4+3 manual stuck in reverse
Thread Starter
5th Gear
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 5
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4+3 manual stuck in reverse
1984 only 51,000 miles. Always shifted fine. Parked it one day and it is stuck in reverse. I have a service manual and adjusted linkage but still no good. I took off reverse link and could drive car in forward gears. Put it back on and put it in reverse and it stayed there???
Team Owner
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 24,337
Likes: 25
From: San Diego , CA Double Yellow DirtBags 1985..Z51..6-speed
Is it stuck in reverse gear, or stuck in the reverse tree? Can you move it back and forth in reverse, just not side to side?
If it's stuck in gear, then the reverse interlock is the only possible explanation I can think of, it must be sticking. Moving the reverse plate from under the car while disconnectint the reverse rod might allow it to spring free.
Try turning the key on, then tapping the shifter forward as if you're going past reverse. This should unstick the lock from the reverse plate.
If not, you'll have to dig in.
Remove your center dash plastic, then loosen up the console plastic and lift it and look under it. You could also remove the shift **** to get the boot off, but that's more work.
You'll see a metal levers coming off the back of the shifter with a 1" long spring holding them apart. There should also be a peg with a cable clipped to it, kinda like a throttle cable. This is your reverse interlock. When you turn the key in the ignition, this should push back and free up the reverse plate to allow it to come out of reverse.
If it's stuck in gear, then the reverse interlock is the only possible explanation I can think of, it must be sticking. Moving the reverse plate from under the car while disconnectint the reverse rod might allow it to spring free.
Try turning the key on, then tapping the shifter forward as if you're going past reverse. This should unstick the lock from the reverse plate.
If not, you'll have to dig in.
Remove your center dash plastic, then loosen up the console plastic and lift it and look under it. You could also remove the shift **** to get the boot off, but that's more work.
You'll see a metal levers coming off the back of the shifter with a 1" long spring holding them apart. There should also be a peg with a cable clipped to it, kinda like a throttle cable. This is your reverse interlock. When you turn the key in the ignition, this should push back and free up the reverse plate to allow it to come out of reverse.
