Problems shifting to reverse

[Ralph]

Hey everyone,

The one problem with 1062 that's I've had since I got it (I've had it over two years now! :D ) is that it does not want to shift into reverse. It usually takes a few attempts to actually get it into gear. Sometimes I'll be sitting there for five minutes trying to get it to shift until it finally works. I've tried shifting to other gears before shifting to reverse, it doesn't really help. This is really the only annoying thing about driving it and since it's my only car I'd really love to have it fixed. All other gears work just fine. How can I fix this (ideally myself). Thanks a bunch!

On another note, I moved to Pensacola recently and don't know of much Delorean action around here. Anyone close?

P.S. I'm sure I know how it's supposed to work: lift up, move right and back and release

[Cory W]

Hey Ralph!

Question: Are you having any issues at all getting into first or second? Does the shifter feel like it goes "further" from center going to the right than it does to the left? I'm wondering if your crossgate cable is slightly misaligned. It may not be this at all, but the answer to this question may be of help.

Have you checked out the DeLorean Club of Florida? (http://www.deloreanclubfl.com/) They seem to have people all over the state.

Good luck!

[DMC5180]

hey Ralph,

Reverse is Lift up move Far Left and Back (not Right). Does it grind gears when trying for reverse?

[Nicholas R]

If you're getting into reverse by pushing your shifter to the right, you've got some WAY bigger problems at work...

[Bitsyncmaster]

My reverse almost always needs me to double clutch to get it in. All other gears work fine. It always has worked like that on my car.

[Ralph]

Haha, I mean LEFT, still not good with those right and lefts. Well that's embarrassing, I assure y'all I've always shifted left for reverse.

Also, It feels like I have full range of motion with the shifter, first and second gear work fine, though if I try to shift into first from anything but a stop it can grind occasionally.

What do you mean by double clutch?

[Spittybug]

Haha, I mean LEFT, still not good with those right and lefts. Well that's embarrassing, I assure y'all I've always shifted left for reverse.

Also, It feels like I have full range of motion with the shifter, first and second gear work fine, though if I try to shift into first from anything but a stop it can grind occasionally.

What do you mean by double clutch?

How's your fluid level? From your quote above, I'd suspect clutch disengagement issues too. Do you have the plastic or steel clutch line in the car? When moving the gear lever through all the gears, are you relatively symmetrical? What I mean is does it feel like the left or right side of the shifter plate is preventing you from getting into those gears properly?

[David T]

If you are having trouble shifting there are a couple of things to check:
The level and the correct fluid in the transmission
The adjustment of the shift linkage
Lubricate and replace any worn parts in the shift linkage
Check the front, left transmission mount for cracks.
Make sure the clutch hydraulics are not leaking, you have the S/S hose and you flush the fluid every other year.
If you are still having trouble shifting you probably need a clutch.
David Teitelbaum

[Bitsyncmaster]

What do you mean by double clutch?

Move to neutal, release clutch, press clutch, move to reverse.

[Ron]

Try shutting the engine off and see if it goes in during one of its stubborn spells...kinda lame workaround, but a good telltale symptom...

[Kenny_Z]

Welcome to Pensacola! I'm just across the bridge. I've got a 5 speed as well. I'd love to see your Delorean and you can get a feel of another Delorean's shifting by trying out Red. She shifts fine for me. I do have a line on a good transmission shop in Pensacola that I'm planning to take mine D to for some preventative maintenance. I want to get the roll pin and 5th gear checked out.

[jawn101]

...planning to take mine D to for some preventative maintenance. I want to get the roll pin and 5th gear checked out.

Make sure you actually get that quote beforehand, I called around to the shops in my area that would touch the D for that same work and was quite surprised by their estimates. :disapprove:

[Nicholas R]

Welcome to Pensacola! I'm just across the bridge. I've got a 5 speed as well. I'd love to see your Delorean and you can get a feel of another Delorean's shifting by trying out Red. She shifts fine for me. I do have a line on a good transmission shop in Pensacola that I'm planning to take mine D to for some preventative maintenance. I want to get the roll pin and 5th gear checked out.

Is there something wrong with them? Just curious. That's an awful lot of work to just be "checked out".

[Kenny_Z]

When I got Red she had the plastic clutch cable and I lost both the master and the slave cylinder almost immediately. Plus one of the rubber bushings was worn to nothing. I could barely get her into second but now she shifts into it just fine. I'm worried that the previous owner could have damaged the roll pin driving her in that condition. Sometimes when the transmission is hot I do get a bit of a grind into 5th every once in awhile. It is long enough between instances for me to forget and get the hell scared out of me. In fact, I'd forgotten about it when I posted this.

Looks like my trans work might be delayed though. My company just laid off 50% if the staff, I made the cut but I am not sticking around on this sinking ship if I can help it.

[ccurzio]

I had this exact problem when I first got my DeLorean. Got it on a lift and after a few adjustments to the shift mechanism I never saw the problem again.

Take it to a reputable transmission shop and they can fix it in about 20 minutes.

[JIMJAM]

Take a peak underneath.

Alot of early vins like mine had a bolt that was not tightened properly. They eventually backed out and actaully broke thought the transmission casing. Mine was welded back together but it created a raised area that sometimes when I go into reverse will hit it.
As long as I can eventually get into reverse, about 3-4 profanities, I am good.

[opethmike]

Take a peak underneath.

Alot of early vins like mine had a bolt that was not tightened properly. They eventually backed out and actaully broke thought the transmission casing. Mine was welded back together but it created a raised area that sometimes when I go into reverse will hit it.
As long as I can eventually get into reverse, about 3-4 profanities, I am good.

