[Jimbob]

I'm sure I'm not the only one who knows this, but maybe I'm the only one with cajones large enough to say it: The stock Ford shifter is crap. Upshifts to third are pure crud, and downshifts from 5th to 4th are downright scary. There, I said it.

Back in the day, my '65 GTO with Hurst shifter was smooth as silk. This thing Ford calls a shifter is cumbersome, sticky and... well, it's just not a good shifter. And that's all I've got to say about that.

 

[RCSignals]

:lol:

I let the shifter do the work with slight guidance from me and it works fine.

The shifter for '08 is apparently improved over earlier versions, with a shorter throw.

I have no experience with earlier S197s, but I have seen a picture of the shifter from an '05 or '06. There were differences in the mechanism, the lower arm that the shift rod connects to, and the lever.

Hurst's Comp plus is similar to the stock one (uses the same frame) but the spherical bearing is completely different, much smoother.

So far I'll stick with stock.

 

[BiteTheBullitt0793]

took a little "finagglin" to get the hang of those 2nd to 3rd shifts. what took me in to the land of bliss was a post i read once (either here or on another mustang forum). the author of the post said the way he made the shift from 2nd to 3rd as by using the palm of his hand without wrapping his fingers around the shift knob. i am very appreciative for his point of view. takes a little getting used to at first and soon becomes very natural. done correctly it allows a "chirp" going into 3rd. great stuff!!

 

[bullitt4428]

I live in laid back Kerrville, Texas, pop. 21,477, and traffic here is nice and easy. I imagine if I lived in a big city I would very much appreciate a shorter throw shifter.

 

[cdynaco]

I'm sure I'm not the only one who knows this, but maybe I'm the only one with cajones large enough to say it: The stock Ford shifter is crap. Upshifts to third are pure crud, and downshifts from 5th to 4th are downright scary. There, I said it.

Back in the day, my '65 GTO with Hurst shifter was smooth as silk. This thing Ford calls a shifter is cumbersome, sticky and... well, it's just not a good shifter. And that's all I've got to say about that.

I totally disagree with you and your :doubt: cajones! :lol:

Cumbersome? Sticky? No way! The only thing I have to watch is rolling up to a stop sign and putting into 1st. I have found double clutch is best because on occasion I have had a bit of noise & resistance.

Upshifts and downshifts are totally smooth, the travel is moderate (which is great to me, no notchiness), and when I want to drive it hard it is always ready and willing to give me scratch thru 3rd. As far as 2nd to 3rd, 4th to 5th, and back again, the stock Ford shifter works perfect. Never a mis-shift.

Practice your foreplay a bit more and you'll find she's willing. :wub:

 

[cdynaco]

Then again, you've had this problem for a long time with apparently no improvement in skill or finesse. :wink:

So I reiterate:

The Bullitt.08 shifter is smooth, effortless, and precise...

unless you're a bull in a china shop. :lol: :lol: :lol:



CRASH! BANG! CLANK! TINK... Tink... tink... tink...​

http://www.imboc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=157953

 

[Rockola]

No problem here. From lazy to crazy the shifter on my 08 works great. You might have a glitch.

 

[badasbullitt]

I totally disagree with you and your :doubt: cajones! :lol:

Cumbersome? Sticky? No way! The only thing I have to watch is rolling up to a stop sign and putting into 1st. I have found double clutch is best because on occasion I have had a bit of noise & resistance.

Upshifts and downshifts are totally smooth, the travel is moderate (which is great to me, no notchiness), and when I want to drive it hard it is always ready and willing to give me scratch thru 3rd. As far as 2nd to 3rd, 4th to 5th, and back again, the stock Ford shifter works perfect. Never a mis-shift.

Practice your foreplay a bit more and you'll find she's willing. :wub:

I'll agree with that.This shifter is not to be forced.Just push in the clutch and let her do her thing.

 

[Bret08]

Yes is took a little getting used to but I think the Bullitt feels much more dialed in than the stock shifter of the standard GT.

But as has been pointed out if you try to force it it's easy to have problems - the best think to do is kind of let it do it's thing as you up shift into third.

