Help, no Reverse!

[Untamed]

After firing up my 88TA tonight, I started the road test for the first time in 18 months. Aside from another issue explained in the Engine section of the tech forums, I found out the car wouldn't reverse.

All the other gears work fine, from neutral down to 1st. Putting the trans in park also works.

What would cause the Reverse to quit working? Is there a moderately easy fix that a newbie could perform without dropping the trans? Or am I better off having a mechanic look at it?

Thanks.

[enRo]

So, you shift it into reverse fine, but reverse doesnt engage?

[Untamed]

Yeah exactly. No problems with shifting, just doesnt engage.

One of the things I thought about last night was the electrical connections to the shifter arm. I removed and installed the center console several times. At one point I must have wiggled the neutral safety switch loose because it didnt start until I reseated it. Could there be some small connection problem around the shifter arm?

[Tru2Chevy]

No, all of your gears are engaged manually. The electrical connection on the shifter won't stop it from going into any gears.

I don't know the workings of a 700R4 all that well, so I can't really tell you what the problem is, other than the fact that it isn't electrical.

- Justin

[Untamed]

Well damn. I don't know anything about transmissions, so I couldn't begin to guess why reverse was the only one not working.

Any help ya'll could give on where to look / obvious signs of damage or problems is greatly appreciated.

[Tru2Chevy]

[Educated Guess]I'm pretty sure that 700's are pretty picky about having the linkage adjusted correctly. If it's off a little, that may be the cause of the problem.[/Educated Guess]

- Justin

[enRo]

:stupid: Altho, back in my n00b days of fbodies, it wouldnt let me shift from park into reverse at all in my 86 TA... i thought i ****ed up the linkage. I even called tranny shops for quotes... turns out it was a piece inside the shift knob that was broken :lol: Figured id ask if it was shifting in there just so you dont feel like an ass later, kinda like what I felt like lmao.

[johnjzjz]

if the trans worked when you parked it i would tell you to run it and get the car completely warmed up drive it for say 10 / 15 min == than with the car at an idle at a stop say in front of the house shift it back and forth through the gears -- the reverse clutch piston is stuck it has spring pressure on it all the time when not backing up and it might just need the thing to get hot before it starts to work again -- have had that happen to me and thats what i did and it started to work again its a shot not that you fixed anything u no -- jz

[Untamed]

Ok I found the problem. It's fixed.

Problems:

1. I'm an idiot.
2. There was less than a quart of Trans fluid in there.

After adding 3 quarts of trans fluid.... the car shifts and runs through each gear just fine. Reverse is as strong as Drive.

*facepalm* DOH!

Thanks for the help guys. Sorry for the wild goose chase.

[WayFast84]

good to here it!!

at least you didnt spend a grand on a 700r4 to get rebuilt when it didnt need to be...

[camaro2you]

damn i completely forgot about the hole fluid factor, my trans was like that to would harldly move in reverse put in a quart and bam i can spin em in reverse.