Reverse Gear

WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2006 Mercury Milan and 2006 Ford Fusion. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.

The reverse idler gear and bushing is mounted on a reverse idler gear shaft supported at one end in the flywheel housing and at the other in the transaxle case. Because the reverse idler gear and bushing slides and rotates on the reverse idler gear shaft, the bushing is necessary to prevent metal-to-metal contact and wear.

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

To engage the reverse idler gear and bushing, the motion of the shift fork selector lever is transferred to the reverse gearshift lever through the shift gate. The reverse gearshift lever is mounted on a mesh lock plunger that allows it to act as a fulcrum. When the reverse/5th gearshift selector arm moves its end of the shift fork selector lever, the opposite end slides the reverse idler gear and bushing into engagement with the input shaft and output shaft reverse gears.