3.73 Gear Swap Question??

[hardball_7]

I have been dealing with this for some time now I am was wandering if you guys can help me out. I installed 3.73 gears in my manual 95 GT, and now my speedometer is off. What is the best way to get this fixed. A ford mechanic told me there was a clip that could go into the transmission that would fix this and I have yet to find it. The majority of what I have heard is that there is a computer program or chip that has to be installed in the computer of my car in order to fix the problem. IT runs about $350. Is this the only route or is there a better (cheaper) way?

[94svt5.0]

You have to get the "white 23 tooth gear "to get the speedo close. It will still be about 5% off. You can get the gear from steeda, Its about a 5 minute job to change.

[HiFlow5 0]

The special computer chip is for 99+ electronically controlled speedometer cars. The 23 tooth gear that 94svt5.0 said is correct. It's about a $20 part from Mustangs Unlimited.

[hardball_7]

So if I buy this gear, then what does it take to install it? I know you said only like 5 min, but what exactly do you have to do. Do you have to drop the transmission or just put it on a lift and do it from there? Thanks for your help, and hopefully this saves me a lot of money. I talked to a "professional" Speedometer and transmission guy and he told me that the 95 needed the chip, so it is kind of scary knowing that these guys don't even know what they are talking about.

[94svt5.0]

ITs easy. I didnt even jack up the car, just crawled under trans. There is a wire plug connector thing,( speed sensor) held on with like a 10mm bolt on the left side of the extension housing ot the trans. Unclip the wire from plug, undo the bolt and pull straight out, the little plastic gear will be connected to the plug you just pulled out. Pop it off and put the new plastic 23 tooth gear on and slide it back in.

[hardball_7]

Sounds easy enough to me!

[94svt5.0]

Cool, if you have any problems with it when you get into it let me know. So, how do you like the 3:73s? Have any problem with whinning or other noise at certain speeds?

[hardball_7]

OK I will do that. I should be alright with it though if that is all that I have to do. I have not had any problems with them so far. I like them other then what they have seemed to do to my gas milage!! But hey everything can't be exactly what you want right. I had a guy install them for me, that knew what he was doing, do everything with them has been fine. Any problems with yours??

[94svt5.0]

Sorta, Im actually on my 3rd set of 3:73s all done by other shops who said they knew what they where doing First set I ended up breaking some of the pinion teeth, they wouldnt warrenty since I provided the gears and they said they where defective gears So, I went to another shop for 2nd set. Got crazy whining through mph range, so the same shop under warrenty put in a third set. Now it only whines between 50-55 mph . At this point Im tired of having my car in and out of the shop for months and I think all the local shops dont have the skills so Im letting it go, and keeping it out of the 50-55 mph range.

[HiFlow5 0]

That sucks man! If gears are properly installed there should be no whine. Sounds like they got a backlash problem. I know when my gears were first installed they whined slightly. But went away after they were broken in. There are also steps that should be followed when gears are new to be broken in properly.

[GTStang]

I get people that come into our shop saying my gears whine is that normal? I feel bad when I have to tell them they were installed wrong after they just paid X amount and only way to fix it is to pay me to redo them.
Most local garage just throw them back in and just assume or hope they are done right. That does work sometimes but the only way to really set backlash correctly and easily is with Fords fun lil tool.

[94svt5.0]

This last place I used was a reputable performance shop, though they do more imports then domestics. I find it odd though that it only whines between 50-55 mph as soon as it its 50 whines loudly, hits 55 and bam, perfect silence. the other 2 gear installs whined at about any given point in the mph range. Maybe it will go away with time? I have only put less then 500 miles on the newest set. Also, this place screw ed up the ABS and after working on it 3 different times they still coudnt fix it. They are supposed to be sending me to the local ford dealer to have it fixed. Got to call then monday they never called me back this week. Anyway I called the techs at Ford Racing and they said some minor whining is possible, even with a perfect patter, due to higher ratio. Anybody think maybe the whinning will go away after some more time?

[HiFlow5 0]

Yeah it's possible for the whine to go away. Like I said, mine whined slightly when installed, and I also had a horrible vibration at 55-60 mph. After I installed an alum d/s the vibration was gone, and the whine was almost eliminated. Now about a year later my gears are silent, after being well broken in.

[94svt5.0]

Man I hope so! Got to much going on to full with it right know and I hate to even think how much money I have spent on the rear end of that car. Where in the proccess of buying a farm, then I will actually have a garage and attempt these kind of things on my own.

[GTStang]

It sounds more like a bearing than the gears. So many though could be axles, pinoin, carrier. Couldnt tell you unless I cracked it open. Sorry cant help more. Rear-end can be a real pain in the rear.