Compared to most manuals I've ever driven - the Bullitt has to be the most comfortable to me. The shifter in my 78' Porsche 928 feels like I'm driving a work truck with a heavy duty clutch. While the shifter & clutch in my 78' MGB is light and easy to work.

Whats confusing to me is that each vehicle has a different shift pattern. MG is a standard H pattern 4-speed with electronic OD and the Porsche has a Dog-Leg 1st gear - making going from one to the other and back again a bit perplexing.

 

[GOT OATZ]

Let me say this, about that.....

The stock shifter in the 08 Bullitt is WAY BEYOND better than the stock shifter in my 05....No fricken comparison.....

That said, I would still not give up my MGW shifter in the 05 for anything....And, if Karen ever decides she is tired of rowing thru the gears in the bullitt, it will be graced with an MGW as well.....The only aftermarket shifter worth it's salt, in my humble opinion.....


Mike

 

[Jimbob]

Then again, you've had this problem for a long time with apparently no improvement in skill or finesse. :wink:

So I reiterate:

The Bullitt.08 shifter is smooth, effortless, and precise...

unless you're a bull in a china shop. :lol: :lol: :lol:



CRASH! BANG! CLANK! TINK... Tink... tink... tink...​

http://www.imboc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=157953

I might very well be a bull in a china shop, and another thing that I might do is visit my friendly Ford dealer and see what they say. Maybe mine is simply out of adjustment or something... you never know, you know. One thing I will say is that it isn't smooth like it should be, cajones aside.:lol:

 

[Madpoodle]

I hate mine for exactly the same reasons you describe..

OK, hate is a strong word..

Despise better?

Anywho, I'm going with the FRPP short throw.. Anything will be better than the stock..

 

[itpphoto]

No problem at all with the stock shifter, seems fine to me.


Frank

 

[Jimbob]

duck

I hate mine for exactly the same reasons you describe..

OK, hate is a strong word..

Despise better?

Anywho, I'm going with the FRPP short throw.. Anything will be better than the stock..

I think, in order to keep the peace and be politically correct, we should just say we "dislike" the stock shifter. Sound like a plan?

But, if it walks like a duck, and it talks like a duck... :lol:

 

[NovaSSfan]

From what I've read , the Hurst in the Shelby GT isn't much of an improvement. Can't say for sure as I've never driven one.

 

[Jimbob]

From what I've read , the Hurst in the Shelby GT isn't much of an improvement. Can't say for sure as I've never driven one.

Whoa, for that kind of dough it ought to just about shift itself!

 

[mogul2us]

I think the stock shifter is one of the best, if not the best, I've ever driven. Excluding some Hondas and such that don't have massive gears that is. Before I bought the Bullitt, I looked at a Shelby GT (the 4.6 L) and it's Hurst shifter was not so great, the one in the Bullitt (at least my Bullitt) is a lot better. I have found the key is to depress the clutch ALL the way and start moving the shift lever as the same time as I start pushing the clutch pedal down...

I can't imagine I could find anything better so why change?

mogul2us

 

[Jimbob]

I think the stock shifter is one of the best, if not the best, I've ever driven. Excluding some Hondas and such that don't have massive gears that is. Before I bought the Bullitt, I looked at a Shelby GT (the 4.6 L) and it's Hurst shifter was not so great, the one in the Bullitt (at least my Bullitt) is a lot better. I have found the key is to depress the clutch ALL the way and start moving the shift lever as the same time as I start pushing the clutch pedal down...

I can't imagine I could find anything better so why change?

mogul2us

Well, based on what you're saying then something definitely must be wrong with mine. I'll have to pay my dealership a visit I think. Mine is crud, really.

 

[glennster5.0]

Best stock shifter I've had,and I've had many stick cars.

 

[artillerybuff]

Well, based on what you're saying then something definitely must be wrong with mine. I'll have to pay my dealership a visit I think. Mine is crud, really.

Number 872 stunk as well until I got about 800 miles on it, then the glitch seemed to go away on it's own. Until then I was not a happy camper. Shifts quite smooth up & down now, and no double, triple, or quadruple clutching either.

If you have at least 1,000 miles on yours and it is still giving you trouble then you may have to have the trans cracked open, I doubt a shifter change will correct a synchro problem.

Good luck~ Anthony