MT-82 Questions & Concerns

[NY Yankee Pride]

I recently purchased a brand new Ecoboost convertible with the 6 speed MT-82. I'll say right up front that other on this forum kindly warned me that it's a quirky manual transmission but I figured I've driven some really bad manual transmissions in my lifetime so this can't be too bad. I test drove the car and to my delight it really wasn't all that bad of a transmission. But I have noticed at least one thing that I'm not sure is normal.

First I want to say that is a really, really notchy manual transmission. I don't necessarily think that's a bad thing but it is surprising in 2022 when other manual transmission cars are smooth as butter. My concern is that second gear can be so notchy at times that it almost seems like it's on the verge of grinding when putting it into 2nd gear if that makes sense. It's very similar to when a clutch wears out on an older car and getting into certain gears can be difficult. I guess also similar to when not pushing the clutch all the way down before shifting. Does that make sense? And is that normal for the MT-82? I'm not sure if it's worth a trip to the dealership or if I'll just get the standard answer there of "working as designed".

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[Angrey]

BG Syncro Shift ll, also the MGW shifter if you want to go that far

This is GTG as long as you're not tracking the car. They've recently backtracked and admitted this isn't a good cocktail for harsh duty.

There's a tradeoff between low temp shifting and high temp protection. Fluid that protects from thermal break down isn't very ergonomic when the trans is cold. Conversely, buttery smooth shifts when the trans is cold is usually a sign the fluid will turn to soup and hurt/wear items when it's very hot.

For most people that never get the trans really hot, it's a non issue, but if you're ever flogging the hell out of the car in lower gears for extended periods of time, I wouldn't recommend that cocktail.

 

[bnightstar]

I recently purchased a brand new Ecoboost convertible with the 6 speed MT-82. I'll say right up front that other on this forum kindly warned me that it's a quirky manual transmission but I figured I've driven some really bad manual transmissions in my lifetime so this can't be too bad. I test drove the car and to my delight it really wasn't all that bad of a transmission. But I have noticed at least one thing that I'm not sure is normal.

First I want to say that is a really, really notchy manual transmission. I don't necessarily think that's a bad thing but it is surprising in 2022 when other manual transmission cars are smooth as butter. My concern is that second gear can be so notchy at times that it almost seems like it's on the verge of grinding when putting it into 2nd gear if that makes sense. It's very similar to when a clutch wears out on an older car and getting into certain gears can be difficult. I guess also similar to when not pushing the clutch all the way down before shifting. Does that make sense? And is that normal for the MT-82? I'm not sure if it's worth a trip to the dealership or if I'll just get the standard answer there of "working as designed".

We need more info here. First how many miles and do you have any service records of trans oil changes. If not I would suggest first check for oil leaks than change your trans oil to Motul DCTF (works amazing and is up to ford spec) and then also change your brake fluid and make sure there is no air in the system. This will make the trans not that notchy overall and is good maintenance ether way. After that if your issues continue there are a few issues that might be going on depending of Miles. 1st it might be time for a new clutch if the car is over 40-60 000 miles or just a new through out bearing but ether way full clutch with bearing is the best option. However it could be just the trans developing an issue with 2nd though my money are ether on bad (old) fluid or bad (old) clutch though if it's only 2nd might be just the gear been the issue. Besides what is said this MT82's are really easy to service or fix so nothing to worry about. And yes they are almost as bad as my Fiesta Transmission thought the Fiesta has synchro issues almost since day 1.

 

[NY Yankee Pride]

We need more info here. First how many miles and do you have any service records of trans oil changes. If not I would suggest first check for oil leaks than change your trans oil to Motul DCTF (works amazing and is up to ford spec) and then also change your brake fluid and make sure there is no air in the system. This will make the trans not that notchy overall and is good maintenance ether way. After that if your issues continue there are a few issues that might be going on depending of Miles. 1st it might be time for a new clutch if the car is over 40-60 000 miles or just a new through out bearing but ether way full clutch with bearing is the best option. However it could be just the trans developing an issue with 2nd though my money are ether on bad (old) fluid or bad (old) clutch though if it's only 2nd might be just the gear been the issue. Besides what is said this MT82's are really easy to service or fix so nothing to worry about. And yes they are almost as bad as my Fiesta Transmission thought the Fiesta has synchro issues almost since day 1.

Sorry, I probably should have been more clear but it's literally a brand new vehicle. I just got it a month ago and it only has 500 miles on it total. I will add that probably 50% of the time 2nd gear is fine and the other 50% of the time it's a very hard shift into 2nd gear. The other thing is I spent a few hours searching the internet tonight for problems with the MT-82 and things like this seem relatively common although it's not clear if people who had the issue had it immediately when the car was new or if it developed over time.

 

[bnightstar]

Sorry, I probably should have been more clear but it's literally a brand new vehicle. I just got it a month ago and it only has 500 miles on it total. I will add that probably 50% of the time 2nd gear is fine and the other 50% of the time it's a very hard shift into 2nd gear. The other thing is I spent a few hours searching the internet tonight for problems with the MT-82 and things like this seem relatively common although it's not clear if people who had the issue had it immediately when the car was new or if it developed over time.

If it's a new car then it has warranty and first 500 miles the clutch is getting into place so this could be normal behaviour on a new car. Give it time and not worry about it to much. To put it in context I have my car since new and have like 20 track days with it. So far the trans was out of car twice ones for an oil leak from breather stuck open, ones for new clutch and another small oil leak. But it's butter smooth at the moment. Enjoy your new car and welcome to the forum.

