Reseat reverse band a4ld

[Saint Ferret]

I did it guys im a dummy.
Slipped the reverse band doing something stupid on reinstall and now I've got no reverse.
I clearly remember losing the reverse servo pin for a moment and had to fish it back out with needle nose. Shoulda been a dead ringer but this was my first time through. Live and learn.

For the minutes. Full rebuild. 1-4 od work fine. No engine breaking on manual 1. drive engages firmly and immediately.

Does anyone know of any tricks to reseat the reverse band through the valve body?
I really dont want to have to get the full tool kit back out again right away and yank again if there is some miracle solution. Im imagining maybe being able to fish it back in to position somehow?

 

[JK080]

You will have to pull the valve body down to access some openings in the case that should allow you to see the band. Your only hope is to try and spin the band or work it back up into its anchor pins using picks and screwdrivers.. I think if you turn the driveshaft by hand it will spin the low drum that the band rides on, maybe that can help you reindex the band.

I have had this happen before during a rebuild and I was able to get it back in but I had it on a table and not installed in a vehicle full of fluid. I think you will be able to get it. Good luck!

 

[Saint Ferret]

As a follow up to this thread - yes - I was able to re seat the reverse band from underneath the vehicle after installation. I had to remove the valve body and pried at the band with a long screwdriver up through the piston hole. It was rather easy as the band itself seems to want to flex and popped basically right in to place.

 

[Technoguyfication]

Not to necropost, but this just happened to me during my A4LD rebuild. The transmission was already completely in the vehicle, didn't find out about no reverse until the test drive.

I dropped the oil pan, removed the valve body, and I was able to reseat the band. I had to spin the driveshaft to move the band back into the correct position, and then I used a couple screwdrivers through the servo pin hole and another hole that you MUST remove the valve body to access. I also used a cheap borescope to get an idea of where the band moved to.

Overall, not a bad job and it is much preferable to dropping the trans again and removing all the guts to get to the band. You just have to be okay with getting constantly waterboarded by trans fluid and not dropping anything on your face since everything is slippery. I dropped a socket and almost took a tooth out.