No reverse

[Trevor Triumph]

There is fluid in the clutch master cylinder. When moving the transmission up-shifts smoothly through the gears. Driving to the show site this morning I stopped at a light and when I put the shifter from neutral to second, then to first, there was a grinding noise. At the show I was able to back up but, grinding again. Driving home the transmission shifted through gears well enough. At home I couldn't shift into reverse, after pumping the clutch pedal or turning the engine off. I'm wondering about the hydraulic system- the washers are close to ten years old. Or is there more serious trouble in the transmission?
T.T.

 

[booley]

sounds like a hydraulic issue. the sychros were helping you upshift, but the crunching into first and reverse suggest the clutch is not fully disengaging.

 

[Marvin Gruber]

If you have gotten 10 years of service out of the hyd seals, you have have been very lucky. Change the Master and slave seals out, not a hard or expensive task.

Marv

 

[pjsmetana]

If you have Overdrive, make sure its not staying engaged. As when it is on, you cannot access reverse.

 

[Geo Hahn]

As noted reverse, soon followed by first are the gears that will 'tell you' when your hydraulics are going. Certainly you could start by bleeding the system as this only takes a couple of minutes, then try rebuilding things.

Generally a slave cyl will leak if it is failing whereas the master cyl can fail w/o showing a leak. That might suggest the order to follow when throwing parts at it (i.e. I would start with a MC rebuild kit [new seals]) and got from there.

You can generally get into reverse in this condition by putting it into reverse before you start the engine (clutch disengaged). If it won't go into reverse with the engine off you can bump the motor and try again at a different spot.

 

[Trevor Triumph]

Thanks, I'm thinking it is less than ten years, but several... It is a pain to get the instrument panel support and such out of the way but that sounds like the place to start. I bought piece for bleeding the clutch from TSI at Triumphest last October- time to install it.
T.T.

 

[Geo Hahn]

...It is a pain to get the instrument panel support and such out of the way but that sounds like the place to start...

Well, I know nuthin 'bout Spitfires -- but why do you start this by getting the dash support out of the way?

 

[booley]

Well, I know nuthin 'bout Spitfires -- but why do you start this by getting the dash support out of the way?

to remove transmission cover to get at slave cylinder...

 

[Geo Hahn]

Geez -- that's not too handy... but I have learned something about Spits.