 

[Angrey]

Sorry, I probably should have been more clear but it's literally a brand new vehicle. I just got it a month ago and it only has 500 miles on it total. I will add that probably 50% of the time 2nd gear is fine and the other 50% of the time it's a very hard shift into 2nd gear. The other thing is I spent a few hours searching the internet tonight for problems with the MT-82 and things like this seem relatively common although it's not clear if people who had the issue had it immediately when the car was new or if it developed over time.

If you're new to modern mustangs, the MT82 started off as a terrible design, and combined that with pretty bad quality control. You'll get a ton of egocentric mustang owners who are convinced that if they don't have MT problems it can only be because they're somehow a superior driver and the only explanation for people who have issues is that they're a poor driver. The reality is, although driving "skill" and use/abuse get a vote, there's a big portion of MT82 failures and defects that are simply poor design/components and poor quality control. Ford/Getrag updated the MT and fixed SOME of the issues that plagued the previous generation, but the trans is certainly one of the weaker parts of the entire drivetrain and has quite a few features that are lacking compared to Tremec offerings.

Some guys get very lucky and can beat on their trans like a rented mule. Some guys who've been driving manuals for decades (and never had user associated problems) have nothing but problems. It's largely hit or miss (which is the nature of bad quality control).

If your A/C compressor takes a shit, no one says "you obviously just don't know how to operate the A/C knob" but that's largely how most of these threads turn out......people chiming in to say "I have sex with strangers and no condoms all the time and I've never gotten HIV" like it's something they're doing differently rather than just blind luck that's kept them from infection.

The only way to know is to get out and stress the trans. Some people have experienced high rpm "lockout" which has a whole host of bandaid remedies (from fluid, to after market shifters and supports to upgraded clutch lines) and others have had failures.

The MT is honestly one of the biggest disappointments Ford continues to sell, but now they've continued offering the Tremec products in the higher product offerings (like the GT350, the Mach1 and soon to be the "Darkhorse.")

 

[Skye]

I'd make note of any issues or concerns now, continue to research and press on with the break-in period. The car is brand new. Several behaviors may change in even the next few hundred miles.

I realize it's a different transmission, but when Skye was brand new, 2nd and 3rd gear were at times very challenging. Now, not at all. The process of seating all the bits is near complete.

 

[Rapid Red]

This is GTG as long as you're not tracking the car.

Curious because the decoder ring was missing in the Mustang7g registration > What is GTG?

Tks

 

[Angrey]

Curious because the decoder ring was missing in the Mustang7g registration > What is GTG?

Tks

Good To Go

 

[Rapid Red]

Good To Go

I see said the blind man, grew up down your way. Tran temp comes up pretty fast to operating.

Discovered the BG product driving a Harley with a truly clunky, mustang talk notchy trans.

It helped out quite a bit, so it was natural for the GT. Having driven 4sp, never 6sp. The pattern changes took some to get used to.

Did change the shifter mount, not the shifter. It ties the shifter & the box together, improved as both move as a single unit.
BTW I moved because I was angry.... left the flag

 

[NY Yankee Pride]

If you're new to modern mustangs, the MT82 started off as a terrible design, and combined that with pretty bad quality control. You'll get a ton of egocentric mustang owners who are convinced that if they don't have MT problems it can only be because they're somehow a superior driver and the only explanation for people who have issues is that they're a poor driver. The reality is, although driving "skill" and use/abuse get a vote, there's a big portion of MT82 failures and defects that are simply poor design/components and poor quality control. Ford/Getrag updated the MT and fixed SOME of the issues that plagued the previous generation, but the trans is certainly one of the weaker parts of the entire drivetrain and has quite a few features that are lacking compared to Tremec offerings.

Some guys get very lucky and can beat on their trans like a rented mule. Some guys who've been driving manuals for decades (and never had user associated problems) have nothing but problems. It's largely hit or miss (which is the nature of bad quality control).

If your A/C compressor takes a shit, no one says "you obviously just don't know how to operate the A/C knob" but that's largely how most of these threads turn out......people chiming in to say "I have sex with strangers and no condoms all the time and I've never gotten HIV" like it's something they're doing differently rather than just blind luck that's kept them from infection.

The only way to know is to get out and stress the trans. Some people have experienced high rpm "lockout" which has a whole host of bandaid remedies (from fluid, to after market shifters and supports to upgraded clutch lines) and others have had failures.

The MT is honestly one of the biggest disappointments Ford continues to sell, but now they've continued offering the Tremec products in the higher product offerings (like the GT350, the Mach1 and soon to be the "Darkhorse.")

I definitely appreciate all of that information and I kind of already knew most of that from posting questions on this forum before I purchased the car. So I was expecting some quirkyness to the transmission. Honestly, overall I don't mind this transmission at all, I was just mostly concerned with the difficulty of getting into second gear sometimes. And again this is leisurely driving, I'm not lauching the car or slamming through the gears ever. The car is going to be stored for the winter starting in early November so I'll probably just wait until Spring and see if it gets any better by next summer when it's had more use.

 

[NY Yankee Pride]

I'd make note of any issues or concerns now, continue to research and press on with the break-in period. The car is brand new. Several behaviors may change in even the next few hundred miles.

I realize it's a different transmission, but when Skye was brand new, 2nd and 3rd gear were at times very challenging. Now, not at all. The process of seating all the bits is near complete.

That's definitely good to know and it sounds like others have said thing could get better after the break in period. I'm going to be storing the car for the winter in a few weeks so I'll wait until Spring and see if it gets any better by next summer when it's had more use.

 

[GregO]

That's definitely good to know and it sounds like others have said thing could get better after the break in period. I'm going to be storing the car for the winter in a few weeks so I'll wait until Spring and see if it gets any better by next summer when it's had more use.

The improvements over the break in period won’t be that noticeable.
Ford uses a oil modifier in their DCTF factory fill that over time is hard on the bronze internal components.
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