Well, Ive had the car for about a year now and as long as I can remember, it seems difficult to shift into reverse sometimes, and if you dont let the car come back down to idle before trying to shift into reverse it will grind. The car is a 1985 GSL with the stock 12a and tranny. My car has over 210 000km's on it and probably the only thing ever done to the tranny was to keep fresh fluid in it. The forward gears all work perfectly (syncros are good) so im just wondering if reverse gear is always sketchy, or if there is a problem. So my question is: do i have to just take it easy on reverse (as i have been) or is there something i can do to help this?

 

all standards grind if you dont let the revs ggo down first going into reverse and sometimes in cars if the car just moves a bit either way it will slip into reverse much easier my beater i have to jump up and down in ssmetimes to et reverse but i think there pretty normal problems

 

Try shifting into 5th gear before going onto reverse, and let the rpms drop to idle.

 

Something about the way the tranny is made makes it so that if you try to just shift to reverse, it grinds most of the time. Definitely shift to fifth then reverse (don't release the clutch in fifth obviously, just make the hand motion). You'll feel the gears kinda mesh when you put it in fifth, then reverse will slide in.

Jon

 

Let it idle, put in 5th before reverse. It matches the syncros and it'll go easily into reverse

 

I thought 1st and reverse weren't synchronized. Am I wrong?

 

1st gear is definately synchronized, reverse however is not.

 

I find if you pull the shifter back, and the release the clutch when its in reverse andit engages every time... you'll feel it snap into gear kinda.