what's wrong with my reverse?
 

i noticed it getting a little sluggish when i would back up, almost as if i was backing up on a steep incline and it was needing more gas. then last night for a second it seemed like it totally stalled and i had to put it back in reverse to get it to work. thoughts?

The car was sluggish? "had to put it back in reverse" from where? Reverse?

It's odd that the transmission would cause this, though not impossible. Have you been having any rear-end issues that could be causing it? Will the car coast backwards ok when the trans' in neutral?

yeah i don't know if it coasted cause i didn't try. and yes, i took it out of reverse and had to put it back in to get it to go. could it be the reverse solenoid or something like that?

The reverse solenoid wouldnt let you get into reverse. Im a little confused whats happeneing. So you put the car in reverse, let off the clutch but you have to give it more gas becasue it seems like there is more resistance then before, correct?

yes. imagine reversing up a hill, you have to put effort into it. that is what is happening. on several terrains, so it's not like it happened once and i was actually backing over a rock or anything.

thats a weird problem.. the only thing i can think of is a gear that is somewhat binding, or a slipping clutch

Thanks for clearing that up for me. I really dont think it is your clutch, the clutch doesnt care which way the wheels are going. Im not a transmissions expert but I would say that something is screwed up with the reverse gears. You might be low on transmission fluid so I would cheak that first. Make sure that you dont have any metal fragments in the fluid too. Although I belive that the T56 has 2 magnets inside it so you shouldnt see anything.

Yea, definately sounds like something is binding up. May be your Pinion in the Rear End, check that too.

yeah it did it again today. sure didn't seem like there was any noise whenever the resistance began, so i don't know if anything in the rear end is messed up otherwise i would think it would be audible. i will check the tranny fluid. could it be a reverse sychro or something like that?

maybe this helps, if i feather the clutch a bit, like coming out of my driveway or going over a speed bump slowly, i hear a low squeak sound as i'm letting off the clutch. otherwise if there is no feathering and i'm driving normally--no sound at all. does that help anyone?

It wouldnt be your sychro, they only match the tranny speed to the engine. And I think that some transmissions (not sure about T56) dont even have reverse synhros. The only 2 things I can think of is some type of transmission gear issues or your something is not right in the rear end. Did this start happening after a day at the track?

nope, never even taken it to the track before. and i am relatively easy on my car.

well i heard a grinding noise last night when this happened. it sounded like the engine area is where it was coming from, and i don't think that's right. what do you guys think that means?

can you elaborate? can anyone else help me out? thanks.

i doubt its the rear if he only feels it in reverse... sounds like a trans issue to me

it also only happens when reversing and turning the wheels. going straight in reverse and there is no issue.

Even more evidence that your rear is having issues.. Drop the drive shaft and check the pinion for a loose nut, or slop.

Only happens when you turn the wheels hard like to lock or turning them at all?

Could it possible be brake bind? Or tire rub? Do you have aftermarket wheels or anything like that? I know on my 3rdgen, with 4th gen front discs, I had to build new steering stops, because my calipers were hitting the a-arm and making the brakes come on.

Not saying thats your problem...but something worth checking out. Quick and easy.

J.

what is slop?

and only when i turn the wheel pretty hard. like pulling out of a tight parking space for instance. the noise is definitely not coming from the rear end, it's in the front, almost feels like it's on the right side of the engine bay. suspension is what i was thinking too, but you would think driving in forward would generate the same issue when the wheels turn at the same degree, wouldn't you?

I would say that the car would normally have more resistance with the wheels turned..maybe you have a Wheel Bearing going, and when you have it in a certian spot, it shows itself..

hmm, possibly. a good way to check that? i can't reproduce the sound or resistance at all, so it's really, really tough to know exactly what it is.