What Jim Jam said. Its actually a large nut (36 mm), that is on the end of the output shaft which comes loose.

Happened to me, and it is NOT fun.

I strongly recommend that ALL manual DeLorean owners take the end cover off, remove the nut, clean it and the shaft, re-install it with red loctite, and torque to 125 lb/ft. It only takes about three hours from start to finish, and it is very good peace of mind.

[Kenny_Z]

What Jim Jam said. Its actually a large nut (36 mm), that is on the end of the output shaft which comes loose.

Happened to me, and it is NOT fun.

I strongly recommend that ALL manual DeLorean owners take the end cover off, remove the nut, clean it and the shaft, re-install it with red loctite, and torque to 125 lb/ft. It only takes about three hours from start to finish, and it is very good peace of mind.

Can this be done with the D up on some ramps and the transmission not removed? This was one thing I was going to have the trans shop do but if I can take care of it I'll have a little piece of mind.

[dvonk]

Can this be done with the D up on some ramps and the transmission not removed? This was one thing I was going to have the trans shop do but if I can take care of it I'll have a little piece of mind.

+1, id like to know this for future reference... "How-To" anyone? :biggrin:

[opethmike]

Yeah, transmission stays in the car. You'll be pretty much in the middle of the car, so if just the rear is up on ramps, you're going to be VERY cramped.

I put the front and back up on ramps, facing opposite directions to keep things as safe as possible.

The basic idea goes like this:

Elevate car
Undo the fill plug from the transmission
Undo the drain plug, and drain the gear oil

Disconnect the shift linkage

There are 11 13mm(I think that's the size) bolts; remove those. Two are quite long, the rest are average length. The ones on top of the casing you'll need wobbly sockets for.

Then, remove the bolts that go through the casing into the transmission mounts. Two on each side. This does not lower the transmission or loosen the mounts.

Slowly remove the end cover. It'll be a bit tricky because you'll be trying to get the shifter arm out of the shifter gaiter. Also, be ready for a small ball bearing to drop out; that's for the 5th gear detent. If you don't catch it and it rolls away, order a new one.

Put the transmission into two gears by pulling two shifter rods.

Loosen the lower nut and remove it. Clean the inside of the nut, and the shaft, thoroughly. Apply red loctite. Put nut back on, and torque to 125 lb/ft. Then, find the flat part of the shaft, and stake the lip of the nut against it.

You'll find a plug with a screwdriver slot on the side of the casing. Undo this, and extract the spring inside. Set that to the side with the ball bearing that dropped out earlier.

Clean the gasket mating surfaces on the transmission, and on the end cover.

Put transmission back into neutral. This is when all the rods are even with each other.

Re-install end cover with new gasket. Put the ball bearing in, put the spring in, and put the big plug in.

Refill with 75w90 gear oil.

Re-attach shift linkage, check gear selection ability, and adjust as needed.

[Ralph]

Thanks Mike,

I'll probably check under the car this weekend and possibly do this.

I'm pretty sure I get full actuation of the clutch, my fluid is full and I know what it feels like when there are bubbles in the clutch system. I do have the old clutch line though, but since reverse is the only gear that has problems I feel like it may be a mechanical problem like this in the transmission.

Also Kenny, I'd love to meet up and see Red, the car looks beautiful.

[DMCMW Dave]

--You'll find a plug with a screwdriver slot on the side of the casing. Undo this, and extract the spring inside. Set that to the side with the ball bearing that dropped out earlier.

.

You will find that if the trans has never been apart, this particular screw is a PITA to remove the first time. The oem sealant is pretty strong.

Before you tear into this you should get the paper gasket for the end cover. You'll also find that the gasket needs to be slightly modified to fit, for some reason the gasket design changed and it has some extra material that has to be cut away so that it fits. Make it look like the old one.

[Delorean Industries]

if you are looking for a direct fit gasket you will need to shop in the UK using one of the UN-1 vendors there. Must will not ship to the United States for some reason.

[Spittybug]

As a fellow victim of the dreaded secondary shaft nut escape trick, (must have been a drunken worker at the Renault factory doing this step) I can wholeheartedly recommend this preventative step to avoid having a major failure. I was lucky in that mine let loose pretty close to home and I still had 1st gear, dribbling fluid out the back for about a mile on my neighborhood roads.

Mike's write-up seems pretty comprehensive to me. Just be careful when you are applying that much torque (and on the case bolts) since remember, you are UNDER the car that you are now using all of your might pull down on that wrench..... Since I totally removed mine to fix it (and split the case to get to the roll pin and check for damage since my nut had carved its way out), I also replaced clutch, seal and throw out bearing at the same time. I found the radiator pipes to be a PITA when trying to remove/install the thing. If I ever have to do a removal again, I'd drain the coolant and remove those pipes first. A little extra work for a little extra room.

[DMC5180]

Just to be clear, the shaft nut is 125 lbft of torque. Not the case bolts.


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[Knight]

Before you go nuts and strip the car, just remove the shift boot. On my car the boot collapsed a bit and prevented the lever from moving all the way left. With the boot off it slips right in. I made a new boot, end of problem.:hihi:

[Kenny_Z]

Also Kenny, I'd love to meet up and see Red, the car looks beautiful.

Thank you, I'd like to see your D without the saran wrap ;)

The only days I have off anymore are Sundays and Mondays. We'll have to find a place to get the Ds together. Maybe we can talk Ben into meeting us and have 3 of them.