after work today, i tried reversing to get out of the driveway, but i wasnt unable to shift it into reverse…sometimes it just needs a little harder shift so that i can get it into gear, but this time, even with two hands pulling down, i cant get it into reverse. anyone know what is wrong and how i can fix it. i dont know if my short throw shifter has anything to do with it? but i installed it about a month ago, and i havent had any problems with it at all yet…so i dont really know if that is part of the cause or not?
have you gone from 1st to reverse. Sometimes you need to mesh 1 gear before you can go into reverse (something to do with aligning the gear since reverse doesn’t use syncro’s)
Very true point, i always had to do that in my CRX
i still cant shift my car into reverse. into every other gear is fine, but reverse is a no go. do any of the more knowledgeable members have any idea what could be wrong, and how to fix it?
I dont know whether this will help or not, but when i have that problem, all i have to do is keep the shifter in neutral and pump the clutch a few times and it usually goes in.
if its not going in dont force it in!! :x
sometimes the reverse and 1st gear can go all stupid, ways to help it:
go from 1st , 2nd or 4th into reverse, help align it.
** what i do ** Rev in neutral then shift it into reverse as it slows down giving a small amount of force.
change your tranny fluid, there might be a lot of crap in it.
alright great, ill try that!
Hey Ryan.
Check your clutch too. I sometimes have the same problem and I don’t even have a short shifter.
I find if I start to release the clutch slowly, at about half way up it slides into gear. Hope Im not going to need a clutch soon. D’ho!
Good luck figuring it out.
Easy 8)
great thanks guys!
I have been told by many mechanics that you should be putting it into 3rd then Reverse in any manual transmission… and 2nd before 1st. Most of the time you don’t have to… but it works everytime you need to.
its hard for me to get into reverse too sometimes… just let your foot off the clutch just a little and it would pop right in there. works everytime for me.
it will absolutely not go in! 
I would check over your OBX install … perhaps something is not fitting right anymore? The tranny shouldn’t be THAT difficult … espically not all of a sudden
Why it’s not going in is simple, the reverse gears are not syncromeshed
they are straight cut gears so no matter how hard you pull on it if they
are face to face they will not go in. Simply you have to apply a small
amount of force to the shifter into reverse while holding it down ease off
the clutch very little untill it slips in like butter. What is happening is you
are slowly spinning the input shaft which is moving the reverse gears
causing them to allign and go into place. If you pull too hard you will
brake the linkage causing it to get stuck into reverse. Take it easy with
your tranny they are very complicated and precice mechanisims. I know I
broken many of them, including the one im driving with now…
Or your clutch could be worn out. Sometimes a worn clutch will make 1st/reverse gear selections very difficult. Or your master or slave could be worn out and not holding pressure.
-Martin.