Author unknown

My 1965 Tiger Mk I locks in gear, the shifter won’t move. It usually happens in city traffic when shifting up and down several times. All at once it just locks up, but I believe it’s almost always in 3rd gear. I usually just coast to a stop with clutch in or continue in third until the engine dies. If you just wait a while, jiggle it a lot, and oh yes, cuss a lot, it magically comes loose again until it happens again. I cannot reproduce the lock up by trying, so I can’t show it to a mechanic. Examination eventually located the culprit; the gate mechanism at bottom of shift lever.

This gate mechanism has slots that require a pin to be properly aligned (as determined by shift lever position) causing the selected lever to be actuated. This gate is what forces us to shift in the classic “H” pattern. However, we are sloppy shifters and shift like a “Z’ when going from second to third. The end result is a worn and sloppy gate which allows the shift lever to actually try and select two gears or not completely disengage one gear before going into the next gear. Ok, so what’s the fix?

Simple, sort of.

• Remove shifter.
• See other tech tips.
• Send to a repair specialist like Dan Williams in Franklin North Carolina.
• Or, disassemble yourself, repair the gates, replace the pin and install new bushings most worn parts are available if ordered from local Ford dealers.

by Keith Bettencourt

Have you ever wished for one more gear in your Tiger? After you have pulled out onto the freeway, accelerated up to cruising speed, do you have to turn the radio up because you can’t hear over the exhaust? Do you come home from trips tired and with your ears ringing? Would you like to cruise the freeways at 2000 RPM instead of 3200 RPM? Does a 20% increase in highway fuel economy interest you? Would you like to cut a second (or more) off your 0 to 60 times? If you answered yes to any of the foregoing, then you may be a candidate for a Mustang 5 speed transplant. The Mustang 5 speed, and its heavy-duty cousin, the Ford Motorsport 5 speed are both adaptable to your Tiger. I’ve go one in mine and I have met two other guys (at SUNI) who had done it also. The difference between their transplants and mine is that they grafted in late model 6 bolt 302′s with the Mustang 5 speed bellhousing, and I used an early model 5 bolt 289 (same bolt pattern as the Tiger 260) with a custom made bellhousing to transmission adapter.

If this idea appeals to you, here are the basics:

1. You will have to CUT your car at the body brace that is directly under the ashtray. There is no way around this. The 5 speed shifter is integral with the transmission, and it comes through the center of the floor 4?1/4″ further back than the stock hole. There is not enough room to move the engine forward or backward to avoid the “C” word. The cut is approximately 4″ wide and 8″ long and will weaken the body somewhat, but I have ridden in a Tiger with a 5 speed and a 450 HP, nitrous fed 302 that runs high 12′s in the quarter, and it does not flex any more than any other Tiger I have ridden in.
2. A new transmission mount cross member will be required. The 5 speed transmission mount is 1?3/4″ further forward and lower than stock so that no matter what you do to the stock mount, it just will not fit.
3. A transmission mount “wedge” will have to be fabricated because the 5 speed mount is angled about 5 degrees from horizontal when the transmission is aligned on the bellhousing. You can’t tip the transmission to compensate because there is not enough room (see #9 below).
4. Use the stock Tiger rubber transmission mount but rotate it 180 degrees and file one of the mounting holes a bit.
5. A short straight custom shifter is required because the Mustang unit is too tall, leans the wrong way and (even if reversed) ends up in the wrong place at the wrong time.
6. A new speedometer “driven” gear will be required. It will clip right onto your existing speedometer cable. Choose one that matches your choice of rear end gears and tires.
7. The driveshaft needs no modification. Slip it in and bolt it on.
8. The clutch needs no modification, the 5 speed input shaft is the same size and spline count as the Tiger unit.
9. The engine will have to be removed to perform this transplant. You need a lot of “wiggling room” to slide everything into place. The 5 speed is wider toward the rear of the transmission and that is exactly where it fits into the tunnel that is at the center of the frame X-member. I slid mine in from the bottom (with the radiator and front end removed) and that worked fine. I do not know how easy it would be to try this from the top, but my guess is the angles may make it difficult to impossible.
10. You will have to fabricate a new sheet metal tunnel cover for that 4″X 8″ hole in the floor.
11. A custom carpet piece will have to be made since your old 3″ circular hole is now exposed, plus you now have a new floor contour around the shifter.
12. Kiss your console good-bye. You can use part of it if you remove the ashtray and cut about 4″ off the back. It really is not too tough, but if you are new to mechanics, better get some help.

