The Ford MTX transmission is a 4 or 5-speed manual transaxle used in some of Ford's front-wheel-drive North American passenger cars.
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The MTX-II was a 4 speed manual transaxle introduced in the Ford Escort and Mercury Lynx as a base model "fuel saver" design. The Tempo and Topaz also used this as a base model. It was succeeded by the MTX-III.
The MTX-III was introduced in 1983 in the Ford Escort and Mercury Lynx. It was available in the Tempo and Topaz throughout their ten-year run, and was used in the Taurus MT-5. This transmission was discontinued in 1994. A 3.73 final drive ratio version was standard in the Tempo GLS/Topaz XR5/LTS sport sedans/coupes.
Gear ratios:
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | R | Final drive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.60 | 2.12 | 1.39 | 1.02 | 0.77 | 3.62 | 3.33 |
The MTX-IV is a beefed-up version built by Mazda and introduced in 1989 for the Taurus SHO. It was also used in Tempo/Topaz models equipped with the Vulcan V6. Installing this transaxle into a V6 Tempo requires the use of a Tempo-specific flywheel, clutch, pressure plate and CV axles. This transaxle has also been used in the aftermarket to convert a 3.0L Vulcan-powered Taurus to a manual, something which was not offered from the factory.
Gear ratios (Vulcan Tempo/Topaz[1]):
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | R | Final drive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.60 | 2.12 | 1.39 | 1.02 | 0.76 | 3.62 | 3.52 |
Gear ratios (Taurus SHO[2][3]):
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | R | Final drive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.21 | 2.09 | 1.38 | 1.02 | 0.74† | 3.42 | 3.74† |
† - The actual 5th gear ratio is 1.02:1 (same as 4th gear), but it runs through a different final drive gear from gears 1-4 and reverse, with a ratio of 2.73:1, thus giving it an effective gear ratio of 0.74:1, if one assumes that it has the same final drive ratio as the rest of the gears.
