Page 1 of 1

No reverse!

Posted: Wed Aug 07, 2019 12:00 am
by Shy Talk
Driving me Tigger today on a nice trip in Scotland.
All ok with the box, as usual.
Parked somewhere, needing reverse to get out. Couldn't get it into reverse!
The forward gears are all normal. The pull up thing on the lever seems normal- only goes left if the thing is pulled up.
The lever goes forward, after being moved to the left, but not far enough to engage reverse.

Anyone got any idea what might be wrong?

The box was overhauled a few years ago- to put the shorter ratio gear set in, and it's been great until today.

Re: No reverse!

Posted: Thu Aug 08, 2019 10:53 am
by garyf
I've done a quick search on the Forum and can't find any answers relevant and I'm afraid I don't know a lot about Gear Boxes :(

All I can suggest is you remove the Chrome retainer and gaiter and try and have a look if any of the Reverse lever mechanism bolts have worked loose or fallen out, although I should imagine access is very restricted?

You can double Check the Gear lever 'T' Lift mechanism works at the same time, as there is a cable connects from the sliding 'T' section of the Lever down to the sliding stop mechanism at the bottom, this could have snapped or come loose but unlikely.

Good luck, hope you sort it

Gary

Re: No reverse!

Posted: Fri Aug 09, 2019 5:08 am
by bernd_st
As Gary said, check the the T bar/cable/plunger for proper function. Shifter is quite easy to remove. Just loosen the two screws from the top once gaitor/chrome ring is off. If this is not the root cause you may check the proper function of the shift linkages on the left side of gearbox. They are accessible if you remove the inspection plate on the left side of the gearbox tunnel...

Re: No reverse!

Posted: Fri Aug 16, 2019 10:05 am
by Shy Talk
Thanks Gentlemen.
I rebuilt this car myself, so I have a good idea how it all works. I sent the gearbox to a specialist to do- including swapping the gear set to the wide ratio gears, but he's an excellent guy and I'm sure he did it properly.

I looked under the gaitor and checked the T piece was working properly. It is.
All the rods are in place at the shifter end.
Only real clue I got is that after moving the shifter left, it will not go forward far enough, and there is a definite 'bodywork' noise as one attempts to push it forward. A bit like tapping the trans tunnel with a small hammer.

I've left the car in my storage unit, as time was short. Will investigate next time I return to the UK- working abroad these days, in Kazakhstan!

Will report back after I've investigated properly. Just hope it's not some internal failure in the box. If so, there were no symptoms at all and 1-4 work normally.

Re: No reverse!

Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2021 6:01 pm
by Shy Talk
Well, yesterday I got the car back after a couple of years in storage.
The 'no reverse' problem as solid as when I parked it.
Tried the usual thing with the 1/4" drill bit in the linkage, but no effect.

I was going to pull the reverse rod off and try to move the selector quadrant by hand, but before doing so, I put a 9/16" spanner on the nut and tried to move it. Wouldn't budge, but I tried hammering it about with my fist and suddenly it moved.

It had somehow become so stiff that the selector rod couldn't turn it, or maybe it was stiff where the rod joins the selector.

Anyway, I flooded it will oil and WD-40 and now it's working.

So glad I don't have to pull the engine!

Re: No reverse!

Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2021 10:38 am
by garyf
That's great news, glad you sorted it without to much hassle :D

Re: No reverse!

Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2021 2:42 pm
by Shy Talk
Yeah. Me too.

For the benefit of anyone else who looks in here with a similar problem, here is what I learned.

Although you push the gear lever forward to get reverse, the connecting rod ends up pulling, not pushing, on the lever on the side of the gearbox. So, as the lever sticks up out of the side of the box and the rod is pulling on it, the direction of operation is clockwise.
This means that you can put a spanner on the nut and exert quite a bit of force without fear of loosening the nut and also without dismantling the linkage in any way. The position of the gear lever is unimportant when you do this.