5th gear lockout above 100mph?

I have a 2009 with some mods, most are in my signature. I have added the CHE brace and have a rebuilt RXT that I sent to McLeod February of 2019 and had it rebuilt so it may have 12-14K miles on it. I have a MGW gen 1 and I am still having the 1-2 lockout issue from time to time as well as a 4-5 lockout above 100mph. I was running up I83 yesterday into southern Pa. and a WRX STi came up on me and we were playing around. Every time I was trying to shift into 5th from 4th, it was a no-go, not even speed shifting, I was taking my time and it was not letting me in 5th, I had to shift into 6th. I tried it several times and at a couple points pushed the clutch in and 2-3 seconds of trying but the lockout situation would not let me go to 5th. This is REALLY starting to make me angry at this point, something has got to give. It's bad enough that I am missing 1-2 at high rpm almost half the time, now once I am running at high speed, I can't go through the top gears. I beat the guy, but it still pisses me off. I REALLY like rowing my own gears but the automatic conversion is becoming more and more a reality to me the more I drive this thing and these issues keep rearing their ugly heads. Anyone else having this issue specifically above 100, or am I the "lucky" one?

Are you sure your mgw is properly adjusted? In my 2008 with the FRPP shifter, aluminum driveshaft, RXT kit, i dont have any lock outs. What fluid in the trans are you using? Is the rear diff angle correctly? How many miles on the motor mounts and trans mount?

I had the same issues when I had my Barton shifter with lockout. Switched to this MGW when I realized the bushings were really sloppy in the Barton. My pinion angle is at about 1.5 degrees and I have a 1 piece DSS aluminum. The car has 141K miles on it., and it had 113K+ when I bought it, and I haven't changed the transmission or motor mounts.

So one thing is your Barton and MGW are the same style right? That is one thing. Both pendulum style arent they?
So the Pinion is at 1.5 or -1.5?

I do not think the trans and motor mounts will come into play because of the CHE. I could be wrong, but with those braces, nothing can move. If they did, those braces would have probably broke ears on the trans or snapped the rods if the motor was moving much. That being said, are you sure you adjusted them properly?


To add more to this, since I absolutely loathe the TR6060, I am heavily considering adding the S1 Sequential kit to mine. Like heavily considering it. lol

HKusp said:

I had the same issues when I had my Barton shifter with lockout. Switched to this MGW when I realized the bushings were really sloppy in the Barton. My pinion angle is at about 1.5 degrees and I have a 1 piece DSS aluminum. The car has 141K miles on it., and it had 113K+ when I bought it, and I haven't changed the transmission or motor mounts.

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With that many miles, i would look at the flex in the motor mounts and trans mount. If they are flexing that would cause your lock out. Changes the angle under load caused by the flex.

me32 said:

With that many miles, i would look at the flex in the motor mounts and trans mount. If they are flexing that would cause your lock out. Changes the angle under load caused by the flex.

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How could they possibly move with CHE bracing though? If those were not in place, I would agree %10000. I just cant see either of which moving with the braces in place.

PM-Performance said:

How could they possibly move with CHE bracing though? If those were not in place, I would agree %10000. I just cant see either of which moving with the braces in place.

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The CHE bracing helps alot but with worn rubber mounts you can still get flex at the motor and the trans mount. The brace does not stop the other weak links. Think of it as a teeter totter. The CHE is the center point, the motor mount is 1 end and the trans mount is another. Im not saying thats his issue but those are things to look at.

me32 said:

The CHE bracing helps alot but with worn rubber mounts you can still get flex at the motor and the trans mount. The brace does not stop the other weak links. Think of it as a teeter totter. The CHE is the center point, the motor mount is 1 end and the trans mount is another. Im not saying thats his issue but those are things to look at.

