TCI StreetFighter Ratchet Shifter for the 5R55S

The new Ford 3-valve Modular engine has been an unqualified success, but the 5R55S that came with it in automatic-equipped S197 Mustangs has a few shortcomings in terms of hard-core street and strip performance. TCI has always been at the forefront of automatic transmission development, and they’ve come up with some interesting ways to improve the performance and function of the 5R55S. The engineers at TCI have recently developed the StreetFighter Ford 5R55S Ratchet Shifter, which combines old school ratchet shifting with modern appearance and functionality, and drops right in place of the factory shifter.


A “Must Have” Upgrade for Street/Strip Mustangs

With positive stop action to eliminate the risk of neutral overshoot when manually “speed shifting” and to improve overall shift response, this innovative shifter also features a custom race-inspired billet handle, a genuine leather boot that is securely attached to the unit, and a Park Release Arm that is NHRA/IHRA reverse lock-out rule compliant. The LED gear locator provides improved visibility for more accurate gear selection. In addition, an O/D button is located above the park indicator, preserving all the street functionality of the stock unit without any of the drawbacks.

The StreetFighter Ratchet Shifter is a direct bolt-on replacement for the factory shifter and fits in the S197 Ford Mustang console without any modifications needed. You won’t lose any factory features or streetability as a result of this install. The TCI shifter also utilizes the factory shift cable to make installation quick and easy, typically requiring under two hours from start-to-finish.

Tim Gustafson’s Whipple-supercharged 2005 GT made for the perfect subject for our installation – Tim’s got the “go” to match the “show,” and with more frequent trips to the drag strip planned, he was looking to upgrade to a shifter that would be better-suited for racing, while still being perfectly at home on the street. An afternoon in the PowerTV garage was all it took to pull it off, and although we had the luxury of a four-post lift to make getting under the car easier, anybody with a socket wrench and a set of jackstands can do the same thing in their driveway. Here’s how:

With the key in the “run” position, but the engine off, move the shifter into DRIVE position and apply the parking brake. Disconnect the battery, then raise the vehicle and secure it with jack stands.

Gently pry on both sides and ends of the shifter bezel to carefully remove it. To avoid cracking the bezel, make sure you do it evenly, not just on one side.

The center console is two separate pieces, with a top and a base that must be separated. You can free the top piece by removing the screws towards the rear, under the armrest.

Once the screws are out, gently work the top section over the parking brake arm and shifter handle.

The side panels of the center console under the dash at the front are removed by simply pulling them back and up.

With the side panels out, remove the two screws at the front of the console and the two nuts located under the armrest inside the storage area.

If your car is equipped with a power outlet in the rear of the console, make sure you unplug it before removing the console.

Carefully remove the base of the center console, once again being careful as you work it up and over the shifter and parking brake.

With the console removed, the shifter is exposed. Vacuum up any crumbs and stray french fries that may have been inaccessible before.

Now it’s time to get under the car. With a flat-head screwdriver, pry the tab inside the sliding lock that secures the connector to the shift arm, and slide the tab up to unlock the connector. From there, gently pry the shift cable away from the lever. Take your time and be careful – otherwise you’ll be making a trip to the dealership parts counter for a new connector.

Moving up the shifter cable, you’ll come to a bracket with a locking clip. There are two small holes on the cable support bracket that keep the locking clip attached. Look at the TCI shifter to understand how the cable is mounted. Next, press the lower locking ear on the connector through the small hole in the bracket using a small screwdriver and at the same time push up on the small tab. Do the same with the upper locking ear and tab. If you can’t get the upper tab to release, gently pry the shifter cable from the bracket using a screwdriver.

Heading back inside the car, remove the two bolts and two nuts located on the outside corners of the shifter.

Unplug the connector from the rear passenger side of the shifter and pull it to the side. Now you can remove the stock shifter.

Depending on the production date, the stock shifter may have a composite cable bracket, or a stamped steel bracket. Either way, the TCI StreetFighter is a direct replacement.

The TCI shifter moves the overdrive button from the passenger side of the T-handle down to the base of the shifter, just above the gear indicator lights.

Install the new TCI StreetFighter Ratchet Shifter and carefully snug the two bolts and two nuts using a “crisscross” pattern. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT! With a torque wrench, torque them down evenly to 80 in/lbs. using the same crisscross pattern. If this is not done correctly, damage will occur to the shifter.

Make sure the TCI shifter is in DRIVE, and from under the vehicle, reattach the shifter cable to the cable support bracket. Carefully align the shifter cable end with the shift arm attachment. Make sure you allow the sliding tab to align itself. If you even slightly force the cable in or out, the shifter will not function properly. After attaching the connector to the shifter arm, lock the cable into position by lowering the sliding lock. IMPORTANT: Be careful not to cycle the shifter cable through gears when attaching the shifter! Should this happen, you must put the transmission into the DRIVE position (4th gear). This can be verified by pulling the cable completely back to the rear position (1st gear), then pushing the cable forward 3 positions (or 3 detents).

Back inside the car, put the shifter in the PARK position and re-connect the battery cables. Turn on the ignition key and verify that the shift indicator shows an amber LED light in PARK only and that it moves smoothly from PARK and through each gear. Once you’ve done that, lower the vehicle and reinstall the center console sections, side panels, and shifter bezel.

The finishing touch is adjusting the handle to an angle that suits you, then locking it down with the jam nut on the underside.

View Instruction Sheet

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