Clutch problem ??

[greywolf]

Car is having a problem engaging in reverse, doesn't happen all the time.

I clutch in, start the car, go to engage in reverse and it won't shift. I fix this by either allowing the car to roll either backwards or forwards. After this it will engage, sometimes with a slight crunch. Or I can give the car a slight rev, slip the clutch a little and it will engage, sometimes with a slight crunch sometimes smoothly.

Is this a clutch problem, a syncro problem, or something else ?

[Dale]

Reverse normally doesn't have any synchros, it's why this happens.

Rolling the car backwards or forwards, or allowing power to the gearbox (slipping the clutch) moves the internals of the gearbox so the gears line up and go in.

[wilbo666]

As said, no synros on reverse.

Gearboxes are usually designed so that after 5th is selected reverse is lined up... (W5x at least)

This works as 5th and Rev are on the same shift fork. As a habit I grab 5th (which gets lined up by synros on 5th) and then grab reverse. Give it a go?



Cheers
Wilbo

[Lachie]

You can do what Wilbo said, but some other solutions are to just really quickly run it through all the gears (just with the clutch in), or sometimes a wiggle back and forth in neutral is enough to get it into gear.

Even letting the clutch out with the box in neutral before trying for reverse could help get things lined up.

[greywolf]

Will give all those things a try.

Thanks fellas !