Reverse Gear

WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2011 Mercury Milan and 2011 Ford Fusion. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.

The reverse idler gear is mounted on a reverse idler gear shaft supported at one end in the clutch housing and at the other in the transaxle case by a reverse idler shaft lock bolt.

When the reverse idler gear slides on the reverse idler gear shaft, it engages the reverse drive gear on the input shaft and the reverse gear on the output shaft. The driving gear is part of the input shaft and the reverse gear is machined on the outside diameter of the 1st/2nd synchronizer sleeve.

When the reverse idler gear rotates on the reverse idler gear shaft, it reverses the power flow to the output shaft.

To engage the reverse idler gear, the motion of the shift fork is transferred to the reverse gearshift lever through the shift gate. The reverse gearshift lever is mounted on a meshlock plunger that allows it to act as a fulcrum. When the reverse gearshift selector arm moves its end of the shift fork, the opposite end slides the reverse idler gear into engagement with the input shaft and output shaft reverse gears.