Gears Grind When I Shift Into Reverse
 

I Have A 1982 240-d Manual 4 Speed. When I Shift Into Reverse The Gears Grind. The Gears Seem To Keep Spinning. It Doesn't Happen All The Time But Most Of The Time,so I've Gotten In A Habit On Shifting In Reverse Befor I Start Th Engine. Could My Shifter Be Out Of Wack. Is It Low On Trans Fluid. I Adjusted The Linkage And That Didn't Help. Please Help I Can't Knnp Shifting This Way, I'm Worried About The Trans.

Try putting the car into 2nd gear first and then, without lifing the clutch pedal, shift into reverse. You are using the synchronizers to slow the input shaft. I found this to work very well on my 240D. If the gears still grind, then it's possible the clutch is not releasing fully or the pilot bearing is bad(I doubt it). Good luck.

Yup. On the BMW I use 3rd or 4th, but it shouldn't really matter which gear you use. Keep in mind that reverse is unsynchronized.

I agree. I quickly learned that trick after I got my manual tranny.

it also could be a pressure plate finger worn through. when they begin to break off the clutch wont ever fully disengage.

had that on one of mine

tom w

Reverse sits on its own shaft (counter-shaft), which likely stops spinning altogether in forward gear after the lubricant warms, but tends to slowly spin when first starting the car, so, as John & other's said, without a synchronizing ring&gear, trying to go into reverse with the counter-shaft spinning, you get some grinding. If John's trick of going into 2nd with the clutch in & then keeping pedal depressed as you go to reverse works, go wiith that. Another thing that might work is to just hold the pedal in and the transmission main shaft should stop it's slow rotation, which is what is basically driving the reverse gears (counter-) shaft.

Same problem
 

My 81 240D manual has the same problem. I find that waiting for a few seconds after starting, and then shifting into reverse very s-l-o-w-l-y will usually work. But I'm going to try the 2nd then reverse trick now as well and see how that works.

- Peter.

My '83 240 is the same way. Agree with the above statements....2nd gear, hold clutch in then reverse. Been doing that with mine and it works fine.

Cheers,

Bill

There is a lesson here...
 

"Everything happens slowly in a 240D"

=) =) =)


-John

ray m
 

Thanks alot. I'm going to try it and get back late tonight. Thanks again

ray m
 

does anyone think changeing the trans fluid would help. I don't know when it was changed last . I've had it for only 2 yrs. are there any vacume valves on a manual trans that could be effecting it. Is the only way to permanently fix it to change the clutch. someone said. Thanks, I'm fishing for ideas

ray m
 

Thanks alot.

Oh how true.:D

Cheers,

Bill

Same thing with mine 2, i always shift it into 3rd then reverse. Reverse is a weak gear, as you all can tell. so either wait for ever then shift into reverse or just shift into 3rd then reverse... works great

Every German manual I have ever owned (have never owned an MB manual) was that way. They just don't like reverse, I think. I always went into 2nd then reverse. Then I got into the habit of 2nd before going into 1st on my VW Golf for the same reason (tranny's "reluctance" to go into 1st). All the Japs I've owned have had smooth as silk trannys. Too bad you can't take the best of what each has to offer.