MTX reverse problem - NOT the same question as everyone elses thread

[ritmusic2k]

Hey, after all the searching I could handle, I feel that I still need to ask this question (so I hope I didn't miss something). If I'm a *****, please flame me lightly, I honestly tried to find an answer first.

Okay, here goes.

When I engage reverse, I always put the car in a forward gear (usually 1st) and then into reverse, and never have grinding problems of that type. But every ten times or so, I put the car in reverse, and it's like the gear isn't selected, or is just upon the threshold of being selected. Upon giving the engine a little gas (and before letting the clutch out at all), it just spins up and there's a loose grinding sound, like it's barely touching. Now, the gearshift is all the way into the reverse shift gate, and there is no difficulty in getting it in there, it's just like it's not connected. I pull back into neutral, try again (again with a move to a forward gear first) and this time I try to pull it a little further into the shift gate, and if I hear it click, then I know it made it in and I go about my business.

So, there's no difference in procedure or anything between the two scenarios.

To clarify, in case I didn't make it make sense before... this reverse grinding is not upon trying to put the car into reverse, it's grinding after I think I put it there and gas the engine (and one more thing, if I did try to declutch in this scenario, there is no motion. The gear is definitely not engaged.) Just, sometimes there's no click and the gear doesn't seem to be there, and the rest of the time there's the click of engagement and I'm in good shape.

This never happens in any forward gear.

So, lemme have it, guys, is this just another facet of the same unsynchronized reverse gear problem that everyone else asks about, or is this a symptom of a specific problem?

Thanks in advance for everyone's input.

~Riker

 

[SHOtime2511]

Hey, after all the searching I could handle, I feel that I still need to ask this question (so I hope I didn't miss something). If I'm a *****, please flame me lightly, I honestly tried to find an answer first.

Okay, here goes.

When I engage reverse, I always put the car in a forward gear (usually 1st) and then into reverse, and never have grinding problems of that type. But every ten times or so, I put the car in reverse, and it's like the gear isn't selected, or is just upon the threshold of being selected. Upon giving the engine a little gas (and before letting the clutch out at all), it just spins up and there's a loose grinding sound, like it's barely touching. Now, the gearshift is all the way into the reverse shift gate, and there is no difficulty in getting it in there, it's just like it's not connected. I pull back into neutral, try again (again with a move to a forward gear first) and this time I try to pull it a little further into the shift gate, and if I hear it click, then I know it made it in and I go about my business.

So, there's no difference in procedure or anything between the two scenarios.

To clarify, in case I didn't make it make sense before... this reverse grinding is not upon trying to put the car into reverse, it's grinding after I think I put it there and gas the engine (and one more thing, if I did try to declutch in this scenario, there is no motion. The gear is definitely not engaged.) Just, sometimes there's no click and the gear doesn't seem to be there, and the rest of the time there's the click of engagement and I'm in good shape.

This never happens in any forward gear.

So, lemme have it, guys, is this just another facet of the same unsynchronized reverse gear problem that everyone else asks about, or is this a symptom of a specific problem?

Thanks in advance for everyone's input.

~Riker

i think this is common,but you hit it on the head.unsynchronized reverse gears
do all sorts of wierd things

 

[sho_me92]

i heard that putting it into 2nd helps more than anyother gear but my car does the same thing. it feels like it isnt in right? is what i do is just let off the clutch a little bit with a little force on the sifter and then it will fall into place

 

[93superSHO]

According to my MTX-4 Mazda manual, to properly put the car in reverse you need to shift into 3rd and 4th with clutch pedal down and then go into reverse. I have done this from day one and never grinded reverse nor had any kind of problem.

 

[ritmusic2k]

It's wierd... the gearshift feels like it is in. I don't know that the problem is there until after I select the gear and then give the engine gas to start backing up, and when I start to let the clutch out: soft whirring grind and the car's not moving. So, upon noticing that, I put it back into neutral, shift through 1st and then back into reverse, but this time I pay a little more attention and move the gearshift into reverse a little faster and check to hear the clunk of engagement. I don't have any resistance, but I bet by doing it faster in effect I'm pulling harder on the **** and getting the shift fork to move a little further.

It's like the throw is just barely short enough that it doesn't always catch, which is why I reserved hope that maybe something was out of adjustment and I could tweak it to work more reliably.

Regardless, thanks for the info everyone, now I can at least feel that it's not as much of a warning sign as I thought it could be. I'll try your guys' tips and hopefully have better luck.

~Riker

 

[jedhead]

The only time I had gear grind problems in reverse was went my throw out bearing was galled with clutch dust and would not disengage the clutch completely.

Bob

 

[Aaron R.]

what about a worn out shifter bushing? Could that be the problem, because its sounds just like what my car does, but my does it ALL the time.