Pro-5.0 Super Shifter for 2005+ GT Mustangs - Installation Instructions

The below installation instructions work for the following products:

• Pro-5.0 Super Shifter for 2005+ GT Mustangs
• Pro-5.0 Super Shifter and Polished Billet Shift Knob Combo Pack (05-09 GT)
• Pro-5.0 Super Shifter and Black Billiard Ball Shift Knob Combo Pack (05-09 GT)
• Pro-5.0 Super Shifter and Mach 1 Shift Knob Combo Pack (05-09 GT)

Here at American Muscle, we're all about DIY (do it yourself). Of course, there's nothing wrong with seeking out a little bit of tech help prior to taking on an installation on your own. Our Mustang installation guides will provide valuable instructions and hopefully answer any how-to questions that you may have along the way.

(Right Click, Save Target As)

Please read through the instructions carefully before starting this project.  Take the time to get all the materials together as well as all the safety equipment.

Replacing the factory Mustang shifter for an aftermarket piece is a commonly performed upgrade. While there are many choices on the market, I chose the Pro 5.0 shifter for my 2006 GT. I was very impressed with the quality of this piece after pulling it out of the box. Before we begin the installation, let’s take a quick walkthrough of what you get when purchasing this shifter package.

You can order the shifter in a few different combinations. These options are pretty much the same, but there are different options in regards to the shifter knob. I ordered the black billiard ball style knob, American Muscle Part #51013.

• Shifter Assembly
• Shifter Brace
• Shifter Handle/Arm
• Two Brass Bushings
• Shifter Linkage Nut
• Black Billiard Shifter Ball
• Black Shifter Ball Nut

The shifter assembly is a stoutly manufactured part, and its weight tells you it’s built to take a beating. Polyurethane bushings are used on the shifter assembly and on the brace. A silicone cover protects the underside of the shifter, keeping the grease that was preinstalled from being exposed to the underside of the car.

From the top, you can see the stop bolts that prevent the shifter from being overextended, as well as the cap head screws that hold the upper portion of the shifter to the main assembly.

The shifter handle can mount in two different positions, giving you a shifter arm that’s higher or lower depending upon your preferences.

The shifter handle is threaded to accept handles offered by Pro 5.0. The stock shifter will not match the threads. Since the inside of the stock handle is plastic, however. you can still thread it on. This will re-cut the threads in it, allowing it to work.

• 1/4" Hex Wrench
• 6mm Hex Wrench
• 10mm Socket (Deep)
• 10mm Wrench
• 11/16" Wrench (For Shifter Ball’s Lock Nut)
• 12mm 12-Point Socket
• 13mm Socket
• Socket Wrench/Flex Wrench
• Phillips Head Screwdriver
• Chalk (or Similar Marking Tool)
• Grease
• Threadlock

Installation:

1. The first few steps are made from inside the car. First, remove the two Phillips head screws from the back of the center console. You’ll have to raise the armrest to gain access to them.





2. Next, unscrew the factory shifter knob by turning it counter-clockwise. Once it’s completely unscrewed, you’ll need to grab the leather shifter boot’s lip and pull it out of the channel at the base of the shifter knob.





3. Removing the top of the center console can be a little tricky if you’ve never done it before. There are six clips you’ll need to pull free first. This is done by lifting the console from the back, near the cup holder. The clips will break free fairly easily. Next raise you parking brake up as far as you can pull it. The top of the console should be able to be maneuvered off of the parking brake. If you’re having problems clearing the parking brake, try pulling the brake handle up further. This is the most common mistake when removing this panel, as the handle is often not pulled up far enough.



4. Also, keep in mind that billet parking brake handles will need to be removed prior to this step. Consult the instructions for your billet handle cover if this applies to you.





5. With the top of the center console removed, go ahead and free the shifter boot. This will make it easier to maneuver from under the car later.





6. Now you’ll want to raise the car up onto jack stands if you haven’t already. You’ll need to raise both the front and the back, as you’ll need to be able to freely rotate the driveshaft during the removal and installation. While not necessary, it’s not a bad idea to disconnect the car’s battery as well.



7. Mark the driveshaft with a piece of chalk or some paint. You want to ensure it’s reinstalled in the exact same orientation to prevent possible driveline vibrations.





8. Make sure the parking brake is applied to prevent the driveshaft from turning. Then use a 12mm 12-point socket and socket wrench to loosen your first driveshaft bolt. While you can use a 12-point open end wrench, you’ll appreciate the leverage advantage offered by a larger socket wrench or flex handle wrench, as the bolts will take a fair amount of force before they break free.



9. Continue to work your way around the driveshaft. To reach all the bolts, you’ll have to put release the parking brake to spin the driveshaft. Then, reapply the parking brake to lock the driveshaft in place again, allowing you to remove the next bolt.





10. When all four bolts are removed, the driveshaft will still require a little persuasion before it’s free. Use the end of your socket wrench and place it in the box-shaped opening on the driveshaft. Pry the driveshaft loose, while supporting it with your other hand.





11. Some drive shafts may be shimmed from the factory. Mine was not one of those. If yours is, take note of how the shims were installed, as you’ll need to reinstall them in the same manner they were before, to prevent driveline vibrations.