Gearing

As you can see, the Motorsport 5 speed has ratios that are very similar to the Tiger II transmission plus the addition of that lovely cruising gear! With a stock 2.88 rear end and either transmission you will get better dig out of the hole, eliminating the dreaded “Tiger Bog”, plus you get the cruising gear. Even if you go all the way to a 4.56 rear end, your effective final ratio will only be 2.87. The Motorsport 5 speed is a good choice if you have a high horsepower engine or “big” gears. The Mustang 5 speed has the “lowest” first gear, so it’s a good choice if you want to run the stock rear end or a radical cam because it gives better torque multiplication. You can also pick them up at a bone yard for about half the price of a new Motorsport unit. Such a deal!! I really cannot think of a single performance drawback with this swap, but you will have to decide if you want to cut your Tiger to have the benefits.

Editors note: This description gives a good overview of installing a stock Mustang T-5 in a 260 Tiger. There are now many other installations on the road using 302 Mustang engines, 302 Motorsport crate motors and even 345 stroker motors. Some T-5 transmissions are modified and rotated so that the shift lever comes out near the original position and cutting of the body is not required. Some use a very rare AMC tailshaft, some use a Chevy S-10 Pick-up shift tower and there are modifications of all the above. I’m sure at any TE/AE event, the owners of these cars will give you a complete verbal description of their installation.

The use of the 302 Mustang T-5 transmission with its clutch, flywheel and 6 bolt flywheel housing simplifies the installation but requires cutting the center crossmember and shortening the center console by 2 1/2 inches.

It is recommended that if the center crossmember is cut, that a box section be blended into it directly behind the cut section to maintain the strength of the body.

The complete powertrain without the water pump is easily installed from the top.

by Rich Bakula

If you are experiencing hard shifting, I suggest that you first try flushing and refilling the clutch hydraulic system preferably with silicone brake fluid (lowest moisture absorption and highest operating temperature). Also, check that the clutch hydraulic line is routed well clear of the exhaust system and that it is free of kinks or crimps. One scenario is that moisture in the clutch hydraulic system may be boiling creating a situation of “soft pedal” (similar to fuel system vapor lock) with decreased clutch throw. The clutch may be worn but if it does not slip, grab or chatter when cold, it is not contributing to the problem.

Additional suggestions:

1. Change the transmission oil immediately and every 6000 miles until you have this problem solved. Look at the oil that comes out and have it tested for metal content if possible.
2. I would not recommend mixing lubricants such as transmission oil and moly grease. Lubricant combinations can produce a congealed mass (like jello or putty), which inhibit lubrication.
3. Change the clutch only if the above do not improve the condition. If you change the clutch, be certain that the new unit will have the proper throwout distance.

by Stu Brennan

OH #+%!;!! IT HAPPENED AGAIN!! I’m selling this piece of junk, shifter and all!! I had just pulled my Tiger’s shift lever from first to neutral. The sound and feel were not normal, but they were all too familiar. The shift lever snapped into the neutral position but was not locked in the 3?4 side. The transmission was still in first. The Tiger had its front wheels against a curb. The sun was long gone, and I was without my usual tools or a lightor even one of Tom’s coat hangers. After all, what can happen on a local trip, right? The only option was to push the car backwards with one foot (the other was on the clutch) slightly uphill and drive home in first.

Along the way I decided that I wouldn’t sell the car quite yet, but that worn and floppy shifter’s days were numbered. A peek underneath convinced me that there should be room to remove the shifter without removing the transmission, so I started the search for replacements and removal information.

This is where the fun started. The various experts I consulted had little to share. Several responded with versions of “I think I did it 10 years ago, and it was tricky; but I don’t remember what I did.” A member described various manipulations of the shifter body and its appendages. This made me wonder if he wasn’t really remembering something else he might have done in a Tiger back in his single days.

And finally, one expert stated flatly that you couldn’t remove it without cutting the tunnel which he had done. Armed with this precise information I plunged ahead. I removed the shift lever, the three control rods and the three bolts that hold the body of the shifter to the transmission. But (after an hour of twisting, turning, pushing and prying) the shifter was still in the tunnel. Suddenly, while looking at the body of the shifter, the solution became obvious. Here is the process that I should have followed:

Preparation:

A couple of days before starting this project, take a high pressure hose and blast the area around the shifter. Remove as much of the accumulated crud as possible. Let it dry or it will be dripping on you in step 3.

