Bought car for 1000.00 us with no working reverse 4 speed jatco automatic. . Will drive in forward if you start in manual 2nd gear. Pulled engine and trans to check for cracked reverse piston. Steels and fibers look good and no burnt smell. Reverse Piston did not look cracked. There is discoloration of reverse drum, hot rainbow color. I thinks me has another issue, electronic or otherwise, reverse valve/ solenoid spring maybe . What should I check next ??

Will post pics

Also , wet and oily on bottom engine, typical for 2.5 to leak at oil pan?
Want to fix while I have trans/ engine out
Thanks for help

 

See picture attched

 

Phil, yes, it is common for the X-Type to have a leak at the oil pan. Since you have the tranny out, might as well do the gasket. Just have to make sure to get the transfer case out of the way too. There is a single bolt that is hidden by the bracket for the transfer case. At that point, it will be a 20 minute job to pull the pan and put in the new seal. The seals are pretty cheap as I recall too.

Sorry, can't help you with the tranny. that is the one part of the X-Type that I know very little about.

 

Thanks thermo, definitely now is the time to repair. Is it a seal or just "splooge" " ?