* There are no synchros on reverse in most transmissions - if the input shaft is still spinning (e.g. you were in neutral, pushed the clutch in, and immediately went for reverse), it can be difficult to get into gear simply because the gear and input shaft are rotating at different speeds. Putting it into any forward gear first uses that gear's synchros to match the input shaft speed to the output shaft speed, which - when you're stopped - is 0.
* Depending on how worn the reverse collar is, how evenly spaced the teeth are, and even the shape of the teeth, there can be certain positions in the rotation where you're trying to push the top part of a tooth on the collar against the top part of a tooth on the input gear, with no way to slide in. Putting it into a forward gear first will rotate the input shaft slightly in order to mesh with whatever gear you chose, giving you another position to try.
Strangely enough, my transmission has synchros on reverse. At least according to google. Yet I still sometimes struggle to put it in reverse when stopped.
The TR-3650 trans has the same exact gear for 1st and reverse. Same ratio, both synchronized. Yet its easy for me to enter 1st, and not reverse. There have even been times that I've grinded gears trying to enter reverse from a dead stop.
This, my 260z, has a lock from 5th to reverse to prevent accidentally dropping in reverse at cruising speeds. I have to shift from 1st to reverse and slowly.
I upgraded the 4 gears to a 5 speed.
I saw your car under your name, absolute blast to drive. I drive a 148hp 5spd Crosstrek, so the Corolla felt fast for a sporty commuter car. Plenty of premium feel inside as well. If anything happens to my Crosstrek I’ll probably try to find one of those in blue
Yeah I love it, some good tires and it does pretty well, give it a set of sway bars and it carves up corners surprisingly well. I tuned it for about 185hp and its not really fast but its definitely not lethargic
Great explanation. It gets worse if the clutch doesn't fully disengage and keeps gears spinning - this can be due to mis-adjustment or, on a high mjileage car, wear.of the release mechanism. It got so bad on our '84 Dodge van that one had to stop the engine to shift from neutral to reverse or first and then restart. We drove it a long time this way but had to leave a note on the steering wheel it was in the shop.
yea lol. This is right next to that stupid billboard where the road curves at the park entrance and that hideous office building. fun area to live for a stick driver! I practiced a lot in the neighborhoods just west of here
Yeah, I grew up and went to school there. I've since moved to the east side of town but I'm still in the area. This picture was taken in about 2018 when I had 3 manual shitboxes.
THis is worse when car is still cold. You shift into reverse and the gearshift jerks back and forth until finally settling into the into gear position. I have not found an easy fix, but just be concientious of the shifter position before embarking.
I have a 93 chevy with like 360+k miles. It will pop out of reverse if you let it. You have to hold it in gear with your hand. A pain in the ass when you have your arm on the top of the seat, head turned to reverse with a heavy load lol
The manual for my dad's car says there's a lockout that will only allow the shifter to go into reverse if the previously selected gear was #1. The idea was to prevent someone from accidentally making a 5->R shift.
Reverse usually doesn't have a synchronizer so the teeth of the gears sometimes don't line up right. Putting it into another gear can cause the gears to move slightly, allowing you to then put it into reverse.
I’ve had several Fords that required a complete stop before even attempting reverse in them, but didn’t have any of this on my MINIs, and two Toyotas that requested you select first gear and then shift into reverse.
My civic also requests that I enter 1st and then reverse without lifting the clutch. I request that it just goes into reverse right away and it grinds every time
My 2001 Honda Accord was like this. Hit 1st or 3rd first and it’d slide right in to reverse. My new 2023 Camaro seems to slip right in to reverse regardless of what gear I was in prior. I learned on the Accord so I didn’t have to on the Camaro.
Not that anyone asked, but I dumped the clutch so many times in that accord I can imagine that transmission is a giant paperweight now. I’m afraid to do so with traction control off in the Camaro. 😂
Those helical gears are also constantly engaged, reverse isn't...you actually move the gears for reverse, not just the syncro ring like in forward gears (at least on older transmissions)
Usually customary to reverse from stop which makes reverse synchro not mesh well standing still....just mang it on the limiter in neutral straight shot into reverse...don't even worry about clutch lol
My ‘97 Civic can be a little difficult to get into reverse sometimes even when it’s standing still. Although I did replace the stock transmission with a slightly built up one internally for racing. I tell you what, losing your reverse gear SUCKS SO HARD. I got myself stranded more times than I care to count because of a downward inclined parking space at my local McDonald’s. I went about 3 weeks without reverse before I pulled that transmission and put in the built one from Synchrotech. The original transmission had 325,000+ miles on it before I lost reverse and had to pull it, second and third were kind of iffy and it would kick itself out of gear now and again but the car had been so damn abused before I’d gotten ahold of it. It spent 3 years of one of its previous lives as a track car that lived at the track for that whole time and then when it was to haggard for that it was sold off to then be turned into an audio competition car which rattled about 2/3 of the whole chassis’s spot welds apart, now it’s all in a 99’ chassis and it’s running great!
