Hello,
My reverse solenoid on my '04 is toast, on the road home to Canada. What is the proper sequence to manually put it in reverse? My wife is going to be the one doing it when neccesary.
I have a 4sp Spicer where reverse is second.
Thanks in advance.
Aron.
From the PD-4104 Manual:
See attached PDF file.
You DO have an operators manual, right?
Quote from: Flyboy on May 30, 2008, 09:46:37 AM
Hello,
My reverse solenoid on my '04 is toast, on the road home to Canada. What is the proper sequence to manually put it in reverse? My wife is going to be the one doing it when neccesary.
I have a 4sp Spicer where reverse is second.
Thanks in advance.
Aron.
Hi Dallas,
Thanks much, yes I do have a manual buried in the bus somewhere.
Aron.
If your '04 is anything like my MCI-5, the wife will have to lay on her belly on the bedroom floor reaching down through the access hatch to access the top/side of the transmission. While you move the lever from neutral to second, she will need to pry out on the plunger on the passenger side of the transmission. It will be a bit tricky but should be doable. Might be easier if you do it with the engine shut off so you can hear each other.
Fred
I am not sure if I understand the question. Are you asking how to get it into reverse if the reverse without using the reverse solenoid?
Yes Lin that's right.
Just read the page that Dallas linked but nothing on doing it manually.
Aron.
Its simple to do. Just requires two people. One manning the shift lever and one pulling out the plunger on the side of the Spicer.
Fred
Do I put the shifter throught the same sequence as I get the second person to pull it in? Or can I just put it in second with clutch in and do it?
Aron.
You need to follow the same sequence - only your assistant will have to move the lever the solenoid was moving when you "flip the switch"
Ok Thanks. ;)
You need to do it in the same sequence as when it was working.
1. Put the shift lever in 1st gear.
2. Have wife operate the reverse lever at solenoid manually and hold it while you move the shift lever to 2nd gear position.
3. Wife can release the lever. and you can back up.
4. It will release reverse when you move the shifter out of 2nd gear position.
I would do it with engine off or use the horn as the signal to wife to 'shift'.
Good luck
Don 4107
Definitely engine off-- less intimidating and less dangerous, unless you also carry a spare wife.
Quote from: Lin on May 30, 2008, 11:16:09 AM
Definitely engine off-- less intimidating and less dangerous, unless you also carry a spare wife.
Chicken . . . . . . . ;D ;D
Not too familiar with the Vdrive, but I use a long stick when I need to manually activate the solenoid. . . . I stand on the DR side of the bus at the tag axle & push in when the shifter is moving from 1st to 2nd.
Easier to avoid getting run over or dropping something thru the hole in the floor. . . ;D
Sounds to me like a careful review of the situation so as to avoid the unnecessary use of reverse will be beneficial in terms of long-term marital harmony.
As Don says, don't do this with the engine running and don't make your wife do this.
Let her shift while you move the reverse lever at the rear!
There is a great potential for someone to get hurt here.
If you have spring brakes and still have your old hand brake linkage intact you can probably rig some sort of manual system.
you should be able to do this from the tranny door, so no danger of getting run over. Besides, once it is in reverse the person does not have to stand there
Just checking, are you sure that the solenoid is bad and not that there is a connection or switch problem?
There are folks that have claimed success by taking apart the solenoid, cleaning it, and putting it back together. I tried that with mine, but still had intermitent operation.
I noticed mine had grooves worn where they weren't supposed to be. Years of engine vibration?
On a trip through New England, mine failed to go into reverse at a roadside produce stand. I found that if I applied a little upward pressure on the post sticking out the back of the solenoid lever, it would change gears, even using the dash switch. I rigged a bunge cord from the solenoid lever to something high in the engine compartment. It worked great for the next week and 700 miles which got me home. Purchased a new solenoid from Luke a week later.
Some other folks have blamed the solenoid, only to discover there was a control relay problem in the back electrical compartment.
you don't really need a manual. Just go back there, open the trans side door, see how the solenoide pushes(pulls) on the tranny. assist the solenoide while the other person does the first two second shift in the cockpit. It took me about 10 mins to remove the solenoide, clean it up, lube it, dress the contact points and have the reverse gear back.
If the engine is off and trans in neutral ,you can take a long screw driver and pry out the 2 gear shaft. (about 1 inch). If you are alone you can c clamp or vice grip some lath or wood to hold the shaft out. I have wrapped mine with baling wire and it held the shaft ok but took a while to get it off after I backed up.
My trans would allow the shaft to be pryed out to engage the R gear from neutral. I have heard some say it must be done from 1st. If you can't move it in N then I guess you have to pry the shaft out from 1st. Once the shaft is out shifting into 2nd will lock up R.
The GM sequence requires going into first before shifting to reverse. MCI lets you go direct from neutral.
FWIW,
My Eagle manual says go from neutral to second while holding down the button, then release it after finding second/reverse.
Wonder why all brands don't agree on the procedure for the same trans.?
I know if my solenoid goes out I have a spare. They are so robust that they should last a long time if treated properly.
Paul