Parked for Months, Now Can't Find 5th/Reverse

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The Professor
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My tercel:: 1987 Tercel SR5 4WD wagon
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Parked for Months, Now Can't Find 5th/Reverse

Post by The Professor »

I pulled the Tercel into the garage in March or April to do some body and mechanical work. Finally go everything buttoned up and went to back the car out of the garage. Without the engine running, clutch in or out, I cannot shift into 5th gear or reverse. I can't even move the shift lever into the correct area to shift into those gears. Gears 1-4 shift fine, the car drives around the block without issue, it just seems like the transmission has decided to lock me out of using 5th and reverse.

The car has about 1-2 year old gear lube, and the clutch disc appears to be worn, based on where the pedal engages in its travel and that it won't take up any more slack in the adjuster, but even then it should be able to shift into those gears when the engine is shut off, but it literally feels like I'm hitting a steel bar when I try to shift into reverse or 5th gear...

Any ideas?
1975 Subaru SuperStar wagon
1984 Subaru Turbo-Traction wagon & hardtop
1987 Subaru RX 3-door
1987 Subaru RX Type-RA 3-door
1987 Toyota Tercel SR5 wagon
1999 Subaru Forester S
2002 Subaru WRX sedan
2019 Subaru Outback 2.5i Limited
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rer233
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Re: Parked for Months, Now Can't Find 5th/Reverse

Post by rer233 »

Sounds like a stuck reverse restrict pin. Easily accessible from underneath the car on the left side of the tranny extension housing just forward of the rear driveshaft. Just un-screw it and free it up. You don't have to worry about loosing tranny fluid, it screws into a "well" behind where the gear oil lives. Well's probably full of water/moisture from bad shifter boot. Good luck, let us know how it works out!
if it aint there, there's a good chance it won't break!
83 SR5 Silver/Blue (Snowmobile/work beater)-totaled but drivable
85 SR5 Blue
88 SR5 White (the 'good' one)-not anymore-totaled
87 fwd silver wagon a/t
87 4wd dx Cream (a/t- not anymore- now m/t)
The Professor
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Posts: 650
Joined: Wed May 12, 2010 6:38 pm
My tercel:: 1987 Tercel SR5 4WD wagon
Location: Western Washington
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Re: Parked for Months, Now Can't Find 5th/Reverse

Post by The Professor »

rer233 wrote: Mon Jun 10, 2019 2:46 pm Sounds like a stuck reverse restrict pin. Easily accessible from underneath the car on the left side of the tranny extension housing just forward of the rear driveshaft. Just un-screw it and free it up. You don't have to worry about loosing tranny fluid, it screws into a "well" behind where the gear oil lives. Well's probably full of water/moisture from bad shifter boot. Good luck, let us know how it works out!
Got a photo or drawing to help me locate it? The FSM was next to useless in troubleshooting the issue...
1975 Subaru SuperStar wagon
1984 Subaru Turbo-Traction wagon & hardtop
1987 Subaru RX 3-door
1987 Subaru RX Type-RA 3-door
1987 Toyota Tercel SR5 wagon
1999 Subaru Forester S
2002 Subaru WRX sedan
2019 Subaru Outback 2.5i Limited
jimcrazy
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My tercel:: 1985 4wd 1986fwd 1983 4wd

Re: Parked for Months, Now Can't Find 5th/Reverse

Post by jimcrazy »

the plunger is missing in the pic but it screws in the left side and hits on the flat side of the shifter rod,,mine was stuck in and the shifter would not spring back from 5th or reverse
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The Professor
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My tercel:: 1987 Tercel SR5 4WD wagon
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Re: Parked for Months, Now Can't Find 5th/Reverse

Post by The Professor »

jimcrazy wrote: Tue Jun 11, 2019 3:14 am the plunger is missing in the pic but it screws in the left side and hits on the flat side of the shifter rod,,mine was stuck in and the shifter would not spring back from 5th or reverse
Ahhhh, this photo along with the description above is worth 1,000 words, and probably saved me from using another 1,000 words asking questions!

