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Shifter Problems


Matt99SVT

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OK Car Info: 1999 Ford Contour SVT w/48000 miles, tranny and engine have been replaced once under warranty, engine was just rebuilt in november due to spun rod bearing.

 

New Problem: I get in my car and the shifter is stuck in what looks like fourth or reverse, I can't tell which. At first if I let the clutch out it would grind a little like it wasn't in gear, so I push on the shifter hard and it moves into what looks like third, now it will engage in a gear, I didn't move the car but I could feel it engage. Now I can move the shifter between 3rd and 4th and it engages in both gears but I can't find neutral and the shifter will not move left or right.

 

I read about the focus tower but my car has ball joints where the cables attach to the transmission, I'm thinking this was the 'revised' transmission they installed when the clutch and pressure plate broke in 2000.

 

Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks

 

Matt

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ok i pulled the 'tower' off the transmission and the piece that moves through the gate (that had the bolt in it on the old style tower) does not move with the shaft anymore. can i get a new tower from you Terry? and if so how much?

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StockTour,

 

Why would you want to do that? The cable system is totally BETTER than the rod shift. That's like trading in the Contour for a Hyundai?? That shifter was criticized by every car mag until they eventually redesigned it (cable).

 

-Dom

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....the tower is a standard Ford part,get the part # off it and you could get it cheaper from Bill J,strange for the later style to break the 'roll pin'....yes he could fit a rod shift in place of a cable but the floor has to be modded for the revised lever assy and the trans mount changes etc...I like the feel of the rod shift myself....

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...you can either get the black & white Focus cable ends that match the 2000 focus tower(the #I gave you) or grind the back of the pins off on your existing tower,tap them out the levers and do the same on the new focus tower and spot weld the pins(vs the 'ball ends') into your new tower and keep the existing 'pin type' cable ends....the only change between the focus & your existing tower is the pin Vs ball cable end and $150+ cost extra on the Contour tower!

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ok the new cable ends did not fit my cables, they acted like they were going to fit but when i move shifter around the cables slip in the ends. is there another part # that fits my cables or do i need to change out my cables? for right now i pulled the ball socket out of the white cable end and it fit in my old end but the black end i couldn't do that with. the old ends had small holes for the cables and the new ends had big square holes

 

thanks

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well the cables have a keyed end and the new cable ends have a big square hole, but i made it work for now, a little cutting and epoxy does wonders. I'd like to know if they make ends that fit right or if maybe there is a bushing or something that fills the square hole in the focus cable ends that I don't have.

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