2001 4.4 replacement trans, no reverse? Update, Fixed and driving!

[upallnight]

Did the replacement trans come with everything, or did you have to use some parts from your old trans like the valve body?

[RToth]

Everything included, bolt in, plug in and go.

[upallnight]

Strange that both trans don't have reverse. How your transfer case?

[RToth]

Transfer case seemed just fine, old trans had reverse without issue just when warmed up would go trans failsafe and default to 5th gear.

[RToth]

Called the shop owner yesterday to ask about the trans and verify it had reverse, he said 100% it had reverse without issue, he hauled a trailer with it and backed the trailer into his shop with it. He offered another transmission if this one is actually bad.

At this point I feel like there has to be something else at play here, I just can't make any sense at all of no wheel movement in reverse even freewheeling on jack stands. When I put it in reverse you can tell there is a load being out on the engine, I know something is happening but still no movement. Doesn't matter if I go for reverse immediately after I start it, or let it get warm then try, or leave it in reverse for a couple minutes or rev the engine up, still nothing. I have rebuilt automatic transmissions before and seen some very fried clutches and even that bad the trans would still move when cold or at least attempt to, enough to move the wheels in the air on stands for sure.

[X53Jay4.8is]

Originally Posted by RToth

Called the shop owner yesterday to ask about the trans and verify it had reverse, he said 100% it had reverse without issue, he hauled a trailer with it and backed the trailer into his shop with it. He offered another transmission if this one is actually bad.

At this point I feel like there has to be something else at play here, I just can't make any sense at all of no wheel movement in reverse even freewheeling on jack stands. When I put it in reverse you can tell there is a load being out on the engine, I know something is happening but still no movement. Doesn't matter if I go for reverse immediately after I start it, or let it get warm then try, or leave it in reverse for a couple minutes or rev the engine up, still nothing. I have rebuilt automatic transmissions before and seen some very fried clutches and even that bad the trans would still move when cold or at least attempt to, enough to move the wheels in the air on stands for sure.

So help me to understand here. The vehicle has drive (wheels move forward with X5 jacked up in the air) but no reverse. If this is the case I would suspect that there is something internally wrong with the transmission and not the transfer case. Have you tried jacking the vehicle down and check it on pavement instead of in the air? Try the simple things first

[RToth]

Exactly, no reverse even up in the air but forward gears are fine. Definitely not a transfer case issue, no way possible I could even see a transfer case working in drive but not reverse, and yes, splines on the front driveshaft are in very good shape.

I'm not going to drop it to the ground until I figure out what the problem is, I can see no way that being on the suspension could lead to loss of reverse... though I have heard of dumber things...

Really just not sure what to think at this point, I think I'm going to drain it and inspect the valve body.

[RRPhil]

Almost sounds like the park lock is still engaged – though I can’t see how that could happen because the rooster comb controls both the park lock and the manual valve. The wheels do freewheel when reverse is selected and aren’t locked solid?

Phil

[spadge]

Maybe kind of a stupid question: but maybe your selector lever is not adjusted the right way?

[RToth]

No stupid questions at all here, I'm grasping at straws myself as to why it's happening. At this point I believe I will end up pulling the trans because I can't make any sense of anything else. I disconnected the electrical to all the solenoids, which should be a direct path then to reverse and still no change.

As for wheels freewheeling in reverse, I can go from drive at idle speed with the wheels still rolling and brake just enough to allow it to go into reverse without stopping the wheels and the wheels still freely spin forward until the lack of power being applied to them stops them. Yes... I know it's not a good idea to go from drive to reverse, of course it can cause damage, at this point I'm not really worried about an idle speed drive to reverse drop with no load, was more curious to see if there was any resistance and there was not.