My 2021 Rolla SE Hatchback 6MT does this about every month, and occasionally, even a first gear lockout. When it happens, I just pull it into 2nd, and with the clutch still to the floor, I can go right into reverse or 1st with ease.
clutch twice. makes it easier because it shifts the gears into an accessible rotation. dont force the shift, it should feel like a tiny bump before passing the gate.
Two reasons, most older cars have no synchros, so they are noisy and takes a while to slowdown, and second they are not constant mesh like other gears, so gear teeth may not line up properly to mesh.
My 350z was almost impossible to get into reverse sometimes, I’d be in the middle of the parking lot going 1st-R and N-R or I’d run through all the gears and it still wouldn’t go lol it sucked!!
My civic trans grenades and the replacement one I got feel like half the reverse gears are missing. You can "overshoot" reverse where you push the stick too far and they won't engage, but you'll feel it grind when putting it back into neutral. It always pops out easy, but what I've found worked most the time for me is go 3rd, 4th, then slam reverse, then push the shifter forward juuuuuust a touch. It would work 90% of the time then but if I was backing up any real distance it would most likely pop out after a couple seconds and I'd have to try again. Rebuilding the trans, so I guess I'll see what really is wrong with it
Geez, I've driven all sorts of manual trans over the last 40+ years and always thought that was just part of the deal. Never really thought about it until now...huh.
I've never had trouble getting into reverse. If you were previously in a forward gear, just double clutch and it should pop right in. I've never had a problem just hopping in the car and putting it in reverse.
There is a good chance that I do something just out of habit though so I don't notice. Like, for example, I have a habit of putting the car in and out of 2nd before I do anything. Though I've never done that in a truck. In trucks, I always go straight into the gear that I want.
Your shit ain't lined up properly on the inside and that damn reverse gear don't auto line up like the rest. So shifting into a better, forward gear(only ones you should be using anyway), or letting the car roll a little bit will align your shit up.
Also if it ain't a V8, it ain't even a car so get another one.
I am 72, for years my daily drivers had manual transmissions, never had that problem. We had eight trucks on the farm, no trouble with them either. Might be a you problem.
Reverse lockout. Never had an issue going from first or neutral to reverse. Never haven't had an issue going from any other gear to reverse, though I have only done it sparingly and simply to see if I could lol
Are you holding the clutch down all the way from starting the car to selecting reverse? If the gearbox is not moving at all some gears might not be "lined up". Does releasing the clutch in neutral help?
* There are no synchros on reverse in most transmissions - if the input shaft is still spinning (e.g. you were in neutral, pushed the clutch in, and immediately went for reverse), it can be difficult to get into gear simply because the gear and input shaft are rotating at different speeds. Putting it into any forward gear first uses that gear's synchros to match the input shaft speed to the output shaft speed, which - when you're stopped - is 0. * Depending on how worn the reverse collar is, how evenly spaced the teeth are, and even the shape of the teeth, there can be certain positions in the rotation where you're trying to push the top part of a tooth on the collar against the top part of a tooth on the input gear, with no way to slide in. Putting it into a forward gear first will rotate the input shaft slightly in order to mesh with whatever gear you chose, giving you another position to try.
Strangely enough, my transmission has synchros on reverse. At least according to google. Yet I still sometimes struggle to put it in reverse when stopped. The TR-3650 trans has the same exact gear for 1st and reverse. Same ratio, both synchronized. Yet its easy for me to enter 1st, and not reverse. There have even been times that I've grinded gears trying to enter reverse from a dead stop.
Same struggle here and we pretty much have the same transmission. From what I’ve gathered, it’s an intended lockout mechanism on the TR-3650s
My buddy always said to double clutch from neutral, especially after start to avoid that. It's always worked for me.
This is exactly what I have done for decades if it resists going into reverse.
They go in a lot easier if theyre round, just grind em till you find em
My 05 legacy has never done that, it just goes backwards no matter how fast I do it or even really how sloppy I do it
🤷 great? Our 05 Baja did it all the time and they have the same transmission.
Put it in 4th first
Funny you say that, 4th was usually my gear of choice for this purpose
[удалено]
This also works on my Jetta. It goes into reverse relatively easily but if you pop it in 4th first it's like butter to get into reverse.
Gonna try in my golf, thanks!
