scraped up since this shifter is a tight fit into and out of that hole in the driveshaft tunnel even without it.
Hopefully this will save some people a bit of aggravation. I'm not sure what year the car was being used in the installation video, but I see some differences between that car and mine. At the beginning of the video, it did state it incorporated some elements of an '11 to '14 and a '15-'18 car. I have to wonder if this car was a '15 and up? It looked as the hole in the transmission tunnel was larger than mine was. Maybe these steps that I outlined will help out a person doing a car that is an '11 to '14.
Installing this weekend. Thank you for this. Btw, this video was filmed on an 11-14, so I'm not sure why there's so many differences. Maybe it was an '11 or '12. I have a '13 so this guide will help me a lot. Appreciate this!
@@MassimoO hopefully it helps. Once you get this shifter in, you will be glad you did. The best thing I have done to my car so far. Considerably better than the factory junk shifter.
@@capriracer351 most definitely. I had MGW on my '07 GT and it was my favorite thing I did to that car. MGW is a classic example of you get what you pay for with their competitors. I've heard time and time again no short shifter compares to MGW on these Mustangs. You pay more but you definitely get your money's worth, which I have no problem dropping on cash on situations like this.
Thanks for your advice!
I ran into that same problem with the bolt (at 3:57), and found another trick that helped me get it out. Once I had unthreaded it, and was stuck on that last little lip of the transmission mount, I grabbed the open end of a 10mm box wrench, and started rotating the bolt counterclockwise, one quarter turn at a time...
Since the threading was caught on the lip of the transmission mount, turning it helped slowly force the bolt that last little bit out of its hole. The same strategy also helped me get it squeezed back into the transmission mount, when I was trying to fit it back in.
I pulled up the mustang shop manual, after the fact, and apparently Ford's official method, for removing that bolt, is to detach the driveshaft entirely, so that the transmission can drop a bit further down.
Getting that boot on is a real bear. It's amazing how he just pops it on there like it was nothing in this video. I worked at it forever, separating my fingernails from my thumb and index finger, and getting nowhere. I gave up for a while and tried again later, and I was able to finally get it. I pulled the bottom lip of the boot over the left front corner, then right front, then unhooked it from the reverse lockout bolt on the right where it was hanging up, and then pulled it over the right rear and finally the left rear. It seemed impossible, like I would never ever get it, until I happened to just suddenly get it on. This is on a '13 GT.
11:57 DO NOT torque the transmission crossmember bolts to 76 lb ft. the correct spec from what we could find is 46 lb ft. If you try 76 lb ft, you will probably strip the holes right out of your chassis. ASK ME HOW I KNOW
How do you repair them? Just curious. I almost did the same thing. The flat plate that they thread into is on top do the chassis.
So that rear shifter bracket that is removed does not get reinstalled? I purchased the whiteline bushing for that but it looks like I don't need it.
that is correct. it mounts solely to the trans.
@@MGWINC so it does get reinstalled? The video doesn't show that part
@@5starmansavagesidots no it does NOT get installed. The shifter mounts solely to the trans not the body. Remove that rear bracket and you can discard it .
Any reason a 4inch driveshaft would cause issues with clearance? Whether installation or operation there after?
yes a 4 inch driveshaft can have issues especially if the car has been lowered. We recommend a 3.500 max or return the car to factory height.
@@MGWINC Thank you. The car has not been lowered and no future plans to lower. When I originally bought the (one piece) driveshaft many years ago, the only option was 4 inch. Wondering if I need to replace it with a 3.5in before installing one of these shifters? If I am understanding correctly, it sounds like you're saying there can still be issues at stock height with a 4 inch driveshaft?
@@k1DBLITZ it will be close but should work if not lowered. I think you can try it before spending money on a new shaft.
@@MGWINC I will give it a shot. I can tell you that I currently have the Blowfish Racing Shifter bracket installed and it is millimeters away from the driveshaft. I haven't had an issue with contact yet, so I am very hopeful the MGM shifter will fit and be the "final" solution. Thanks!
Thanks for the video. It helped me, a dealership tech install it much easier.
Perfect video for install
THANK YOU!!
How to install the shifter boot its waaay harder in real life.
I missed up my fingers and still couldn’t install it.
Took me hours, (and my hands hate me) but I finally got using a large flat blade screwdriver and an old brake adjuster spoon from inside the boot. Per @capriracer351's advice above, the boot should be installed with the shifter out of the car. I would also try zip tying the bottom of the boot into the groove on the shifter.
This is the final revision that gets rid of the bracket in favor of the arms that attach to the transmission ?
yes it is
Makes me think I can attempt this. We'll see. Good video.
What's the purpose of the dynamat?
it dampens high frequency resonance coming from the motor and trans.
So I just got my shift about a week ago, will be installing it in a couple of days. Does this new video take place of the older installation video? There seemed to be some additional steps in old video, like removing a small circular pad from stock shifter rod and reinstalling it in new one.
we make EVERYTHING in house now so you dont have to swap anything over.
Perfect video
Love mine in my 12 gt awesome shifter ! i already had the steeda with bracket but MGW is way better.....
Thank you Chuck!!
Nice! Same as me. I just ordered the X-Spec w/ Standard. Which one did you get?
It's almost like ford did this on purpose...