So this plug has some sort of spring on the end that has seized and isn't allowing me to move the shift lever far enough to engage 5th/reverse?
1975 Subaru SuperStar wagon
1984 Subaru Turbo-Traction wagon & hardtop
1987 Subaru RX 3-door
1987 Subaru RX Type-RA 3-door
1987 Toyota Tercel SR5 wagon
1999 Subaru Forester S
2002 Subaru WRX sedan
2019 Subaru Outback 2.5i Limited
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rer233
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Re: Parked for Months, Now Can't Find 5th/Reverse

Post by rer233 »

Just remove the plug and then try to shift the gears. If you can get 5th/reverse then you know something is stuck inside the plug. prob some sort of spring-loaded ball. Free it up and you should be good to go. Good Luck!
if it aint there, there's a good chance it won't break!
83 SR5 Silver/Blue (Snowmobile/work beater)-totaled but drivable
85 SR5 Blue
88 SR5 White (the 'good' one)-not anymore-totaled
87 fwd silver wagon a/t
87 4wd dx Cream (a/t- not anymore- now m/t)
xirdneh
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Re: Parked for Months, Now Can't Find 5th/Reverse

Post by xirdneh »

Its a spring loaded piston. They get stuck sometimes because water gets in the shifter compartment. Usually because rubber boot is torn. Remove it with a 1-1/16" wrench or socket. If really stuck heat surrounding aluminum with propane torch. When its out you can fix it. If piston will not free up this is what i do. Drill a 3 /16" diameter hole in center of hex end. Insert 3 /16" straightsided pin punch in hole and hit it to loosen piston. Use some penetrating oil while loosening it up. When you get it working tap the hole with 1 /4-20 and install a short 1/4-20 screw .
Love those Tercell 4x4 wagons but they sure suffer from road noise.
The Professor
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My tercel:: 1987 Tercel SR5 4WD wagon
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Re: Parked for Months, Now Can't Find 5th/Reverse

Post by The Professor »

Thank you so much for the instructions! I need to spend today clearing the garage floor and work benches so I can pull the car back in and get it on jack stands.
1975 Subaru SuperStar wagon
1984 Subaru Turbo-Traction wagon & hardtop
1987 Subaru RX 3-door
1987 Subaru RX Type-RA 3-door
1987 Toyota Tercel SR5 wagon
1999 Subaru Forester S
2002 Subaru WRX sedan
2019 Subaru Outback 2.5i Limited
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Petros
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My tercel:: '84 Tercel4wd w/extensive mods
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Re: Parked for Months, Now Can't Find 5th/Reverse

Post by Petros »

sounds like it rusted after it was sitting for so long (over the winter) and not being driven.

should be an easy fix. might be possible to just remove the center console and remove the shift lever compartment cover (10mm bolts), and than soak it in penetrating oil until it works free.
'87 Tercel 4wd SR5 (current engine swap project)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
'01 Honda Civic (other daughter's daily driver)
The Professor
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Posts: 650
Joined: Wed May 12, 2010 6:38 pm
My tercel:: 1987 Tercel SR5 4WD wagon
Location: Western Washington
Contact:

Re: Parked for Months, Now Can't Find 5th/Reverse

Post by The Professor »

I've got the plug out and sure enough, the piston was frozen with rust in the extended position (parked in 1st gear). It spend an overnight bath in PB Blaster, a couple wacks from a hammer got it stuck in the retracted position, so another couple hours in the PB-bath. At that point a single hammer blow to the piston freed it completely. I spent some time working the piston up and down while submerged in PB Blaster, plugged the hole with my finger and forced the fluid out to flush as much scale out as I could. The part has now been sitting in a bath of WD-40 and will get the same agitation in an attempt to load the part with as much WD-40 on the inside as possible before being reinstalled.

I have not opened the shifter compartment yet, having trouble getting the front two bolts off the shifter plate. The shifter boot has a nice tear around the top bellow.
1975 Subaru SuperStar wagon
1984 Subaru Turbo-Traction wagon & hardtop
1987 Subaru RX 3-door
1987 Subaru RX Type-RA 3-door
1987 Toyota Tercel SR5 wagon
1999 Subaru Forester S
2002 Subaru WRX sedan
2019 Subaru Outback 2.5i Limited
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