Reverse Problem - Tranny Done?

[HarryChest]

I've posted about this before but it wasn't a serious issue for me because I had a company truck at the time. I took a new job and lost the truck and I'm driving the Pathy daily again. When I shift into reverse nothing happens, but sometimes if I'm patient enough I can hold the shifter between park and drive just right and it engages. When I do this it shifts into reverse like nothing is wrong, no slipping, grinding, etc. I replaced the linkage cable and have tried adjusting it over and over but no dice.

 

I have read that when reverse is gone its gone, is that the case or is my tranny just slowly failing?

 

If it is over I'm going to swap a manual tranny in its place.

Edited February 4, 2008 by HarryChest

[HarryChest]

I also forgot to mention the tranny fluid looks and smells almost new.

[GrimGreg]

What fails is the valve body IIRC. If what I read in the past is correct, Reverse requires higher fluid pressure than any other gear, which is why it fails first. So, normaly your tranny can't make the pressure to switch, and your "tween" trick is probably helping to produce enough to engage the gear would be my best guess.