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You may be right. I know you will get a little bit of slop on the urathane ends at the K member brace, I just didn't think it would be enough to actually cause any slop. I get what you are saying now though and makes sense with the Teeter totter logic.
I planned on swapping my mounts if my CHE did not resolve my issues though. I was lucky enough that I think I have done all the adjustment I can that it just works now.
I still overall hate the TR6060 with a passion though. If I were in a position to waste money, I would swap this thing with a top loader so I can really enjoy the car. I got it about as best as it can be, but I may try fluids next.

I have the MGW 1. If you are getting locked out at over 100mph, you might not like my opinion. The reason you are getting locked out, is driver error.

When I first got my car, this happened to me, at 130 mph, shifting into 5th( regular shifting, not speed shifting and you should never speed shift 5th gear anyway). I couldn't believe it happened, because I already knew about the 1-2 lockout, and now I'm getting locked out of 5th?!

So I replicated the scenario again, and if you don't precisely shift into 5th gear, you will get locked out, almost as if it was a gated Ferrari or Lamborghini type of shifter. If you hit just left or right of the true gate for 5th gear, you will miss the shift.

The best way to feel this, is with the car off and slowly practice feeling out the correct movement. When you go from 4th to 5th, purposely try to miss it just left or right and you will feel what I'm talking about. You have to be very precise!

I have been driving stick cars, for 30 years, and this transmission is one of the most finicky transmissions I've ever dealt with! I assure you it is not a synchro issue with 5th gear, or any other defect other than proper technique.

Funny fact:
The owner of MGW had a GT500 and he said the TR6060 drives like a caterpillar. He said they are notchy and rough but they hold the abuse.
So I am not the only one that feels this way about this trans.

ShelbyGT5HUN said:

I have the MGW 1. If you are getting locked out at over 100mph, you might not like my opinion. The reason you are getting locked out, is driver error.

When I first got my car, this happened to me, at 130 mph, shifting into 5th( regular shifting, not speed shifting and you should never speed shift 5th gear anyway). I couldn't believe it happened, because I already knew about the 1-2 lockout, and now I'm getting locked out of 5th?!

So I replicated the scenario again, and if you don't precisely shift into 5th gear, you will get locked out, almost as if it was a gated Ferrari or Lamborghini type of shifter. If you hit just left or right of the true gate for 5th gear, you will miss the shift.

The best way to feel this, is with the car off and slowly practice feeling out the correct movement. When you go from 4th to 5th, purposely try to miss it just left or right and you will feel what I'm talking about. You have to be very precise!

I have been driving stick cars, for 30 years, and this transmission is one of the most finicky transmissions I've ever dealt with! I assure you it is not a synchro issue with 5th gear, or any other defect other than proper technique. View attachment 1638724

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ShelbyGT5HUN said:

I have the MGW 1. If you are getting locked out at over 100mph, you might not like my opinion. The reason you are getting locked out, is driver error.

When I first got my car, this happened to me, at 130 mph, shifting into 5th( regular shifting, not speed shifting and you should never speed shift 5th gear anyway). I couldn't believe it happened, because I already knew about the 1-2 lockout, and now I'm getting locked out of 5th?!

So I replicated the scenario again, and if you don't precisely shift into 5th gear, you will get locked out, almost as if it was a gated Ferrari or Lamborghini type of shifter. If you hit just left or right of the true gate for 5th gear, you will miss the shift.

The best way to feel this, is with the car off and slowly practice feeling out the correct movement. When you go from 4th to 5th, purposely try to miss it just left or right and you will feel what I'm talking about. You have to be very precise!

I have been driving stick cars, for 30 years, and this transmission is one of the most finicky transmissions I've ever dealt with! I assure you it is not a synchro issue with 5th gear, or any other defect other than proper technique. View attachment 1638724

Click to expand...

I can appreciate what you are saying, but I am 50 years old and I too have been driving sticks my entire life. I don't doubt what you are saying, but I am telling you, at 1 point, I pushed the clutch in for at least 3 full seconds. I was moving the stick around, returning it to neutral then moving it to where I know 5th gear is, and it was locked out, engine is at idle at this point. It's not because I don't know precisely where 5th gear is. As there car coasted and I got below 100mph, it slipped into gear. I duplicated this phenomena twice.

me32 said:

Are you sure your mgw is properly adjusted? In my 2008 with the FRPP shifter, aluminum driveshaft, RXT kit, i dont have any lock outs. What fluid in the trans are you using? Is the rear diff angle correctly? How many miles on the motor mounts and trans mount?

