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I missed 6th gear this weekend and found the reverse gate in a big way doing about 130mph at Big Willow yesterday, resulting in a big, loud, nasty tranny grind. New seating position is still screwing with me a little. I changed my shift motion and didn't do it for the rest of the day, but now the car will not go into reverse at all - engine on, engine off, rolling backwards, nothing.

What did I break inside the tranny? 6-speeds aren't cheap, so I'm going to dismantle it and fix whatever I broke (and maybe freshen up the synchros while I'm in there).

1st thru 6th are still ok? Reverse lock-out jammed/damaged?

1st through 6th are perfect. The reverse spring still works. It goes into the gate just like normal, and then drops back halfway, but won't engage the gear. I can let the clutch out, rev the motor, etc. and nothing will let me engage it.

Was reverse gone immediately at the track or did you check fluid looking for metal and lose it then?

Reverse was gone immediately. I went to back out of my spot for the 2nd session and the car wouldn't go into reverse.

Obviously I'm no guru. Did some quick searching at mnet. Found three threads in the last year with that problem on 6 speeds. Two were broken forks with exactly the symptoms you describe. All forward gears perfect, no reverse.

Cool. Looks like I'll be opening it up and looking for a shift fork problem.

Wishing it was something external instead of internal. You've had that car apart enough already.

Reason I asked about checking the fluid. Apparently it's easy to mistakenly remove a bolt where the 5 speed drain plug is instead of the actual drain plug in the 6 spd. Pull that bolt and a pin for the reverse linkage drops away inside. You are likely familiar with this. I'm saying it for future benefit if others have reverse problems and look to this thread for help.

Damn that sucks Sav :(

Heh. I was wishing it was something external like 6-year olds wish to see the tooth fairy leave them $100. Nice thought, but :bowrofl:

I'm going to have the tranny out for a clutch job this month anyway (upgrading from my ACT HD to a 949 twin-disc) so it's not a huge deal, I guess.

At least you didn't blow your forward gears. Who needs reverse.

One of the "I can't get into reverse" threads at Mnet turned out to be one of the bushings under the shifter. Not external but the next best thing to it. Those symptoms weren't as dead on as the one broken tine on the fork analysis though. I was hoping that was your issue. I'm also hoping the Great Pumpkin stops by my garden later this month.

Any update? If you tore into it what did you find.

Necro as fuck, but I wanted to give an update (was looking for something else I posted forever ago). The reverse gear, synchro, and slider all were fucked up, and the 5/R shift fork bushings was slid out of place as well. The fork bushing has probably been like that for a while, the rest of it I did with my mis-shift. Replaced the 4 parts and it's back to normal now. Cost me $350 in labor and $250 in parts.

I have seen some reverse gears grinded down from not stoping and shifting into reverse while moving, and it only goes half into gear and you grind the shit out of it because it is straight cut. But i doubt you do that.