I have a 91 Camaro RS 305TBI/Automatic that has me wondering. When I first start up in the morning it doesn't want to shift into reverse. The fluid level is ok and it shifts into Drive ok but I usually have to wait one or two full minutes after shifting into reverse before it actually engages. Once I've driven it around a bit in Drive it engages reverse without any hesitation but if I try to get into reverse without first having spent some time in Drive then I run into this hesitation thing. I've read thru the archives and haven't found any refrences to a similar problem so I'm wondering if anyone has any suggestions. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

 

It's still doing it. On the first startup of the day it take an actual 2-3 minutes for reverse to engage. It *does* eventually engage but it just takes several minutes for it to do so. Forward gears engage immediately but it takes forever for reverse. After driving around for just a bit reverse generally engages without any problems or delays but that first shift of the day takes forever. I don't know if it's a temperature/pressure deal or what. The fluid level is ok. Short trips when it's cold aren't enough to get reverse to work but once it's been driven for a bit the problem goes away. I was thinking it might be the pump but as I said the forward gears engage without any problems. Any help here will be greatly appreciated.

 

Has nobody ever heard of anything like this happening before ?

 

I haven't heard of that. Usually it will take drive gears the same amount of time if it's a pump issue. could be a stuck check ball in the valve body. How is your fluid level?

 

I think his fluid level is ok.

 

There is likely a leaky lip seal, a cracked reverse piston, or a stuck checkball, allowing pressure to bleed off.

 

Guess I missed that

 

The fluid level is ok, that was the first thing I checked. It doesn't seem to be the shifter location or a linkage issue either. When I first shift into reverse I can feel the car rock back briefly but then it just sits. I had been wondering if it fluid temperature had something to do with it because once I drive it for 15-20 min it shifts into reverse without any problems. Losing the prime on the pump sounds reasonable except for it always shifting into Drive without any hesitation or drama, I'm really baffled as to what's going on here

 

Looks like a old post...but anyway mine is doing the same thing.

Although itll start to engage then slowly move in about 5 seconds...All the forward gears work fine

 

Mine takes a few seconds to engage in Drive in the morning, but reverse engages right away...Weird...It is fine once it warms up...Tom

 

Anyone ever figure a resolution to this problem? This very same symptom is now happening to my 91 Z-28 305 TPI. Thank you.