After re install car won't go in reverse

[spiderman1]

I pulled engine and transmission on my 82 in order to paint and do all new gaskets. Today was the first day I actually tried to move the car since it has been reinstalled. Engine starts and is running ok-needs a little adjusting. The transmission will not go into reverse-Possibly not 5th either but its a little hard to tell that for sure with no shit knob installed.. I am not sure where to start with the diagnosis of the problem. It seems to shift 1-4 ok but there again I am not positive because I haven't driven it. I did not rebuild the transmission simply washed it and reinstalled it and the clutch using a clutch alignment tools. I did put a new doughnut and center mount and u joints on the drive shaft as well as a new pinion seal in the rear end.

Does anyone have a suggestion on where to start. Id hate to have to pull out the transmisssion.

Thanks for the help.

David

[Billholtzman]

On fiat you have to push down on the shift lever to put the car in reverse. At the back of the transmission shifter assembly there is a small threded rod and a retainer nut, at the end of that rod there is a gap to fit a flat head. Try to crack the retainer nut and move the screw back so you have more clearance to get the grove on the shift lever to fit under that rod.

[klweimer]

Did you take the rear extension off the tranny during your maintenance? If so, it's possible to put it back on and have one of the shift rods that it interfaces to out of place when your reassemble. (ask me how I know ) If this happens, you can do 1-4, but not 5 or Reverse. You can pull the extension back off the tranny in the car, through the transmission tunnel access, perhaps having to drop the tranny slightly using a floor jack.
Kirk