<VV> Was "no gas," now "no reverse"

[NicolCS at aol.com]

<snip>Car runs fine but for some reason I now have no reverse. The  four 
forward gears are fine. Adjusted the shift linkage as per the Corvair  Manual, any 
suggestions? Joe Trojanek <unsnip>

 
As others have suggested, your shift linkage is probably worn.  It's  
difficult to engage reverse in many Corvairs even without worn linkage.  To  sort out 
whether it's linkage or transmission, disconnect the shifter coupling  at the 
transmission and engage reverse manually. Slide the shift shaft in/out  until 
you find neutral (halfway out). Then rotate the transmission's  shift shaft 
hard CCW (you will pass through a spring detent) and while holding  against the 
detent spring, push the shaft fully "in" to engage reverse. Then  check to 
see if the car will move in reverse. If it does, the linkage is worn,  if not 
the transmission is broken.  (on 61-3 4-speeds, there is an  internal pin that 
falls out of the reverse shift system occasionally). If  it's the linkage it's 
frequently the shift coupler.  Sometimes, the  coupler's index tang is broken 
off and the coupler isn't indexed properly. Late  models sometimes have 
incorrect shims at the base of the shifter. (See why it's  important to include your 
year and model in your signature? It's hard to offer  advice when the 
specific model is unclear).  Please let us know what you  find.  BTW, there was a 
similar case on VV about a month ago that turned  out to be the internal 
reverse-lever pin problem.
Good luck!
Craig Nicol
65,66,67 140/4, 180/4