Reverse went out in my truck

[VEfreak]

Got in my truck yesterday to go to my girlfriend's house and the reverse didn't work all of a sudden. No grinding, no large metallic shearing noise. It just simply doesn't work, but the forward drive gears do. I'm hoping for a faint miracle that this problem is correctable. Does anyone here know what has happened?

[cmann250]

Auto or manual?

[VEfreak]

Oh I'm sorry, stupid me. It's an automatic transmission. 92' 4x4.

[dazedandconfused]

Did you check the fluid? Does it still have 1st gear? If im remembering right 1st and reverse work together.

[DodgeFreak]

Manual first and reverse share the rear band.

[dazedandconfused]

That's what I thought.

[VEfreak]

Yes it seems to still have first. I haven't driven it but I can put it in drive and it will move forward. The fluid is fine.

[PToombs]

You may have popped the band. It was common in the '70's trucks, but not so mush nowadays. I broke a bunch of them. To check you need to pull the pan. Just look up at the back edge of the pan and you can see the band, make sure both ends are connected. One goes to the adjuster, and the other has a flat bar between the band and the servo piston.

It may also be something else entirely, does the shifter feel normal? Maybe go thru the gears again and feel the detents and wait a second to see if it kicks in.

[cmann250]

If you put it in drive (D) you don't apply the Low/Reverse band. Put it on 1 (low) and see what happens. Then drop the pan. Do the stuff on the outside first

[PToombs]

Yeah, what he said!

[turboram]

If third gear works its the rear band. Either band or servo .third gear ( direct drum..front clutch)is applied along with low /reverse band for reverse. Low band is applied for manual low but it will still move forward with band broken because of rear sprag

[cmann250]

Yeah, what he said!

Never have I ever done transmission work with the themerature above 32*. A sleeve full of trans fluid is a good reminder to check everything on the outside first

[VEfreak]

Okay that all makes sense. Thank you.

[Mark Nixon]

If it has popped Low/Reverse band, the simplest way to tell is to put it in manual low and drive it, then let off the accelerator, if it doesn't have "engine braking", the band is broken or the strut or case support is broken.

It'll feel for the world like you accelerated then put it into neutral when you let off the accelerator pedal.

Mark.

[txs]

The servo and band linkage can be serviced with tranny in truck, if you've actually broken the band then tranny will need to come out.