1987 olds cutlass supreme - trans problem no reverse

[crazycory1]

1987 olds cutlass supreme v8 (5.0) automatic.

I just picked up this cutlass from my uncle. Its an extremely nice car but the trans has no reverse. I has all forward gears. I haven't gotten a chance to really look at it yet.

I noticed that when I put it into reverse I here a very light high pitch sound.

My question is, Is the trans vacuum controlled?

[maxwedge]

It has to come out, reverse clutch hub splines are stripped, very common.

[crazycory1]

Ok heres the whole story. My unlce was driving it as a daily driver.

One morning he went to back out of his drive way, he put it into reverse and it took a while for it to go into reverse but when it went in to reverse it worked fine.

The next day we went to back out and it went in reverse but while backing up it felt sluggish.

Then the very next day when he went to back out it had no reverse, and it still has no reverse.


I did get around to checking the fuild level with the car warm and running, its right were it should be and the fuild is super clean.


Wouldn't a failure like the splines stripping be an instant failure? Not a three time / now permentant failure.

Isn't the trans controlled by the valve body thats in the transmission pan? I'm thinking that maybe the parts in it that control reverse are gummed up and stuck. I haven't had time to pull the pan yet to fully check it out, that will be monday.

[maxwedge]

Originally Posted by crazycory1

Ok heres the whole story. My unlce was driving it as a daily driver.

One morning he went to back out of his drive way, he put it into reverse and it took a while for it to go into reverse but when it went in to reverse it worked fine.

The next day we went to back out and it went in reverse but while backing up it felt sluggish.

Then the very next day when he went to back out it had no reverse, and it still has no reverse.


I did get around to checking the fuild level with the car warm and running, its right were it should be and the fuild is super clean.


Wouldn't a failure like the splines stripping be an instant failure? Not a three time / now permentant failure.

Isn't the trans controlled by the valve body thats in the transmission pan? I'm thinking that maybe the parts in it that control reverse are gummed up and stuck. I haven't had time to pull the pan yet to fully check it out, that will be monday.

The manual valve engages reverse, so if it works forward thats it, no matter what is wrong, not the valve body here, it is coming out. The design of the suggested failed part can have some engagement prior to complete failure.