My 901 side shifter recently lost reverse gear. I jacked up the car and had my wife sit in it to shift. I removed the dust/boot cover where the shift lever enters the tranny. I had her dry shift through the gears and when she was putting it in reverse I pushed on the bottom where it goes up to engage and it went up just a bit further and I could hear it click in. I lowered the car with the reverse engaged and started the car and it backed up. Without the it going all the way up and engaging no reverse. Going forward is fun but sometimes I need to go backward.

Thanks, Tom

Check for old worn bushings in the shift linkage, and loose lock down bolts

Buy the Tangerine kits and make everything work the way it should. Watch my video on the install

Rear ball cup bushing.

+1, I would put my $5.00 on shifter bushings. I recently did mine with Delrin machined to closer tolerances. Feels like a G50 now

Check the set screws at each end of the shift rod, then tend to come loose.

I just had a similar experience except it quickly went from trouble getting reverse to only having 2nd & 3rd. Initially it took a couple tries to get reverse and the I tried a little harder and it got a lot worse.

It was the shift coupler bushing up by the firewall.
When I pulled the boot loose most of the bushings fell out as crumbs & dust.

You have to press the pin out of the coupling to get the new bushings in.
I use a vise and some socket to press the pin out and back in.

Use new set screws or blue locktite.

Jim

The wall of the new firewall bushing can be cut at 45 degrees & than slipped over the shift rod without removing it. The bushing is then pushed into the firewall.