Just replaced shifter ball & socket!!

[buechine]

I just replaced my ball & socket in my rod shifter in my 93. What a difference! If anyone has a sloppy shifter or noisy one replace these parts it makes the car feel about 10 years newer! No more sloppy shifter! Installation is a breeze about 45 minutes start to finish.
Eric thumb

 

[Sam]

What did you replace it with? New stock shifter of aftermarket?

 

[slickn56]

how do you do the replacement? do you need to take the rod shifter off the car?

 

[buechine]

I replaced it with one I got from shonutperformance. The local ford dealership told me that the parts were discontinued. It's two very simple pieces of plastic but a huge difference in shifting. $32 from shonutperformance plus shipping.(my cheapest fix yet and one of the more noticable ones)

Yes, the rod shifter has to come down, actually very simple just remove the two rear nuts that hold the box on, remove the inside shifter ****, remove the two rods that go to the transmission and it just comes down. Once it's down just take the 6 small screws out of the black box so the two rods come out and you will see the ball at the end of the shifter handle and the socket which is on the shifter rod. Replace and put back together.(when replacing the socket you have to drill out two rivets to remove the plate that holds the socket in--I actually taped mine out with a punch)

 

[sdpatt]

It will also help to make the plastic parts last longer if you apply some grease to the rubbing parts. The rod shifer I installed as my first "modification" back in 1993 still works great and the "ball and socket" are still pretty tight after several disassembly and lubrication services. I usually do this only when the shifter has to be accessed or removed for some other service such as the clutch replacement.