This is my daily driver at the moment so its a little hard to go without reverse. The problem is as follows:

When shifting, reverse will not engage, it seems like something is holding it back and if I was to go any further I would bend the linkage or fork. I flushed the clutch fluid thinking it may not be disengaging completely, same problem persists.

I can sometimes shift into reverse, and it is met with some resistance, then it engages like it normally would, it does not grind. (I do have to shift into first or another gear before reverse from neutral or else it would grind abruptly I think the clutch is glazed on the pressure plate side from the previous owners).

I notice that when I can get into reverse its either luck or I drop the clutch and press the clutch go to first, then reverse, and repeat that process until it finally engages into reverse. Even when the car is off it will not engage unless you rotate the driveline, either with the engine or sometimes rolling the car will help.

I also notice that when I can get into reverse, first is hard to get into too. I have no clue what this may be is it a common problem? Has anyone combated this in the past?

It's an 05 z51 with 80,000mi. If anyone can help it would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

There is a reverse lockout solenoid on the top of the transmission. Sounds like yours might be disconnected or went bad. It happens, happened to me. It's pretty easy to change on a lift if you know where the solenoid is, shouldn't cost much. My mechanic changed mine on jackstands with a 13mm wrench if I recall.

 

Are there two lockouts then? I can get into the reverse column if you will, I just can't push forward into the gear, the lockout I am familiar with doesn't let me go over past the 5/6 column and that disables after going under 3mph. If there are two parts to the lockout then this could be it. Idk...

 

The syncro keeps you from going past the gate past 5th, you are correct.

I didn't get that you could get into the gate from your first description. Based on that, it could be a reverse syncro or blocker ring going out, but that's more expensive, requiring some tranny disassembly.

Perhaps some of our resident trans builders will chime in. Ragtopws6 comes to mind, you could call him as he's now a forum sponsor.

 

also shift rod may be loose solenoid's are every where every try to shift into 6 gear at a stop my z06 will not go in 6 gear. My skip shift solenoid was so bad I had to put skip shift eliminator in it car wold hang and not shift at all coast to stop with clutch in kill switch and restart to be able to shift again.
z51vett

 

I will have to check into that, I have eliminated skip shift in my program so that should be a non issue. As for the other things, if this is something I can fix I'd love to try when I get off my business trip, but if its not fixable, I guess I will be looking for a new tranny....

 

If I violently shift into first, (it doesnt grind or anything just more resistance getting through the gate) it will almost always then engage into reverse given that I do not let the clutch down through the entire process. This might be able to point to a certain part that isn't working right....

 

05's are notorious for having trouble getting into first. Typically you'll need to go into second then into first. GM revised the transmission in later years, I have the updated syncros and blocker rings and it glides into first perfectly.

I don't think reverse has anything to do with first....when I had my transmission rebuilt, my reverse syncro was going bad they said so it happens for some reason.

I can also tell you if you crack a blocker ring you have to jam the heck out of the shifter to get it in gear. Each and every time.

As I think of it....I might direct you to check the bolts of the shifter box to the transmission tunnel. Search a thread by Mez for the shifter bushing repair - if your shifter bushings are shot (which they likely are, mine were), it could possibly be causing enough slack to cause misalighment and the problems you are having. I'm at work so can't search for his thread but let me know if you have trouble and I'll look later.

 

I checked out the slack, it doesn't seem like any, I tried orienting the shifter at different angles and pulling up or pushing down but that seems pretty solid, I didn't take the console apart or anything but tried that thinkng if those screws were lose doing that would def show some change, but it still wouldn't shift into reverse. I did however find that on most occassions slamming it into first will allow me to engage reverse, no other gear or other method has gotten me more reliability in getting into reverse thus far, it may have nothing to do with first but the fact that I can get into reverse using that way is something. So I am at no gain so far.

 

My early '05 has always been hard to get into reverse. Especially after sitting. Just like my '90 Miata. So I almost always go to 1st first, before going to reverse.

 

You can't tell from pushing on the shifter. But if your bushings are bad, which they likely are, you're not going to believe how nice your car is after you replace them.

It's not hard to take the console apart and check those bushings. It is now sounding like this might be your problem and it's easy and cheap to fix. Look up Mez's thread. He did a lot of work and shared his results with us, which was very kind of him.

 

As long as you're going to have the center console apart to check the shift box bushings, you will want to check the shifter alignment. There is a small pin (looks like an allen wrench) stuck in a hole right in front of the shifter. Pull it out, put shifter in neutral, and try to insert the pin in the hole right in front of the shift lever (it goes right into the hole in the shift rod). This locks the shifter in neutral. If the pin won't go in the hole, you need to loosen the large phillips screw which attaches the shift rod to the shift cable. Wiggle this shift lever/rod until the pin goes in the hole, then tighten (really hard) the large phillips screw. Pull the pin out and replace it its storage hole. Once you've got the console off, the alignment takes about 2 minutes or less. IT take longer to read about than it does to just do it.

 

I have developed this problem in the last few months too so I can always get it in but it is always quite hard to do.

 

Here's Mez's thread.

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-t...ed-owners.html

My bushings were SHOT. I found a 06 Z06 shifter box with solid bushings...feels like a new car. Shifter feels great. I had no idea how sloppy it had become.

 

Thanks Joe but I have Mez's bushings already. For >6 months now.

 

I'm remembering now that someone had trouble with the u-joint that connects the shift rod to the tranny...was that you Bill?




[/quote]

 

No, wasn't me.

 

Could be your problem. I'll try to remember who it was. Maybe Isaiah48.