Won't shift into reverse until througly warmed up!

[Jack Meoff]

I've got this same problem. It started out by a delay then banging hard into reverse. Then it got worse. If you touched the gas at all in reverse or have to back up a slight hill, it will kick in and out and grind like hell. Sometimes no reverse at all! All three forward gears work nice an crisp as they should. Fluid is red and full, hence I didn't change it yet. I think I will try a fluid/filter change and switch to ATF-4 as everyone is recommending now. I'd like to adjust the bands. How do you do that?

Let me do some digging when I get home.
It's in one of my books....unless someone chimes in first.

 

[NoCar340]

The only thing I remember right off the top of my head is that the front band requires a 5/16" 8-point socket to adjust. The service manual adjustment procedure is kind of tweaky and over-complex, but I can't remember the clearance or thread count for the "fast way" to adjust it off the top of my head. It's been a few years... but I'll look it up in my home-grown "tech manual" when I get home.

 

[Jack Meoff]

The only thing I remember right off the top of my head is that the front band requires a 5/16" 8-point socket to adjust. The service manual adjustment procedure is kind of tweaky and over-complex, but I can't remember the clearance or thread count for the "fast way" to adjust it off the top of my head. It's been a few years... but I'll look it up in my home-grown "tech manual" when I get home.

Thank you Sir,
You'll have a more comprehensive answer than I.
I was just going to snap pics out of my manual.

 

[NoCar340]

1/4"-5/16" play at the lever on both bands. Might want to go a smidge tighter on a non-performance application, but I'd say 3/16" would be about it.

 

[realgone58]

Thanks much guys!

 

[Dr Lebaron]

FWIW, I always back into the driveway to save wear and tear with cold reverse.

The trans pump doesn't run in park, that's why you check the fluid in N.

So shifting from P to R every morning w/o the pump running doesn't sound like a plan to me.
I always put it in N for at least a few seconds if not more before grabbing a gear in the morning.

Some Mopars you can hear the pump every morning.