Hello everyone,
R50 w/ 5 speed. So every now and again, when I try to shift into reverse, the shifter will not go down into reverse unless I let out on the clutch a little. Is this an adjustment issue? I haven’t had time to crawl under and find out, plus this is my first manual trans carso I really don’t know what I’m looking at

 

To the best of my knowledge this isn’t a problem. Someone else may know more.

There’s no synchro on Reverse, although it should engage with little effort from a standing stop.

One thing to try would be to change the gear lube. Mine’s going back together after a trans and suspension overhaul and I put Redline MTF in it, no miles yet but I’ve heard good things.

Could be that your shifter cable(s) need to be cleaned and lubed.

There’s two cables. Have an assistant push in the clutch and run it through the gears while you watch what the linkage does.

Watch the shift rod that goes into the transmission: It will move up and down as well as around. IIRC, the 1-2 shift is at one height of the rod, the 2-3 shift is in the middle, and the 5 - Reverse is at the other end of the vertical travel.

 

It’s just the spur gears for reverse not matching up while stationary. Every manual I’ve ever owned has done that occasionally.

 

^This

As was mentioned, if this ever happens, put the shifter in neutral, let out the clutch pedal, push the pedal back down, then try reverse again.

 

^This again.
My E46 did it all the time. If I shifted into 2nd before going into reverse it solved the problem. For some reason I found this easier than pumping the clutch pedal.

 

Thanks everyone, just my paranoia I guess. My only real experience with a stick shift was a Mitsubishi Fuso Rosa I drove in Kuwait while I was on deployment (when I wasn’t in Iraq) for a year. Not much to compare there

 

Yep, mine does this, so you push in the clutch, wait a few seconds then slowly put it back into reverse. If not try again.