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Hello, i recently purchased a 1997 LT1 engine with T56 transmission. I was told it has a stage 2 clutch installed. Saw a post that had a master/slave cylinder fix from tick performance would fix it since stocks didn't push enough fluid to release it. All other gears shift in and out fine. Car off, i can put in reverse, key on and engine off i can put it into reverse. At idle no reverse. Fuses look fine, not sure if my next step is to just drop the trans and check for the problem next.
A stage II what?
Your issue could be the reverse lockout solenoid, which, when shifting gears, keeps the trans from going into reverse when going forward. The 2nd gear lockout and reverse lockout plugs are identical and will plug into the same sockets from one another. Try reversing those plugs and see what happens.
If all gears shift fine then it is not a hydraulic issue.
Stage 2 clutch or 2 stage clutch, is what the guy said meanig a performance or street clutch i guess. The previous owner had the engie or tranny out and installed a different clutch when installation of either motor or transmission occurred. I was thinking the clutch might be dragging. Thank you. We will check the wiring.
Saw a guy on youtube remove the reverse lock out solenoid, took the spring and plunger out, reinstalled the solenoid as a quick fix. Any thoughts on that? Doesnt that solenoid also prevent you from hitting reverse when shifting to 5th gear? This thing has a factor Hurst shifter and gears feel really close.
Got a couple of pictures today, no update on the reverse just yet. Someone please correct me if im wrong, but werent there only 2000-3000 Of the 97 LT1 SS's made? And being 6 speed, pretty rare? Thank you!
Got a couple of pictures today, no update on the reverse just yet. Someone please correct me if im wrong, but werent there only 2000-3000 Of the 97 LT1 SS's made? And being 6 speed, pretty rare? Thank you!
There were 2,474 SS's for the 97 model year, 1,671 of which were M6.
jack up rear end until wheels are off the ground. Start car, put in 1st gear with clutch held all the way in....do the rear wheels turn?
If so you have a "disengagement" issue making it hard to get into reverse as it is non syncro
If this is the case you have either a hydraulic issue or PP bolts to tight (PP TQ is 22 ft lbs)
If not you likely have a reverse lock out problem. Either solenoid is bad or not hooked up or as SS RRR says you have 2nd and reverse plugs reversed on tranny
Okay, got the car back, Chevrolet dealership is clue less and put no effort into diagnosing the problem. I jacked the car up pushed the clutch in put it in first gear and the rear wheels do not turn. Thanks for all the advice. Ill give an update after i check the wiring and the reverse lockout
The PCM commands the reverse lock out to open at speeds under 3mph, IIRC. IDK if it is a ground wire or +?vdc wire that plugs into the RLO solenoid
It takes the same effort to get the car in reverse with engine off as it would if the solenoid was not working or plugged in and engine running (hard but doable)
The solenoid could be bad or wiring to it
A Chevy dealership should have been able to confirm RLO function extremely easily....but these 20+ year old cars are not what the techs are taught to work on as they typically just know how to scan for codes and follow FSM repair sequence. Hope there was no charge for not being able to fix a issue they certainly should have been capable of doing
Given you jacked up rear and confirmed you get complete clutch disengagement...looks to be a wiring or solenoid issue of the RLO
The RLO solenoid is DS rear of tranny, behind the skip shift solenoid if you have one of those
Got it. Thank you. So i guess what i was looking at the skip solenoid. Hopefully the wiring checks out fine. Id much rather replace a solenoid than track down wiring in this compact coupe.
Well i guess i have a wiring problem. I moved the harness around inspecting for anything obvious, attempted to start and try reverse for sh**s and giggles and it went and is still going into reverse for the past wo days. Thanks for the help.
The solenoid on the side and the one in the back are different on my t56. The one in the back is small and looks more like a speed sensor. This is the one summit sent me.
this is whats in my car. The next sensor following to the right is the small speed sensor type and the current solenoid on my car looks bigger that what summit sent me. Thank you for your time.
05-05-2019, 07:41 AM
T56 trans reverse issue while idling 
