Dont sweat it, mine just did it too.
http://www.contour.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=tranny&Number=1271489&page=1&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=7&fpart=1

  • Order the bolt (bolt p/n W702421-S309M)
  • Jack up car and remove wheel so you can get to the shift cable ends and pop them off while you're down there
  • Support engine and transmission
  • Remove Transmission mount (3 bolts on tranny +3 on car)
  • Remove shift tower bolts
  • Pull shift tower out (unless your car is stuck in gear instead of neutral, in that case add 2 or so hours of cursing, pulling, and violent shaking of the shift tower to the end of this list)
  • Drill or use screw extractor to remove the part of bolt still in the tower (it's very soft )
  • use threadlock and replace bolt
  • Fish out bolt head (magnet on a string or a Bend-It Magnet ACE harware has them other places prob do to)
    Installation is reverse (use gasketmaker!)

    Easy fix hour/ couple hours fix


  • 1999 Mercury Mystique LS 3L Manual