2001 ram 1500 no reverse.

[Grant young]

Hey everyone I’m new here and am getting a truck from my parents. It’s a 2001 ram 1500 with the 5.2l auto. I believe 42re. The issue I’m having is it has all forward gears with no reverse. If you put it in reverse it will only move afew inches but then stops like in neutral. I tried to speed up in 1st gear to 30 mph and check engine braking but couldn’t tell. I checked fluid level which was in spec. I removed the trans pan and found no abnormal metal wear or any snap rings or chunks of metal in the pan. I put a new filter in while apart. When pushing on the low reverse rocker I can see the band move and the strut looks to be in the right place but when I applied the rocker I noticed it comes away from the servo about half an inch. I adjusted the band adjuster within spec. I couldn’t see any cracks or anything in the servo piston but I didn’t remove the retaining ring so it was hard to see the piston. I put the pan back on and fluid in and found I still have no reverse. Can anyone steer me in the next direction I should go and have any recommendations.

 

[Sherman Bird]

Well, you are halfway there. The band is the holding member. The driving member is the front drum/clutch.

EDIT! I'm getting old! I forgot the overdrive unit in the tailhousing. That can cause loss of reverse as well.
Try driving in manual low gear and see if you have engine braking in MANUAL L-1. If yo do, then I'd look at the frond Reverse/ 3rd drum. That one has a dual circuit so it's possible to have 3rd gear and no reverse. However, your 1/2 inch gap declaration calls for closer scrutiny... like maybe the band is broken on the other end?

 

[Grant young]

Yea it seems like it has all forward gears and drives good forward but the reverse feels like it engages but doesn’t move especially under throttle. And as it sits the with the pan off the revers servo lever holds tension on both the band and the servo spring but if I push the rocker toward the band putting pressure on the band i found the 1/2 “ gap opens between the rocker and servo piston. Also when torquing the adjuster to spec it torqued properly which I would have expected it to stay loose the more it’s torqued if the band was broken but I could be wrong. Once adjusted the rocker no longer had a gap but still no reverse so I feel like the servi may not be holding pressure.

 

[Sherman Bird]

Yea it seems like it has all forward gears and drives good forward but the reverse feels like it engages but doesn’t move especially under throttle. And as it sits the with the pan off the revers servo lever holds tension on both the band and the servo spring but if I push the rocker toward the band putting pressure on the band i found the 1/2 “ gap opens between the rocker and servo piston. Also when torquing the adjuster to spec it torqued properly which I would have expected it to stay loose the more it’s torqued if the band was broken but I could be wrong. Once adjusted the rocker no longer had a gap but still no reverse so I feel like the servi may not be holding pressure.

I did have one of those units where the piston had broken and scored the case, resulting in no reverse and no manual 1st gear engine braking. I was able to install a case saver sleeve and special piston (it was a kit) using and Tan colored Lock-Tite brand locking liquid to hold the sleeve in place.

 

[Grant young]

Oh ok well I may need to remove my pan again and the piston retainer to see if the piston is damaged or if the seal is damaged then because with the band adjusted properly the piston should be applying but no change from before

 

[Sherman Bird]

Oh ok well I may need to remove my pan again and the piston retainer to see if the piston is damaged or if the seal is damaged then because with the band adjusted properly the piston should be applying but no change from before

IIRC, The original piston is phenolic (plastic) and can/will crack. The Kit I installed had an aluminum piston.

 

[Grant young]

Oh I didn’t know they were phenolic I thought they were aluminum and some people make a steel version but not sure