1. Remove the driver’s side rug (passenger side for RHD folks). Remove the tunnel rug. The job is going to get messy soon.
2. Remove the shifter access door and the shift lever. You might want to be sure it’s in neutral before removing the lever (to avoid confusion on reassembly).
3. From below, disconnect the three control rods at the transmission end only. Pulling the cotter pins seems to be the easiest way to do this. Discard the old cotter pins. They’re cheap.
4. Remove the 3 bolts that secure the shifter to the transmission.
5. Here’s the secret. You disassemble the shifter while it’s still in the car.
   • Take the snap ring off of the shifter’s shaft. Hold the spring down with a screwdriver while removing the ring.
   • Remove the two bolts on either side of the shaft and remove the control arm retainer.
   • The three arms can now be removed with the rods still attached. You might want to label them to prevent later confusion.
6. Now turn the body of the shifter 180 degrees (as viewed from above) so that the shaft is now pointing toward the transmission. Push the shifter forward toward the area where the control rods where. It just falls out onto the floor.
7. Installation is just the opposite. Don’t forget to perform the shifter adjustment procedure. Also, a touch of Loctite 242 (the blue stuff) on all of the bolts will keep them from vibrating out. This procedure worked on my MKIA. That was the fall of 1966. There may be car-to-car variations in clearances depending on who was swinging the sledgehammer when your car went through. I discovered an improvement on the cotter pin and spring washers used at either end of the control rods. Visit a Hurst retailer and find a Hurst shifter rebuild kit–the kit with the nylon bushings because it’s cheaper (at about $5). Toss the bushings. The round clips, which install like hitch pins but have a built-in spring, replace both the spring washer and the cotter pin and are much easier to work with.

It was mentioned a couple of issues back that Dan Williams of Franklin, NC (704?524?9085 from noon to midnight) had a stock of Hurst shifters for Tigers. The Hurst “Indy” that I played with for a while was smaller and fit through the gap without any disassembly. I never did complete the installation of the Hurst because of other problems and ended up finding a replacement Ford shifter in good condition. Here’s an interesting thought that I never followed through on. Would it be possible to drill the shifter’s internals? All you would have to do is remove the shifter access door, pop your grease gun onto the fitting that you installed in the end of the shaft and give it a squirt. That should make it last longer.

Editors note: When the sloppy shifter acts up as is described here, it is possible to reach under the car and tug on the shift rods until they move into neutral. You can then shift the transmission to get underway. This must be done when the car is on a level road or with the clutch depressed to relieve the load on the gears.

by Robert Kittredge

All Ford and Tiger books I’ve seen say to check the level and fill if necessary. One tech tip contributor writes that after 12,000 miles on his Tiger, it became difficult to get it into any gear before the engine warmed up. After noting that the transmission oil had never been changed, I suspected that the Ford Transmission Wizard had something in mind when he designed the drain plug. After I had it drained and refilled, the problem disappeared within a few days.

Additional Hint

Since then, I have always said “Drain and refill” on my service order every 6,000 miles. A few years later my wife’s Mustang (3-speed) started doing the same thing, and the mechanic swore he drained it like I asked. I explained my experience with my Tiger and demanded that he drain it now! The problem again went away.

by Robert Kittredge

I had read about using RUG-E gears on the early Tiger HEH-E main shaft in order to eliminate the “stumble” start when the HEH-E tranny was used with the lower rear-end ratios. This sounded like a good idea, especially when I located a RUG-E from a ’67 Mustang.

Preliminary inspection did not reveal any unacceptable abuse, so, as the price was right, I decided to try the trade. The primary reason for making the change of gears in the first place is that the Tiger HEH-E main shaft and hence, the tailshaft and tailpiece, are unique to the Tiger from the rear wall of the tranny backwards.

The internal gears, though most are not interchangeable, do use the same roller, input and output bearings, blocking rings and gaskets. Any cooperative (don’t mention Sunbeam Tiger until after he has ordered the parts) Ford parts man can get whatever parts that you are going to replace. It is easier to replace now while the tranny is down than after it has been reinstalled in the car.

