PROBLEM SHIFTING OUT OF REVERSE INTO FORWARD GEARS

Hi! I suspect the transmission is not getting out of reverse because of a shifting arm that maybe loose on the cross shaft. If the transmission cover is off, I suggest you remove the clevis pin from the cross-shift lever and with all precautions taken, start the car in neutral. Depress the clutch and the main shift cylinder rod will find it's proper neutral location. That requires some-one to make sure the rod doesn't touch anything as it moves. It should now be directly in line with the selector rod and you should be able to insert the clevis pin without moving anything. If not there is an adjustment of the clevis to move it back and forth(lock nut, and threaded clevis) BUT, if the selector arm has become loose (fixed in position by a taper pin and woodruff key) the arm will be in a different position when you "come out of 1st or out of reverse" These arms are under very great pressure when shifting and I have found, often become loose. There are two places that looseness often occurs. The visible connect of shift arm to cross shaft is the easiest too see and arc weld (it won't last more than a few shifts!) the other place looseness develops is inside the driver's side of the cross-shift housing. There is a dumbell or dogbone like forging that moves the shift rails back and forth. it is connected to the cross-shaft the same way as the visible centre arm. When they are both loose, shifting is always a gamble. It can be adjusted so you can shift most of the time. You have to get all the way out of reverse before the cross shift can move sideways and then the proper adjustment of the multiterminal switch will allow you to move the mainshaft forward and back. I have found that sometimes , in an emetrgency, if you shift from reverse into 1st the play may let you get into second and then you can get most of your gears. If the shift arm has zero play, I suggest you check the switch position on the drivers side of the cross shaft. The simplest problem to solve might be a mechanical binding of the vacuum lines and the grill etc. I would check that before doing anything!. Hope this might be of help. Ric.

I have never repair anything on the transmission but since you didn't get any responses; I'll give it a try. Looking at the transmission manual, I don't see any electrical fault that would cause this problem. My guess is that additional force is needed to shift out of reverse for some reason. Has he tried to manually shift out of the gears? The difference could be fairly small and using a spring scale to measure it might be needed. I would be suspicious of the main shift cylinder too.


Did this problem start with an operational transmission or after a tear down or rebuild? (something not installed correctly?)

My friend, with an 812 Beverly in Spain, advised me that he can shift into all forward gears, up and down and into reverse, but when he shifts into reverse he then can't get the gearbox to shift back into any of the forward gears.

Anyone have a suggestion as to why he can't shift from reverse into forward gears ?

Bill McLaughlin