1987 Nissan 300zx will not shift into reverse. All other gears are working fine. (recently had clutch repaired) Was told that the transmission had to be removed to find the problem. expensive.... Is that correct?

change the filter in the tranny?slipping clutches?

any noise from gearbox when you engaging clutch when engine is running? Check for oil as well. Firstly I suggest to drain oil out and check for particles in the oil, synchros could be damaged

ok this is clutch they don't have flywheel. and is a pain to drop transmission to break from engine. but the main clutch needs replacing.

check the transmission fluid. if it is dark and smells burnt with debris in the fluid. you need a ****** repair. but before you jump to conclusions. change fluid and filter in ****** first, and see if this helps. I know on the nissans there is quit a few transmission complaints. especially automatics. but do fluid and filter first. then go from there ! good-day ! and may god bless.

HI there unfortunately that is the correct solution
the reverser gear fork or reve gear syncros
are both inside trans housing
You should sand trans out and all the gear checked
and replaced not just reverse gear ok


good lock

Common problem with EN471B is clutch bands failing. Same band for reverse and second gear. Any second gear problems? Possibly shifting directly from first to third? Drop transmission pan and check for bits of clutch band (non- metallic debris) to confirm.

DEXRON II

you may have a weak clutch master cylinder

is there any pedal pressure when you step on the clutch? I had a similiar problem with my 91 300zx tt....it was stuck in third gear, no pedal pressure on the clutch whatsoever....i had cracked the pivot ball and the clutch slave 'popped out'. i had to pull the trans to fx the problem because i could not reattach the clutch fork onto the release bearing with the trans in the vehicle....you need to bleed the system...gravity bleed the slave until there are no air bubbles. make sure you top off the clutch master cylinder in the process.....then bleed the clutch operating cylinder.....it is in the passenger front hood near the power steering resivoir....top off the clutch master cylinder again. i hope this helps.

Dear javatrader: There are very few solutions to this problem. The fact that you had mentioned 5th & Reverse, tells me that you problem is has two possibilities. Both relate to the same component.
The shift fork for Fifth gear and reverse are the same as well as the hub which the fork fits over.
When you Move the stick shift, it moves one of 3 rails in the transmission of which one is 5th and reverse. The hub is what locks the transmission in gear. The gears are what are referred to as synchromesh. This means that when you shift from gear to gear, it makes it possible to easily make the transition without the gears grinding while the car is in motion. The synchros are in fact, kind of a "BRAKE" for the gears so that when you go to shift into that gear, the synchronizing ring, slows the gear down enough to match the speed of the counter gear allowing it to engage with it, without grinding. As the hub slides into gear, there are spring loaded "KEYS" which are small pieces of steel about 1/2 inch long, 1/4 inch thick and 1/4 inch wide with a little hump in them to push up into a small cavity machined into the hub when it slides over it, thus locking the gear into place until you pull the stick to move it out of place. If a key pops out, it could cause the gear to stick, not allowing you to pull the hub back because the key has popped out at an angle which prohibits the hub from sliding over it.
Another possible senario: The fork is secured to the shift rail with a part called a "Roll pin". If this part shears, the car will be stick in what ever gear it was in at the time the pin sheared. If the pin shears, the stick will still move out of 5th gear position but the transmission won't.
This problem, unfortunately is not one a layman can fix. This is best left to a professional.
Good luck......If you are pleased with my answer, please write in, that you are satisfied with my answer. I am new in this "FIXYA" group and need more people responding to work my way up the ranks.