Help please. stuck in reverse!!
 

I would suspect the linkage being out of adjustment. Had that with my 1980, but the shifter is mounted to tranny crossmember. What year is yours? Any other issues like going from 2nd to 3rd?

If the clutch is slipping, but it engages at the correct height, not to close to the floor and not too high towards the top, then you need a clutch. So where does yours engage or have you tried adjusting it?

Is it possible the rod for reverse fell off because of a failed clip or pin? Also, if the lower bolt on the shifter is loose or falls out, the shifter can lock itself in reverse or first gear. If you are going to replace the clutch, I would rebuild the shifter with new bushings etc. Jerry

If its fully engaged with some pedal travel at the top, it should be adjusted correctly. I don't know how much free travel you should have on the 69, I would say at about 1". The clutch should be totally engaged before the pedal reaches the top of its travel. With the pedal about 1/2" off the floor, it should shift smoothly, clutch fully released.
My 80 manual says to test the clutch -
drive in high gear at 20 to 25mph
depress clutch, rev to 2500-3500rpm
snap you foot off the clutch
if rpm drops and car accelerates, your good.
if engine speed increases, no good.

If we had decent parking brakes, I would just put it in second gear and start releasing to clutch to set if the car wants to stall out.

I used a RAM clutch and I am pretty happy with it. I would do as suggested and replace any worn parts in the shifter and adjust it to factory specs. Don't forget to have the flywheel machined or replaced. I also had problems with my clutch fork, it was cracked and I had to replace it.

I'd crawl under the car and look at the linkage before anything else. My 80 was about 3 shifts away from the reverse plate falling off of the transmission. Tightening bolts, and a Hurst pit-pack solved a bunch of issues.

could also be the ignition key has to be turned to on to release the reverse look on the column

try lubing the reverse lockout cable its a common problem , had it happen to me

Here's a photo from another thread on this site (not my photo).

The "plates", the lever arms between the shifter linkages and the transmission, are held on by bolts. These were loose in my car, with the reverse gear loose to the point that the notch in the lever was no longer fully engaged. I tightened the bolts, with the lever slots aligned, and that cleared up some of the loose shifting. Adding a "Pit Pack" replaced the bushings between the shift linkages (rods) and the lever arm plates on the transmission.
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...d1dd997346.jpg

Of course, you need a manual transmission for any of this advice to be valid. :)

you sure it isn't really low on oil? the reverse slider can stick on the shaft if dry. if not, get car up and get under it. take a crescent wrench and try to move reverse shifter. if won't move, see if either 3-4 or 1-2 fork is not snapped into the neutral detent. next take all 3 shift rods out of forks and see which, if any will move. we are talking short distance on the forward forks. DON'T FORCE INTO GEAR!! if you can't move any forks without shift rods attached, tranny is coming out of the car.