No reverse and other confusion

[laynrubber]

R10 O.D. and I have no reverse and the forward gears are a mystery too.

Some background......car was originally a 3 speed, I bought another car with the overdrive, so between 2 gear boxes and the OD unit I made one good unit. Fully disassembled, 112 parts spread out (or it seemed like that many bits) and reassembled with nothing left over. I used the better condition gears, new bearings and cleaned everything. On the bench spinning the input shaft reverse seemed to work. The 3 forward gears seemed to work.....I didn't count ratios for each gear speed but it all seemed proper.

Remated to my newly rebuilt engine, test drive was a huge disappointment. No reverse ! First gear on the shift lever certainly wasn't first....2 and 3 positions didn't seem to make any difference either.

So, back under the car to check linkage. Binds a bit going into 1 and reverse. 2 and 3 shift fine. I am unsure now of what the linkage positioning should be on the gear box. Column linkage wasn't touched.

The OD isn't hooked up yet but I tried the engagement (is it engagement ?) lever in the 2 positions.

I'm stumped, looking for some ideas thanks.

Edited January 22, 2016 by laynrubber

[ptwothree]

If you are sure it shifts thru all 3 speeds and reverse while on the bench, nothing will change that by an installation.  I would make sure the linkage is adjusted by the book.  If the motor mounts are in good shape, it should work.

 

On the bench...turn the input shaft and watch the e brake drum turn at different speeds and directions while manually shifting the gears.

[jeffsunzeri]

From under the car:

Disconnect the drive shaft at the trans so that you can turn the output shaft by hand.

Disconnect the shift linkage.

 

Position the shift linkage to the neutral position and verify by turning the output shaft.

Using a long wrench or other lever, manipulate the 1st/reverse lever at the transmission until you get it into gear. You may have to rock the output shaft to get it to go in. Have a helper kick the starter to confirm direction.

If you don't get a reverse or first gear selection manipulating by hand, you may have messed up the shift forks and a teardown will need to be done and re-assembly using a manual.

 

If you can get 1st and reverse this way, you had a linkage problem.

Edited January 22, 2016 by jeffsunzeri

[dpollo]

Before you get into a teardown, make sure you have adjusted any slack out of the low -reverse

selector.  Right below the steering column there is a rod with an adjustment on the upper end.

If this does not pull the lower lever enough  when the gearshift lever is pulled toward you,

you cannot select low or reverse.  For some reason of geometry, reverse is the first position to be lost.

 

If you tighten this adjustment too much, you will lose Second and High , but no harm can be done.  Sometimes

a loose steering column jacket will cause all sorts of shifting problems.  

[laynrubber]

All good info, I am gone for weekend but will try these when I get back and get the heat on in the garage again. I remember it on the bench and I was "playing" with the levers to see how it all worked after there were no parts left to put on. I was grinning then....not so much now.

[mopar_earl]

Also check that rubber bushing on the shift rod at the column, it could be shot or missing and causing the rod not to travel the right amount. As posted, adjust rods as per manual. As posted, sagging engine/transmission mounts will cause issues with shifter rod travel. My rods where missing the spring washers to hold them snug so I used flat washers to take up slack at the transmission connections.

Earl

[laynrubber]

Pulled the gear box tonight. I hate taking steps backwards. The linkage all looked fine, a minor adjust and the lever smoothly went into the four positions. Unsure if that translated to 1,2 or 3 in the gear box but still no reverse. Something inside has to have failed. This week I will open it up....sigh.

[mopar_earl]

The shift housing reverse fork may not be engaged into the reverse idler gear

Earl

[DJ194950]

One other possibility. If the Od shift in/out arm is not properly installed when the OD was worked on it could also be blocking out reverse engagement as the rod the arm attaches to has multiple jobs in addition the shifting the OD engagement. 1-switch on rear of trans to electrically block OD operation in reverse and it also blocks the mechanical reverse engagement by passing through to the main three speed box.

 

My R-10 OD rebuild took several tries to properly assemble due to this type of details I missed but at least discovered while the trans was still on the work bench.

 

Hope that it's something simple.

 

For instructions on proper assembly of the arm/engagement go to: references at the top of main page then to manuals-downloads P.2

for B-W R-10 repairs to operation/maintenance. -

 

Maintenance download has on P.22 the proper assembly of the arm/rod.

 

Good Luck

 

DJ

[laynrubber]

Here is some follow up to what I found. Nothing wrong inside, other than some gasket areas still leaking grrr. I believe I have a linkage issue on the car

I now remember how the mechanism works inside. I made this picture to help anyone else (or me in future years) and this rough chart for input shaft vs output shaft.

I will install the assembly this weekend and ensure the linkage is moving the levers correctly. I will leave the detent balls and springs out to confirm the shift rails are moving as they should. I think I can peek inside each hole while the linkage is being moved to watch the shift rails.

NOTE: the last line of this chart wasn't entered, the output shaft should have been written to say about 5/8th output turn.

Edited February 19, 2016 by laynrubber

[laynrubber]

Follow up....

Yeehaa, reinstalled everything and had to adjust both shift rods a bit. Not sure why since it all worked before I took the engine and trans out but oh well....I am smarter now. Shifts fairly smooth. Took it for a rip today (brakes are marginal ) but my road is pretty barren. Got it into 3rd, all gears worked good, but of grind on a couple of downshifts but over all I am beaming today. Next is to read Blue Skies manual on O.D. wiring and hook up, front end alignment, exhaust, some timing adjustment and carb tweaking. I do have a concern about oil pressure after this rebuild that I may post later.

Edited February 19, 2016 by laynrubber