change side cover, hard to shift reverse

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mod5v

mod5v

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I just changed the side cover during my conversion to over drive. I put the ball detent one on from my standard 4speed. It had the rooster comb type. Now it's very hard to shift to reverse. It doesn't grind it feels like the gear is not sliding on the shaft smoothly. Could there be interface between the cover and that reverse gear assembly?
 
Is it equally hard manually shifting into reverse at the side cover with the reverse tab disconnected?
 
I will try that. Probably have to realign shift rods after that?
 
The first and second gearshift lever and the reverse gearshift lever are matched. did you use the reverse gearshift lever from the trans you got the sidecover from?
 
all levers were from the ball detent trans but even so I'm sure that pretty much everything came from different tranys. How much can you really move the cover? almost all the bolts holding it on are shoulder bolts just 2 of them are not. I will pull the reverse lever and use a cressent wrench to shift it and see if its internal or external. My garage is occupied right now with my brothers magnum so when he gets the wheels back on it I will get the duster in and try everyones sugestions.
 
mod5v said:
.............. I will pull the reverse lever and use a cressent wrench to shift it and see if its internal or external. .........
Click to expand...


While you're down there. You can verify the shifter alignment using the correct size pin or drill bit. Also, with the shift tabs off, manually shift one at a time through each gear and return them to neutral. The tabs should go right on or need little adjustment.
When tightening the nuts I hold the tabs from movement with an adjustable wrench as it is possible to misalign the internals that can lead to hard shifting.
I try to make sure the forward gears are working properly with the shifter before attaching the reverse tab to the trans.
 

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mod5v said:
all levers were from the ball detent trans but even so I'm sure that pretty much everything came from different tranys. How much can you really move the cover? almost all the bolts holding it on are shoulder bolts just 2 of them are not. I will pull the reverse lever and use a cressent wrench to shift it and see if its internal or external. My garage is occupied right now with my brothers magnum so when he gets the wheels back on it I will get the duster in and try everyones sugestions.
Click to expand...

Typically the two center ones front and rear align the cover. Not much wiggle room, usually.
 
take a dremel and cut the pins off and you then have standard steel forks instead of brass. Brass shift forks have killed more mopar 4 speeds than anything else. when the brass forks break it runs them between the gears destroying the trans.
 
I had this same issue and it turned out being a difference in the reverse light switch
 
I got it up and moved the side cover slightly and it did help but still not all the way there. I have some other projects that are going to take priority over this so Its what it is for now. I will get back to it later.
Thanks for all the sugestions and Merry Christmas!
 
The reverse interlock lever is most likely hitting the 1-2 shift lever on the side cover, these levers are normally have a letter stamped in them and you would match the letters. If mismatched moving the side cover around sometimes gets you enough clearance to get it into reverse, if you can't match levers try filing the reverse lever till it just clears the 1-2 lever. ( do not over clearance it, this lever locks it out of being shifted into any other gear while in reverse, you don't want to know what happen when you let the clutch out when in a forward gear and reverse)
 
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