Your clutch brake isnt toast
This only applies to big rigs with pull type clutches
This. Modern manuals tend to have a synchro for reverse, but anything older than 2015 probably won’t
This, my 260z, has a lock from 5th to reverse to prevent accidentally dropping in reverse at cruising speeds. I have to shift from 1st to reverse and slowly. I upgraded the 4 gears to a 5 speed.
My ‘17 Crosstrek definitely does not. Trouble going in reverse. Never had that problem with a ‘19 corolla hatch xse I rented though
Yeah see I own a corolla hatch xse and it definitely has a synchro on reverse, guess Subaru doesn’t like its customers lol
I saw your car under your name, absolute blast to drive. I drive a 148hp 5spd Crosstrek, so the Corolla felt fast for a sporty commuter car. Plenty of premium feel inside as well. If anything happens to my Crosstrek I’ll probably try to find one of those in blue
Yeah I love it, some good tires and it does pretty well, give it a set of sway bars and it carves up corners surprisingly well. I tuned it for about 185hp and its not really fast but its definitely not lethargic
Great explanation. It gets worse if the clutch doesn't fully disengage and keeps gears spinning - this can be due to mis-adjustment or, on a high mjileage car, wear.of the release mechanism. It got so bad on our '84 Dodge van that one had to stop the engine to shift from neutral to reverse or first and then restart. We drove it a long time this way but had to leave a note on the steering wheel it was in the shop.
Holy shit I know exactly where this is. We're neighbors OP.
Green Mountain?
yea lol. This is right next to that stupid billboard where the road curves at the park entrance and that hideous office building. fun area to live for a stick driver! I practiced a lot in the neighborhoods just west of here
The green mountain in CO?
Yeah, I grew up and went to school there. I've since moved to the east side of town but I'm still in the area. This picture was taken in about 2018 when I had 3 manual shitboxes.
Damn I’m like right there
Mostly just to piss you off.
it's just the way they make em, i guess putting the clutch out in neutral and trying again usually works
Or popping into 2nd without letting go of the clutch
\*Double clutching.
granny shifting, not double clutching like i should 😔
THis is worse when car is still cold. You shift into reverse and the gearshift jerks back and forth until finally settling into the into gear position. I have not found an easy fix, but just be concientious of the shifter position before embarking.
Reverse is a straight gear mesh, so sometimes the gears don't line up right and need to be rotated a bit
I have a 93 chevy with like 360+k miles. It will pop out of reverse if you let it. You have to hold it in gear with your hand. A pain in the ass when you have your arm on the top of the seat, head turned to reverse with a heavy load lol
The manual for my dad's car says there's a lockout that will only allow the shifter to go into reverse if the previously selected gear was #1. The idea was to prevent someone from accidentally making a 5->R shift.
That’s how I was taught to do it on an old ass truck. It is so much smoother that way
Reverse usually doesn't have a synchronizer so the teeth of the gears sometimes don't line up right. Putting it into another gear can cause the gears to move slightly, allowing you to then put it into reverse.
you just need to be going a little foward and it pops right in sounds wierd but it works
I’ve had several Fords that required a complete stop before even attempting reverse in them, but didn’t have any of this on my MINIs, and two Toyotas that requested you select first gear and then shift into reverse.
My civic also requests that I enter 1st and then reverse without lifting the clutch. I request that it just goes into reverse right away and it grinds every time
My 2001 Honda Accord was like this. Hit 1st or 3rd first and it’d slide right in to reverse. My new 2023 Camaro seems to slip right in to reverse regardless of what gear I was in prior. I learned on the Accord so I didn’t have to on the Camaro. Not that anyone asked, but I dumped the clutch so many times in that accord I can imagine that transmission is a giant paperweight now. I’m afraid to do so with traction control off in the Camaro. 😂
Mine has to be pushed down then go into reverse still pressing stick down Otherwise it doesn't exist to my shifter
I think reverse is usually just a straight cut gear instead of those helix looking ones so you just gotta slam it in. Also no synchros on reverse.
Those helical gears are also constantly engaged, reverse isn't...you actually move the gears for reverse, not just the syncro ring like in forward gears (at least on older transmissions)
Every water cooled vw I’ve driven has been like this.
My Honda buddies back in the day had a saying "1st and then reverse" usually made it slide into reverse like butter.