Disassembly and subsequent reassembly is extremely easy. The gearbox section of the Tiger workshop manual is an exact reprint of the Ford recommended procedure, and the current Petersen’s Big Book of Auto Repair includes a step-by-step section on the RUG-E.

So pick a rainy afternoon (with everything at your finger tips, the time required is about 10 hours) and convert the area of your living room that is in front of the fireplace into a shop. I dreamt of intermingling gears, however, after cleaning and putting everything back together again, it seems to work.

A few notes:

Buy the best snap-ring pliers for headless snap-rings that you can. Start off by forgetting about the K-D or other cheaper types and go straight to Snap-On or Proto.

Go ask the man who makes his living attacking trannys. Buy right the first time and save yourself money and cussin’.

Follow the book. EXACTLY. Read it twice and do it once.

Have your dummy shafts handy. For the cluster gear, a piece of 1/2″ steel pipe about 8 1/2″ long works beautifully. For the reverse idler system, I used a piece out of a Rain Jet sprinkler but any shaft about 3 3/4″ long and a little less than 3/4″ in diameter should work. You can’t use the second set of shafts from the other tranny as they both are fitted with anti-rotation locks and am too long. The dummy shafts need to be a little shorter than the gear system.

Assemble and place in the case the shift arms and then the main shaft before seating the rear bearing. It won’t go in otherwise (it misses by a short 1/8″). Don’t forget that the shift arms go through the case from the inside. It seems easier to locate the cluster gear and seat its shaft before putting in the main shaft assembly.

Don’t assemble the cluster with its roller bearings on the regular shaft. Check for end-play and then replace the shaft with the dummy and let the entire system down into the bottom of the case with a piece of wire.

The bearings and thrust washers will all stay in place if you are careful.

Assemble the input shaft, main input bearing and input to main shaft rollers and put this in place.

Then raise the cluster and reassemble the shaft. The input gear/bearing assembly will not clear the cluster gears if it is in place.

Ford parts numbers and list prices (create a company name and ask for a discount) as of l/1/78 are:

Incidentally, a tip from a CAT member, the current Ford #C3DZ-17260-F ($13.20) is an identical speedo cable gear to the original and a 16-tooth gear #CODD-17271-A ($2.15) is also available. The OEM drive gear was a 15 tooth.

by A. Wcjtowicz

If you have considered changing the rear end gears in your Tiger for faster starts and more acceleration, you might be interested to know one of the other possibilities.

The standard ratio Tiger rear is a tall 2.88:1. With 13″ wheels this ratio gives a nice cruising speed with relatively low engine RPM. But there is a difference between the Mark I and Mark II transmissions.

The Mark II Tiger came with a wide ratio transmission (2.78 first gear) that, for most driving conditions is the preferred unit. The close ratio (2.32 first gear) transmission found in stock Mark I Tigers is better for racing where a smaller “drop” in RPM between gears allows better use of engine power.

As we all know, the 2.32 close ratio box (Mark 1) with a tall 2.88 rear gear gives us a low speed start. To improve get away acceleration for street driving with the 2.32 transmission a good compromise rear end ratio is 3.73:1. Engine RPM at highway speed is considerably higher but acceleration is much improved. Try driving around in 3rd gear all day, (yes all day). If you can tolerate the compromise you must make, then install a 3.73:1 rear end.

However, before you pull the rear and start changing gears, let’s look into it a little further. If the close ratio box is a 2.32 first gear and the rear end is a 2.88:1, the total gear multiplication in first gear, or the “break away” ratio is 2.32 x 2.88 which equals 6.68.

If you changed the rear end to a 3.73 the break away ratio would increase to 8.65. For comparison sake, let’s use 8.65 for our “ideal” compromise breakaway ratio. The wide ratio transmission offered in the Mark 11 Tiger has 2.78 first gear. 2.78 x 2.88 = 8.00. This is much closer to the ideal ratio than 6.68. By changing to the wide ratio transmission gears instead of changing the rear, you will have, in effect, the equivalent of a 3.73 rear (the same first gear acceleration) without the high RPM at cruising speed. You can continue to enjoy the “economy” of a 2.88 rear end ratio.

The spacing (%RPM drop) between gears in the wide ratio transmission is a little greater than the close ratio transmission, and the drop between third and fourth in the wide ratio transmission is 4% more than in the close ratio, but the 2.78 first gear is low enough to give great first gear starts.

