MG Car Repair: Clutch in Reverse (Not working), forward gears, slave cylinder

Question
QUESTION: Hi! My '74.0' does not want to seem to reverse. After shifting into reverse and applying the gas, the 'B' does not want to back-up...dang. The car is light enough to push backwards, and other than the odd chuckle everynow and then things seem okay other then not being able to back up. I can shift into 1st-2nd-3rd-4th...but reverse is not cutting it. Can you give me a hint where to start. Does this have to do with the master slave cylinder? I'm going to purchase a new clutch tomorrow and think I will pop the engine out. I've never done this before...but seems like it will be fun to try.

Thanks! Kelly

ANSWER: Hi Kelly,
You have to explain a little. The shift lever don't go into reverse? The lever seems to shift into where reverse is but there is no movement backwards when you let the clutch up? Any noise? Does it grind when you try to shift into reverse? Does this car have overdrive?

If you can shift into the forward gears and they operate normally then there is nothing wrong with the master or slave cylinder.

Answer the questions above and I may be able to aim you in the right direction. However, there is nothing that can be fixed about reverse outside of the gearbox so when you remove the engine, you might as well remove the gearbox too.
Let me know,
Howard



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Howard...wow fast response! Ahh sorry...I'm a rookie.

The shift lever does go into the reverse position properly. At one point if I let the clutch up approximately halfway there was some motion backwards, but now after getting the car back home...nothing when the clutch is all the way up. There is no grinding at all, and this car does have electric overdrive.

Come to think of it, the overdrive when the overdrive-lever was disengaged took a while for the overdrive to deactivate. Sometimes it did not come out of overdrive until the car was shut down and started back up again. Perhaps these problems are related.

Answer
Yes, an overdrive that is not working correctly can cause reverse not to work. If it sticks solid in OD when you try to back up it acts like the brake is on solid and it will try to stall the engine but if the OD is partially engaged it can just spin like it didn't go into reverse.
Do this, When the car has sat over night put it in reverse before you start the engine and let the clutch out and hit the starter (make sure nothing is behind you) if the car lurches backward, then their is probably nothing wrong with reverse. It is the OD at fault.
Howard