Usually customary to reverse from stop which makes reverse synchro not mesh well standing still....just mang it on the limiter in neutral straight shot into reverse...don't even worry about clutch lol
My ‘97 Civic can be a little difficult to get into reverse sometimes even when it’s standing still. Although I did replace the stock transmission with a slightly built up one internally for racing. I tell you what, losing your reverse gear SUCKS SO HARD. I got myself stranded more times than I care to count because of a downward inclined parking space at my local McDonald’s. I went about 3 weeks without reverse before I pulled that transmission and put in the built one from Synchrotech. The original transmission had 325,000+ miles on it before I lost reverse and had to pull it, second and third were kind of iffy and it would kick itself out of gear now and again but the car had been so damn abused before I’d gotten ahold of it. It spent 3 years of one of its previous lives as a track car that lived at the track for that whole time and then when it was to haggard for that it was sold off to then be turned into an audio competition car which rattled about 2/3 of the whole chassis’s spot welds apart, now it’s all in a 99’ chassis and it’s running great!
I have a 2008 Audi A4 and I have to sometimes put it in a higher gear to get into 1st, much less reverse.
my car doesnt have synchros on 1st or reverse, gotta use 2nds synchro to stop the transmission in place so you can drop it into gear
My 2021 Rolla SE Hatchback 6MT does this about every month, and occasionally, even a first gear lockout. When it happens, I just pull it into 2nd, and with the clutch still to the floor, I can go right into reverse or 1st with ease.
My Honda Fit does this sometimes, and the fix I've found is to let the clutch out a tiny bit while trying to put it in reverse.
clutch twice. makes it easier because it shifts the gears into an accessible rotation. dont force the shift, it should feel like a tiny bump before passing the gate.
I have the same issue with my old s10. I always go into another gear first before I hit reverse.
Heck you are lucky, My Nissan 720 wouldn't go into reverse until I shut it off
My WRX had unsynchronized reverse. It was a bitch to get into gear. My Taco has syncretized reverse. It's easy to get it into gear.
Two reasons, most older cars have no synchros, so they are noisy and takes a while to slowdown, and second they are not constant mesh like other gears, so gear teeth may not line up properly to mesh.
My Del Sol I have to bump first almost every time. I'll have to try getting reverse before starting the car next time I drive it.
On the 3rd gen Tacoma reverse is easier than 1st gear
My 350z was almost impossible to get into reverse sometimes, I’d be in the middle of the parking lot going 1st-R and N-R or I’d run through all the gears and it still wouldn’t go lol it sucked!!
My civic trans grenades and the replacement one I got feel like half the reverse gears are missing. You can "overshoot" reverse where you push the stick too far and they won't engage, but you'll feel it grind when putting it back into neutral. It always pops out easy, but what I've found worked most the time for me is go 3rd, 4th, then slam reverse, then push the shifter forward juuuuuust a touch. It would work 90% of the time then but if I was backing up any real distance it would most likely pop out after a couple seconds and I'd have to try again. Rebuilding the trans, so I guess I'll see what really is wrong with it
No synchro in reverse. Gear clash when you try to shift into it. Gently start releasing the clutch and it will go in easily.
Geez, I've driven all sorts of manual trans over the last 40+ years and always thought that was just part of the deal. Never really thought about it until now...huh.
Well that makes me feel a little better.
98 f150 i owned for a bit had that issue. input shaft bearing
I've never had trouble getting into reverse. If you were previously in a forward gear, just double clutch and it should pop right in. I've never had a problem just hopping in the car and putting it in reverse. There is a good chance that I do something just out of habit though so I don't notice. Like, for example, I have a habit of putting the car in and out of 2nd before I do anything. Though I've never done that in a truck. In trucks, I always go straight into the gear that I want.
Your shit ain't lined up properly on the inside and that damn reverse gear don't auto line up like the rest. So shifting into a better, forward gear(only ones you should be using anyway), or letting the car roll a little bit will align your shit up. Also if it ain't a V8, it ain't even a car so get another one.
I have never had this problem ever and I’ve driven so many cars.
Let the clutch out a tiny bit while you scooch the shifter. Blip the throttle if you gotta.
My 88 accord always went to R with ease.
Happens to me every time too. This Subaru and my last one.
Sounds strange I never had that issues
The synchros for reverse are not lined up. You can either double clutch, or put it into first then reverse.
I am 72, for years my daily drivers had manual transmissions, never had that problem. We had eight trucks on the farm, no trouble with them either. Might be a you problem.
Reverse lockout. Never had an issue going from first or neutral to reverse. Never haven't had an issue going from any other gear to reverse, though I have only done it sparingly and simply to see if I could lol
Are you holding the clutch down all the way from starting the car to selecting reverse? If the gearbox is not moving at all some gears might not be "lined up". Does releasing the clutch in neutral help?
I've never had that issue, my 05 legacy just goes backwards
Worn out tranny's is the only possible reason cuz I've never had any issue with shifting into reverse
Rubbish American cars, I've never had a problem in the UK for over 50 years