In looking for an ideal street/strip Tiger, I started out with a 3.73 posi-traction unit plus the 2.32 close ratio transmission. The car took off really well, but in fourth gear I wanted to shift one more time. I changed the rear end ratio to 3.07, because it was the closest ratio I could get to a 2.88 and still retain the posi-unit. At the same time, I installed a wide-ratio transmission with the 2.78 first gear. 2.78 x 3.07 = 8.53 ? very close to what I had before (8.65). The RPM difference between a 2.88 rear and a 3.07 rear at a given speed is about 6% (almost negligible). I am well satisfied with the combination of the 3.07 posi-traction rear end with the wide ratio trans.

NUMBER: 67-43
DATE: 3-31-67
GROUP: Automatic Transmission
SUBGROUP: Adjustment

MODELS: All Models Equipped With Borg-Warner 35 Transmission
SUBJECT: Thumping Noise

Some cases of a thumping noise from the transmission have been reported when shifting into ‘D’ or ‘D1′. If you should encounter this, the following action is recommended:

1. Be sure that engine idling speed is correct and that the throttle is not sticking.
2. Check and adjust if necessary, downshift cable using a pressure gauge and tachometer. See WSM 139, Part 1, pages 8, 9 and 10.
3. Remove transmission pan and valve block. Be sure that the following valves are free to operate and are not sticking:
   1. throttle valve
   2. primary regulator valve
   3. modulator valve
4. Fit replacement 1st/2nd shift valve spring, part number 5039919.
5. Re-fit valve block and pan. Re-fill with oil and road test as per WSM 139, Part 3, page 4.

T.H. Bullard
Manager – Service & Parts

NUMBER: 67-9
DATE: Jan 23, 1967
GROUP: Transmission
SUBGROUP: Adjustment

MODELS: All Models
SUBJECT: Borg Warner 35 Transmission

It is very important that correct adjustment of the downshift cable and the selector linkage be carried out when servicing cars fitted with the Borg Warner ’35′ Automatic Transmission.

Unless correct adjustment is carried out, severe damage may occur to the unit together with rough gear change characteristics.

1. The Downshift Cable must be carefully adjusted as described on pages 9 and 10, Part 1, of the Workshop Manual 139. This adjustment must be checked using a TACHOMETER AND PRESSURE gauge, as this will ensure that the crimped stop on the cable is correctly positioned. Incorrect adjustment will give incorrect gear change speeds, excessive slip on take off and in some cases severe downshift.
   • Excessive slip may also burn out the front clutch with subsequent failure of the complete unit.
2. The Selector Linkage must be adjusted correctly to allow full hydraulic pressure to operate the various clutch plates and brake bands as and when required.

Incorrect adjustment can again result in excessive slip and eventual failure of the unit.

On part throttle acceleration, gear changes are difficult to detect, especially intermediate to top, consequently it is essential that this check is carried out.

NOTE: To correctly diagnosis complaints, it is important where possible to carry out the full road test procedure as described on page 4, Part 3, of the WSM 139. This is the most important phase of complaint diagnosis on automatic transmission.

T.H. Bullard

NUMBER: 67-6
DATE: Jan 23, 1967
GROUP: Borg Warner 35 Transmission
SUBGROUP: Front Pump

MODELS: All Models Equipped With Borg Warner 35 Transmission
SUBJECT: Front Pump Oil Leak

A number of cases have been reported where the front pump assembly is replaced to correct an oil leak, when actually only the oil seal was effected.

Where complaints of this nature are encountered, it is recommended that the following action be taken.

Remove transmission.

Remove front pump assembly referring to Service Manual #139 part 4 (Front Pump Assembly) disassemble, noting carefully the position of the oil pump gears, so that on re-assemble they are returned to their correct location.

1. Be sure the convertor rear support bushing is in good condition and is not turning in the case.
2. Replace oil seal, part number 9102114 and pump body “O” ring part #9107128.
   NOTE: After fitting oil seal, be sure that the oil drain hole located between the oil seal and convertor rear support bushing is clear, as this drain relieves excessive oil build up at the seal.
3. Re-fit pump assembly using new gaskets.
4. Road test to be sure of correct adjustment of the downshift cable and selector linkage as described in Service Manual 139. Check for oil leaks.

T.H. Bullard
Manager – Service & Parts