Topic: 2003 Mach 1 grinding when going into 3rd gear?

[Mach1Power]

Well I'm new to this forum and a first time Ford buyer.  So I just bought a 2003 Mach 1 with a 5 speed.  I'm happy with the car except for the 3rd gear grinding when going in.  The clutch feels a little soft so it could be that but I don't know if it is the clutch or sychronizers.  The car only has 50,000 miles.  Is there anything I can do before taking it to the tranny shop.  And how do you adjust the clutch the right way? lol

[Soaring]

I have a 2003 Mustang Mach 1 with the same transmission you have, and I experienced the same problem with mine.  Whenever I wound it up to anything over 4K RPM I hit a wall going from 2nd to 3rd, making the car useless in a drag strip situation.  My nephew bought a 2002 GT and had the same problem.  Going from 2nd to 3rd with these Tremec transmissions was a problem for a few years.  I bitched enough to Ford because mine was new then, that they pulled my transmission and replaced the syncronizers and replaced the clutch with a heavy duty clutch.  I also installed a short throw shifter and my tranny works just fine now.  I just slap the shifter with the palm of my hand into 3rd and she squeals the tires.  Goes into 3rd every time.  Check with Ford regarding the syncronizers in that Tremec tranny to see if they will replace them as they did in mine.  Yours may not be under warranty now, but that is the problem, and that is the fix. 

[rmodel65]

if you have the stock clutch setup you grab the clutch pedal and pull up on it.

[Soaring]

Bullshit.  Try that during a drag strip situation when you have to cram from 2nd to 3rd.  The Tremec 3650 transmission has a problem that can only be fixed with a beefed up clutch and syncronizers plus a short throw shifter. 

[Mach1EH]

The 3rd gear grind (spirited drives) or lock out @ hwy speeds have vanished ever since I installed the MRT short shifter.

[Soaring]

I may could have gotten away with just putting in the Steeda, but since Ford replaced my syncronizers and clutch for free, I couldn't bitch about it.   

[christin]

We just had that problem on the 02 Stang GT, have a steeda clutch and it was grinding into 3rd gear. We just replaced it the other day and now it feels like it is misfiring- checked with the DIABLO Tuner and it is infact misfiring- not sure if related to the clutch change but we are now going to check the spark plug wires and make sure that is where the problem is coming from. It seems like the grinding 3rd gear and misfiring is happening alot on the Mustangs..
 
UPDATE: FIXED THE MISFIRING- Cynlinder#8/plug wires fixed no more loss of power on acceleration/or problems with grinding into 3rd gear.

[Blown2v]

I would just stick to the 4r70w trans