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I think me32 is on to something with entire drivetrain alignment. My issue with 5th gear lockout is documented here: https://www.svtperformance.com/thre...mgw-gen2-shifter.1130060/page-2#post-15891673

In Spring 2019, I installed custom k-member and transmission cross brace spacers, to lift the body approximately 1/4" to adjust my front end ride height. I squared everything up and tweaked the suspension alignment front to rear. Then I replaced the transmission fluid with Mobil 1 ATF: https://www.svtperformance.com/thre...for-transmission-fluid.1173689/#post-16179763

Since that time, my high rpm 5th gear lockout is completely gone, slips right in silky smooth with no change in my shifting technique. I do clutch during shifts like an average person, no speed shifting in my car. I believe the drivetrain alignment has more to do with it than the Mobil 1 ATF, but for what it's worth, my transmission never shifted smoother, and even cold start first shift to second gear in cold weather has less drama.

For the power level it has to put up with, I am pretty happy with my TR6060.

I have to think the reverse lock-out factors somewhere in this equation. Has anyone ever experimented with a thick gasket or spacer to see if it helped?

SCGallo2 said:

Since that time, my high rpm 5th gear lockout is completely gone, slips right in silky smooth with no change in my shifting technique. I do clutch during shifts like an average person, no speed shifting in my car. I believe the drivetrain alignment has more to do with it than the Mobil 1 ATF, but for what it's worth, my transmission never shifted smoother, and even cold start first shift to second gear in cold weather has less drama.

For the power level it has to put up with, I am pretty happy with my TR6060.

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I too have been thinking of swapping fluids as I HATE the RP that is in it now. So you feel the Mobil1 even cleaned up the cold shifts? Or you think that was more alignment as well

HKusp said:

...at 1 point, I pushed the clutch in for at least 3 full seconds. I was moving the stick around, returning it to neutral then moving it to where I know 5th gear is, and it was locked out, engine is at idle at this point. It's not because I don't know precisely where 5th gear is. As there car coasted and I got below 100mph, it slipped into gear. I duplicated this phenomena twice.

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Same experience in the past with my car under hard acceleration, I just always related it to high RPM instead of high speed, but always over 100mph. Shifter moves horizontally, but not vertically as if the gate is locked out. Tried as many as three attempts to calmly shift to 5th with no success.

Catmonkey said:

I have to think the reverse lock-out factors somewhere in this equation. Has anyone ever experimented with a thick gasket or spacer to see if it helped?

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Maybe so. I haven't tried shimming the reverse lock-out, but I am all good at this time.

PM-Performance said:

I too have been thinking of swapping fluids as I HATE the RP that is in it now. So you feel the Mobil1 even cleaned up the cold shifts? Or you think that was more alignment as well

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Yes, I believe that Mobil 1 ATF cleaned up the cold shifts. OEM fluid was terrible, on cold mornings 2nd gear would grind for at least the first three to four shifts into second. Immediately after switching to Royal Purple, 2nd gear would only grind for the first and second shift into second, but it seemed like the RP degraded fairly quickly. With the Mobil 1 fluid, there is just a hint of grind on the first shift into 2nd gear, then it is all good. I assume it is differences in viscosity and lubricating properties. It has been great over the last year in warm and cold seasons.

I went and fooled around a bit today, although where I was I couldn't get much above 100mph and thus, wasn't there for long, but GT5Hun may be onto something. There definitely seemed like the reverse lockout was in the equation, at least visualizing what I was feeling that made sense. As I brought the shifter closer to where the H pattern would be, it seemed like it was easier to get it into gear, but the car was slowing down and was right at 100 too, so I couldn't be totally sure.