12. Remove the two mount nuts at the rear of the shifter. This will require the use of a deep 10mm socket. The linkage nut requires a 13mm socket to remove. A deep socket is not necessary for this nut. Once the linkage nut is removed, you can pull the linkage bar free from the shifter.





13. The front shifter brace is secured by a single 10mm bolt found on the passenger side of the transmission. An open end, or gear wrench, works best on this bolt, due to the limited clearance around the bolt.





14. With the two rear nuts, the shifter linkage nut, and the front brace bolt removed, the shifter should now pull free from the car and come out of the underside fairly easily. You will need to reuse the front brace bolt, and two rear mounting nuts. You will also need to reuse the steel insert in the shifter brace, but we’ll cover that in a moment.



15. I would also recommend reusing the rubber shifter boot as well, to help prevent noises from the transmission tunnel finding their way inside the car. However, we’ll cover the boot installation later, as you’ll need to have the shifter installed and the stop bolts setup properly first.





16. Now, you’ll want to assemble the Pro 5.0 shifter before installing it into your Mustang. Apply some threadlock to the cap head screws that hold the brace. Locking washers are provided, but a little extra insurance is a good idea. Use a ¼ inch hex wrench to tighten the cap head screws down.





17. Next, you’ll need to remove the factory shifter brace insert. Find a socket that is the same size as the small end of the insert. Then tap it out with a hammer.





18. Press the insert into the Pro 5.0 shifter brace, from the same side of the shifter as the brace bolts. This will put the larger flanged end visible on the passenger side of the shifter.





19. While the instructions didn’t specify it, I used a little grease to lubricate the brass bushings supplied by Pro 5.0. I greased the inner and outer faces, as well as the outer area of the flange (which is the bottom of the bushing in this picture below).





20. Install the shifter into the car. It will take a little more effort to put it into place, than when you removed the old one, as the front shifter brace is a little thicker. Get the brace positioned above the transmission first, and then position the back of the shifter after the front brace is in place. Reinstall the brace nuts onto the new shifter. Run them down by hand, but do not tighten them all the way just yet. You just want to hold the shifter in place for now.



21. Place the large brass bushing onto the linkage bar’s bolt, then push the bolt for the linkage bar through the shifter. Push the smaller bearing into place and then snug up the linkage nut. Don’t tighten it yet. Double check to ensure the large bushing is on the driver’s side of the car, as the is crucial to proper operation.





22. Go ahead and thread the front brace bolt in place. You may need to wiggle the shifter assembly around a little to get the bolt in, and the brace lined up. Once it’s threaded in, tighten it down. Then go back and tighten the rear brace nuts, followed by the linkage nut.



23. I do want to stress one important fact. DO NOT over torque the nut that connects the shifter to the linkage bar when you install the new shifter. Breaking this part is something I’ve heard of many people doing. The linkage bar is currently not a part you can buy from Ford individually. It’s only sold as an assembly along with the factory shifter, and the entire assembly is around $350.



24. The Ford shop manual specifies a torque of 30 ft/lbs of torque. This has to be a misprint, as I’ve seen this snap part snap at the threads before that was even reached. I would only turn the nut slightly beyond when it first becomes tight. I also would recommend the use of threadlock when reinstalling.





25. If you plan to reuse the rubber factory shifter boot, the reinstallation will be easier if you cut it out on the underside a little bit. This is due to the Pro 5.0 having a larger shifter assembly.





26. Now install the shifter handle. You can use the upper or lower mounting positions. The handle works best on the passenger side though, as the leather boot can get pinched with the handle mounted on the driver’s side of the shifter. You’ll need to use a 6mm hex wrench to tighten the shifter handle bolts, and I opted to use threadlock as well. The bolts do use lock washers, but threadlock is simply extra insurance from the bolts working loose.





27. Now you need to set the shifter’s stop bolts. Note that the shifter lever isn’t installed for clarity purposes in this photo, but would normally be installed by this point. To set the stop bolts, put the shifter into fourth gear pulling it back fully into gear. Then, run the bolt up until it contacts the shifter lever. Once the nut contacts the lever, back it away ½ a turn. Then using a ½ inch wrench, tighten the bolt’s nut against the brass shifter assembly. You may need to use a second wrench to hold the bolt in place while tightening the nut.



28. Keep in mind that the factory transmissions in the Mustang GT have internal shifter stops. This prevents damage to the transmission, but doesn’t protect the shifter assembly. The stop bolts on the shifter assembly will protect the shifter, plus additional protection to the transmission if they are set correctly. If you wish to use only the factory stops in the transmission, you can run the Pro 5.0 stop bolts in until they are out of the way or simply remove them.





29. Now reinstall the rubber boot, and the center console. To install the shifter ball, first run the nut down the threads.





30. Then follow it with the shifter ball. Once the shifter ball is fully threaded on, rotate it so that the shift pattern is oriented correctly, and then tighten the nut against the ball with an 11/16 in wrench.





31. The interior is finished, and the shifter ready for action. Double check to make sure you have all the underside bolts tightened down, and then finally reinstall the driveshaft. Be sure to line the marks you made on the driveshaft back up. Use some threadlock on the driveshaft bolts, and tighten them back down to 79 ft/lbs with a torque wrench.



32. Lower the car, and if you disconnected the battery, reconnect it. Now you’re ready to go!

Installation instructions provided by AmericanMuscle customer Eric Hege 2.24.09