So I pulled across the apron at work this morning to back into my spot and when I went for reverse the transmission was not allowing it. It wasn't grinding or slipping out. It was as if there was a plate there blocking the shifter dead from going into R. I was on an incline so I rolled the truck forward some and no dice. I could get all the forward gears without issue using the clutch engine on and w/o clutch engine off.

Ultimately I had my partner pull me back about 50 feet and tried for R several times with no luck until I finally just pulled forward into a spot I could roll back out of. Just for grins I tried R a couple more times and it just popped in like normal and seems to be ok again.

I drove 60 miles to work this AM with no problems. There was no grinding or other obvious clutch/trans issues present until the no R thing. Fluid is probably tired and ready for a flush. The royal purple served its purpose but I definitely haven't been overly impressed with it. Maybe I'm wearing the clutch or reverse gear out when I back up? I have the valair organic/brass woven single disc. The clutch disc, pressure plate, throwout, and pilot all have about 40k on them but the clutch doesn't like to be feathered and the reverse ratio in the ZF is ridiculous.

Thoughts/ideas as to what happened?

 

I am gonna say bad synco

 

I had that thought but would be so(seemingly) sudden like that? And why reverse before the more used gears?

 

Reverse is not syncronized. I'm betting shifter issue or internal linkage .

 

The last I knew the ZF uses a syncro for reverse

 

EDIT: I can't find for sure if there is or isn't…i thought i was for sure that there was no reverse, but some places say it has 3 sets, with one for reverse. So idk. Most trannys don't have em for R and 1st...

 

I am 100% positive they have them in 1st, and 100% sure in reverse

here is a parts brake down for the ZF5
http://www.tbtrans.com/ford_zf_5_speed_transmission.htm

 

First yea. but i have never seen any syncronized in reverse..? well...it is.i have never seen synchronized reverse.wow..y?!?!?!

 

Great. Any trick to keeping it alive for a little while longer? I'd rather get another one to rebuild and swap out when it's done if I can.

 

There is a spring loaded reverse lock out to keep you from going from 5th to reverse. It is located just under the shift lever tower, in the top left corner if I remember right. Maybe something was binding it keeping you from getting it into reverse. Are your tower hold down bolts tight?

 

I would start with some Fresh Synthetic ATF

 

Haven't been able to check yet because I'm at work until tomorrow but plan to make sure it's not something simple like that.

Yeah I guess I'm going to give Amsoil a try.

 

As I'm in the process of rebuilding my 3rd ZF5, I can tell you with 100% certainty that Reverse is synco'd.

 

Did you try going into 1st gear and then to reverse?

The only thing I can think of causing people to have reverse syncro problems is jamming them into reverse while still rolling forward. Mine never had problems until I was teaching an ex-gf of mine to drive it and she was trying to downshift from 5th to 4th gear, but she pushed the shifter back over to the right and tried to jam it in reverse. Since that happened, I've had to put it in 1st gear and then reverse or else it will blow out of reverse and grind like crazy.

 

If you change tranny fluid give Redline MTL a try has worked awesome in my ZF-5. Also check your under dash linkage as it maybe that silly little nylon bushing on the clutch linkage rod.

jrc