Mason "Mace" Rowland of B&D...
Mason "Mace" Rowland of B&D Racing in Canoga Park, California, installs a new TCI StreetFighter shifter in Brandon Pierce's automatic-equipped '06 GT. With a Paxton Novi 2200 supercharger under the hood, Brandon's Mustang puts down more than 450 horses that are exercised quite frequently around Southern California's San Fernando Valley. Yes, Brandon definitely is an enthusiast who enjoys putting his Pony through its paces, so upgrading to a more performance-minded shifter should benefit Brandon greatly whenever he takes his steed to the dragstrip, or finds himself sitting at a light with "the enemy" in the next lane.
We've installed, tested, and reviewed hundreds of bolt-on parts for S197 Mustangs in the five years since the cars were introduced. While products we've analyzed have run the gamut-from engine, exhaust, power adders, suspension, appearance, and more-one of the only pieces we haven't said a word about are aftermarket shifters for S197 Mustangs equipped with automatic transmissions.
That's right, for the last five years we haven't written one word about high-performance gear selectors for '05-'09 Ponies that have 5R55S transmissions on board, mainly because no such device has existed for the latest 'Stangs until now. We saw the first signs of change way back in 2006, when TCI introduced its StreetFighter Ford 5R55S Ratchet Shifter to the world for the first time, at the PRI Show in Orlando, Florida.
The StreetFighter shifter actually received major kudos as one of the show's best new products, and immediately earned a spot on our must-try list of parts that we wanted to test at some point. At the time, the shifter was developed as a complement to the company's already-proven torque converters (also called StreetFighter and Super StreetFighter) for auto-shifted S197s-direct-replacement converters that have higher-flash stall speeds, which dramatically improve an automatic 'Stang's quarter-mile times and street performance, without performing any other mods.
One of the biggest concerns about using stock shifters to manually bang gears in AOD-, AODE-, and 5R55S-equipped 'Stangs has been the lack of positive stops on the factory shifter units. While the OEM gear selectors are outfitted with release buttons that must be pressed in order to move the shifter from gear to gear, the factory units are extremely sloppy. Also they don't have a mechanism that eliminates a condition we like to call "slide effect" (where the shifter travels from First gear straight through Second and into Drive-or even Neutral) when the transmission is being shifted manually in an aggressive manner.
Recognizing this problem as one that could potentially affect S197s that are equipped with its torque converters,and for the sake of filling a longtime void in the '05-'09 Mustang market, TCI's engineers went to work developing a bolt-in, replacement shifter that does away with slide effect. The StreetFighter Ford 5R55S Ratchet Shifter is the fine result of their effort, which you'll realize when you proceed through the following photos and captions.
Although the stock shifter...
Although the stock shifter looks good, especially with the custom trim treatments that Brandon applied, the unit left a lot to be desired when he started making performance upgrades, as well as driving the S197 aggressively by manually shifting the 5R55S transmission on the street and the strip. After clearing away the center console assembly, Mase removes the bolts, disconnects the wiring, and removes the OEM gear selector. There really isn't any degree of difficulty for the shifter exchange. All that's required are handtools, including a Phillips-head screwdriver; a small, flat-head screwdriver; a socket wrench with a 7mm socket, 10mm deep-well socket, and an extension; and a torque wrench (fasteners must be secured in a criss-cross pattern, with 15 lb-ft of torque). The job does require two quick procedures below the 'Stang, which can be accomplished using a floor jack and jackstands or, of course, a twin-post hoist.
Many of you are probably wondering...
Many of you are probably wondering what a ratchet-style shifter even is, and how it works. Basically, ratchet shifters allow the driver to move the transmission into one gear position at a time. The 5R55S has a forward shift pattern. When the shifter is manually pushed forward from First gear, it will only engage once (Second), and then "ratchet" back to a neutral position until Third and then Drive are selected. Positive stops are what this piece is all about. TCI integrated a clean, paddle-topped park-release arm into the StreetFighter, which releases the transmission from Park. When going forward through the gears, it must be used to shift the transmission into Neutral, Reverse (which makes it NHRA-legal), or back into Park.
Disconnecting (for removal)...
Disconnecting (for removal) and reconnecting (for installation) the 'Stang's OEM shifter cable are the only under-car operations involved with this project. After ensuring the new shifter is in Drive, Mase reattaches the cable to the support arm first, and then aligns and connects the end of the cable to the shift arm.
Once the StreetFighter is...
Once the StreetFighter is secured, Mase returns the console and bezel pieces to their proper places. TCI's new shifter definitely looks like it belongs. Although there's enough clearance to get a few fingers between the shifter's park-release arm and the radio/HVAC controls when the shifter is in Park (the handle and paddle don't make contact), adjustments in those areas are usually made when the transmission is in Drive, so the proximity isn't a big deal at all.
The StreetFighter looks sanitary...
The StreetFighter looks sanitary in the console of Brandon's '06 'Stang, and when put to the test out on the street, the new shifter is exactly what the performance-doctor ordered for a hopped-up S197 with a 5R55S auto trans. For normal driving, click the selector into Drive and it's all good. But when it's time to get after it, all that's necessary is a quick press of the Overdrive Off button, ratcheting the shifter down to First gear, and then popping the StreetFighter's handle forward when the shift light blinks to confidently plug the next gear. The PRND321 indicator is fully illuminated by LED whenever the headlights are on, so Brandon will have no need to worry when action takes place under the cover of darkness.
This button for turning Overdrive...
This button for turning Overdrive on and off is really slick, as it flows with the shifter's clean, factory-like appearance.