Fixing a Loose Shifter Handle

While driving the Mustang today, I noticed how lose the shift lever had become over the last year.  Despite not driving much, the bolts wore down the shift lever enough that it would move front to back slightly.  I decided to take a little time this evening to fix the problem before it became any worse.

The shift lever I'm using is an original 3 speed shifter which has the original mount cut off.  I drilled two holes in the shift lever to match the T5 shifter.  As you can tell, I considered flattening out the round shift lever where the bolts were placed so they hold better but didn't.

I used my air grinder to flatten out both sides of the shift lever.  This allows it to lay flat against the shifter.  Additionally, I now have a flat side where the bolt insert so I can use a couple of lock washers.  I decided to keep the rounded head, allen bolts as they will not damage the shift boot.  However, I did put some high strength treadlocker on the bolts so I will not need to do the job again.

Everything is now back together and the shifter feels good!