trans reverse problem

[BillFz1]

Group,
We just got our spider through Ca. Smog and back on the road. We have a 79 S2000. It is running great but we have a transmission problem. Normal driving is fine, going forward. All 5 gears work and shift fine. But we can't get reverse. I have checked the lockout screw and changed the oil which looked ok. The action is like it is trying to engage but the lever can't throw far enough. If you try to use it it grinds like a missed shift. We don't want to break something but have no idea what is wrong. Any ideas?
Bill and MJ

[So Cal Mark]

does the shifter move into reverse as far as possible?

[SLOSpider]

Unless you have a worn gear or bent shift fork there is not much to go wrong with reverse.

[Odoyle]

This may seem obvious, but are you pushing down your shifter far enough when your shifting into reverse?

[azruss]

Or lifting it up far enough

[BillFz1]

does the shifter move into reverse as far as possible?

Hi Mark,
The throw into reverse seems to go farther than the throw into 4th. We did have a drive doughnut blow on us which cut up the little plate and ball under the shifter. I did replace both and unless there is a trick to it that I don't know about it went without problem. It didn't seem like it was damaged enough to bend a shift fork, and as I mentioned in the original post the shifting is fine on all the forward speeds. When I changed the trans oil it was a bit cloudy but had no obvious metal filings. the reverse gear seems like it just isn't throwing far enough to get engaged. Reverse doesn't have a syncro ring, but it acts like when you make a lazy shift in the regular gears and get the syncro but don't push into gear properly. I really dont want to pull the transmission if I don't have to. If I do have to do you recommend engine and trans, or will it come out the bottom without terrible problems. (BTW the doughnut that blew was a new one with less than 200 miles!)
Bill

[SLOSpider]

If you removed transmission it will be easy to come out from below. However you don't have to remove to get to the reverse gear as you could remove rear case while its in the car. You would have to remove pan, center and mid consoles, driveline and large plate on top of trans tunnel to access all the bolts. Once removed your can remove top shifter housing, nut inside main case, Rear snap rings, rear tube collar ( I use a battery terminal puller for that), seal and spring, , main shaft nut, external bolts, and rear case would come off to see whats going on.

[BillFz1]

SLOspider,
Thanks for that info. This looks like one of those things that just snowballs though. The spider has been a study in fixing the patchwork of backyard fixes. It took me a year of weekends to set the car back to stock enough to pass Kalifornia smog. That was an accomplishment in itself. I am truly fearfull of what I'll find inside the tranny.
Thanks all,
Bill

[BillFz1]

SLOspider,
Thanks for that info. This looks like one of those things that just snowballs though. The spider has been a study in fixing the patchwork of backyard fixes. It took me a year of weekends to set the car back to stock enough to pass Kalifornia smog. That was an accomplishment in itself. I am truly fearfull of what I'll find inside the tranny.
Thanks all,
Bill

[SLOSpider]

You don't have to tell me twice about fiat and snowballs