rodney25

Hey All,

Really need some help with this one. I just installed new crate engine and same 4 speed manual transmission. I reconnected the shift rod from the shifter to the transmission. 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th are all fine, but reverse seems like it's jammed or something. The shifter will not shift to reverse. Can anyone help? What would cause this? Are there any diagrams or pictures of how reverse is all connected up?

Thanks

jim2527

Disconnect the shift interlock cable. It attaches to the steering column by the firewall. Its a safety feature that prevents the key from being removed unless the cars in 'R'. If it works ok after disconnecting the cable then its the cable. Try cleaning/llubing.

rodney25

Hi Jim2527,

I don't understand. The key is fine. When I step on the clutch 1st to 4th gear all shift like normal it's just when I shift over to reverse the shifter will not move. When I put the motor back in and connected the shift rods I assumed that you just connect the rods to the trans and did not need to align the shifter itself. Could that be the issue?

Little History
(When I took the mower and trans out I disconnected the shifters rods from the trans and also removed the 4 bolts that hold the shifter to the shifter bracket. was fishing how to remove the shifter but ended up leaving shifter dangling in the car when the motor & trans was removed.)

F22

The shifter needs to be aligned. There is a procedure for lining up the 1-2, 3-4 and Reverse levers in the shifter. Each one has a little square cut out and they all have to line up, to get the shifter to move from the H pattern, over to reverse. If you have the factory shifter, you also need to first, put it in first gear to synchronise the reverse gear, then lift the the T handle under the **** to allow the shifter handle to clear the H pattern and move to Reverse. Hurst Shifters don't have this feature.

You can easily disconnect the rods and use your hand to see if 1-2, 3-4 or the farthest one back, R actually works.

http://corvettec3.ca/forum/shift4.jpg


https://www.chicagocorvette.net/imag...components.gif

rodney25

How can I confirm the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and reverse on the transmission is set for neutral.

F22

Here's how you do that. The rods connect to bell cranks, that connect to the tabs on the side of the shifter. Each of those little tabs have three positions. Believe it or not, rotating those tabs, pushes the gears internally along a shaft in either direction. That's how the 1-2 shift and the 3-4 shift works. Rotating any tab, either clockwise or counter clockwise engages a gear. Straight up and down is neutral. The only exception is Reverse and I believe you rotate the bell crank forward that puts the manual trans in reverse. You can verify this by seeing if the driveshaft turns or not. Pull the clips off the rods at the top of each bell crank and you can do this by hand. You will feel the 'notch' for neutral in the center.

F22

Note in the top picture, the locating gauge. This square piece is supposed to line up all the three levers inside your shifter so that the shifter handle can move side to side and when pulling the T-handle, over into the reverse lever. The reverse lever must be aligned with the other two or you will never get the handle there. The FSM calls for a small piece of sheet metal that you make into a locating gauge, but an old credit card cut into a strip would work too, plus you can bend it in there. First put all the transmission tabs in neutral, with the rods unhooked. Then align the shifter, still leaving the rods unhooked from the bell cranks. With the shifter aligned and the transmission tabs in neutral, then you put the rods back in, starting with the reverse, as it's on the inside. Using the threaded adjustment on the end of each rod, line up the linkage on each rod with the matching hole on each bell crank. Reverse first, than 1-2 on the back tab, then 3-4 on the front tab. When you're done hooking up the rods, the tabs should still be in their neutral position and the locating gauge should still be holding the shifter in alignment. And then you're done. You should be able to go front to back for 1-2, then to the right for 3-4 (which actually pivots the bottom of the shifter handle to the left) and using the T-handle, you should now be able to lift it up and move the shifter into Reverse.

Rescue Rogers

the reverse tab rotates counter clockwise, the shifter goes forward pulling the tab backwards from the bottom, or pushing from the top, depending on your shifter setup. There is no synchro for reverse so to line it up you have to get it in first gear first. If your clutch needs to be adjusted it will not go into reverse easily while its running, I had this issue a few times after reinstalling new clutches. It should go in if its off and in neutral. If you can get under the car, make sure its in neutral by moving both of the 1-2 and 3-4 tabs into the middle postion, then remove the shift rod for reverse and using an adjustable wrench on the reverse tab, see if it goes into reverse. FYI Reverse will go into gear if the front gears are actually in gear with the rods disconnected, but you dont need to do that. It locks up the internal gears and makes it easier for removing shafts and such.

in this video you can see the way the shift tabs move
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q...B&&FORM=VRDGAR

heres a video on how a muncie style tranny works although the shifter looks like a top loader. The idea is the same. It helps to visualize whats going on. The 3 minute mark explains the synchro s
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q...F&&FORM=VDRVRV