1965-1968 Automatic Shifter Rebuild

Many first-time Mustang owners know that something isn't "right" with their automatic floor shifter, but think it must require a major repair to get it fixed-so instead, they just live with the problem. That's how I felt back in 1985 when I bought my first Mustang, and the shifter wobbled back and forth so bad that I figured the entire assembly was trashed. Later, after spending money on parts and labor, I found out that the shifter slop was because two silly, little plastic bushings had worn away. After removing the long console in my car and the four bolts that held the shifter body to the floor, I realized that I could have fixed it myself for a few bucks' worth of bushings.

Our Project '66-having just returned from the MCA Grand National where its week-old paint job was on display-is now getting ready for the rest of our complete Deluxe interior restoration and conversion. As we gathered original parts off the shelf to return to the interior, we realized that our original shifter assembly needed some bushings and TLC. It may be 15 years later, but I'm saving myself the labor this time around.

Besides new bushings, we decided to rebuild and freshen the complete shifter assembly with new chrome, a T-handle, a shifter plate, and more from Texas Mustang Parts. Eventually, our '66 hardtop will be wearing a factory short console (the lines of a long console are timeless, but you have to have A/C in Florida!), thus we are also installing the correct console shift-selector plate at this time as well. Depending upon whether or not you have a console, this job shouldn't take more than an hour and requires only a couple of basic sockets.

Our freshened shifter assembly is ready for many more miles of service in our Project '66.	1 While you can accomplish the bushing replacement without removing the shifter assembly from your Mustang, our shifter was already removed during the restoration process. Remove the side access plug to the shifter housing, then remove the 91/416-inch nut retaining the upper shifter lever to the lower shifter lever.	2 Separate the shifter levers, and remove the upper chrome shifter lever from the shifter housing. You might have to pry the two levers apart with a screwdriver, because they are a press fit when assembled.
3 Now slide the lower shifter lever out the side of the shifter housing. We also removed any remnants of the old shifter bushings from the opening. Gather up all items that will be reused for cleaning and painting.	4 After bead-blasting the shifter housing, the lower shifter lever, the shift linkage adjustment bolt, and the housing mounting bolts, these items were refinished with The Eastwood Company's Spray Gray for a natural look.	5 Using a heavy-duty grease, such as wheel bearing or engine assembly grease, liberally apply the grease to the area where the bushings will sit.
6 Place the new shifter lever bushings into the housing by gently squeezing them to compress their diameter. One will be installed from the outside of the housing (shown here), and the other will be installed from the inside of the housing.	7 Using a layer of grease on the lower shift lever, slide the shift lever into place, making sure you don't push the inner bushing out of the housing in the process.	8 Place the upper shift lever (in this case, a reproduction lever from Texas Mustang as the original was severely pitted) over the lower lever, and carefully align the two pieces.