Just got the Mustang back this week from the shop. It had been there for the past two weeks. While I had dropped it off for what I had thought was going to routine clutch and transmission work – it didn’t quite turn out exactly that way.

For the first few weeks I have had the car, I was driving it all the time. Way more than it had been driven in a very long time. It was also the first manual transmission car I had ever driven more than just down the street. I had assumed, apparently incorrectly, that my terrible progress of learning to drive a manual had accelerated the death of the clutch. Apparently, though, it wasn’t me. And I’m better at driving a manual than I thought.

The clutch plate had been installed backwards by a previous mechanic. Backwards. How do you even make that mistake?

That, then, severely screwed up the flywheel and the flywheel bolts. Oh yeah, and the transmission input seal got damaged, most likely from the screwed up clutch. Really, all in all, a solid fuck up by someone in the past. Thanks.

Second gear was also causing problems by popping out. A synchronizer gear was to blame and so the transmission, with all this mess, needed to be rebuilt. And so it was.

Lastly the shifter was tightened up and the bushings replaced. No more slopping shifting for this car!

That car is even more of a pleasure to drive now. No more slipping, stalling, jumping, and popping. Smooth sailing all around. Knowing a good mechanic is priceless – except for the parts and labor, of course.