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Mondial won’t go backwards

Discussion in 'Technical Q&A' started by greatscott73, Sep 17, 2025 at 12:06 PM.

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  1. greatscott73

    greatscott73 Formula Junior

    Sep 1, 2017
    457
    Eastern Tennessee
    Full Name:
    Howard Scott
    #1 greatscott73, Sep 17, 2025 at 12:06 PM
    Since it seems to be clutch week here, I also could use advice. It’s been up on the Mondial forum but I’m hoping for a wider audience. Last week went out to move my US spec 87 Mondial cab and had gear grinding and no engagement at all six positions. Went immediately to the usual suspect, the slave cylinder, and found brake fluid on the bellows. I never completely lost the pedal pressure, and the slave was pushing the rod, but maybe not far enough. Purchased a new cylinder (aftermarket, I know, first mistake) installed and bled. Immediately all forward gears returned, but reverse is still unreachable with the car running I’ve tried the usual tricks of first-neutral, pushing up or down on the stick with no luck. With the engine off and the clutch depressed, it feels like the shifter is clicking into reverse. I’m not sure where to look next. Seems odd that the clutch seems to operate fine on 1-5 but not in reverse. No abuse has been dished out to the gearbox on my six year watch, and all this happened quite suddenly. Not sure where to look next. Clutch is about 4000 miles and 15 years old.
     
  2. DanielGA

    DanielGA Karting

    Mar 19, 2018
    190
    Midwest
    Full Name:
    Daniel A.
    #2 DanielGA, Sep 17, 2025 at 2:58 PM
    I have a Mondial too.

    1. Maybe just bleed more carefully and check again, else
    2. Have one person push the pedal and then another make sure the slave cylinders seems to move "enough" when press pedal, else
    3. Have one person push the pedal and go into reverse and then check under the car to see if the shift linkage moves reasonbly (compare to motion when putting in 1st gear). For example, when you put shifter in between R and 1st, the linkage rod should be at some rotational angle. Then when you engage 1st it should move "forward" some amount. Then when you engage R it should move "backward" about the same amount.
    4. If all above is normal, I guess drain tranny fluid, remove tranny cover (careful not to loose ball and spring), and then visually inspect the gears are engaging. If not, then you have a mechanical linkage problem...

    Fun stuff?

    PS. or, just don't drive backwards? :)
     
  3. greatscott73

    greatscott73 Formula Junior

    Sep 1, 2017
    457
    Eastern Tennessee
    Full Name:
    Howard Scott
    #3 greatscott73, Sep 18, 2025 at 4:06 AM
    I used a power bleeder to get the air out, and it seems to have done the job. I've gone out three mornings in a row and hooked it up and given it another bleed, so I think its sufficiently bled. It also makes me wonder about the health of the clutch master cylinder, but no leaks are apparent anywhere. I guess maybe using the pedal push bleed procedure may enlighten me there so I'll try that next. Almost seems like it has to be hydraulic in nature since everything worked fine before the slave started leaking. I'm far from well versed with this gearbox, but it seems odd that reverse would require a different (longer?) clutch throw than the forward gears. Thanks for the response!
     
  4. Ferrari Tech

    Ferrari Tech Formula 3

    Mar 5, 2010
    1,231
    Georgia
    Full Name:
    Wade Williams
    #4 Ferrari Tech, Sep 18, 2025 at 5:28 AM
    So to be clear, you only have issues shifting if the engine is running and it is just reverse.
    I suggest you put the car in gear, push the clutch and try and push the car to move it. (You need a friend to push) Ease your foot from the clutch and see how fast the clutch grabs. If it is hard to move, try neutral and see how hard it is to move. This will tell you the point of slippage. If the clutch grabs very close to the floor, it will be more difficult to get the transmission in gear. Reverse can be more difficult but it is usually due to the detent in the gated plate, not the transmission. I have run into this before when having clutch engagement problems.

    Also when bleeding the clutch system I have had clear fluid when bleeding and still have an air bubble. Another helpful test is the first push after an over night sit. That first push will tell you if it has air. If the first push is light and then it gets better quickly, it is an air pocket. If it has air in the clutch system, it will get compressed as you pump the pedal. When you had the system open small amounts of air will be throughout the system and the fluid becomes spongy. As you pump the pedal the air bubbles (think micro bubbles) compress and the fluid moves the clutch. Then it sits and the micro bubbles decompress and the action becomes soft. After sitting, the micro bubbles will migrate to a high spot and become one big air bubble that will be more easily bled out. This is why you have a soft pedal the next day in the first push. I use a pressure bleeder to get the air out. In my first year working on Ferrari cars our shop had a car that the tech bled for a very long time and could not get a good pedal. We used a master cylinder cap with a vent hose and pressurized the master cylinder with 10 psi. Open the bleeder and watched as fluid came out and then, bam, big air bubble. I have been a pressure bleed guy ever since.
     
  5. greatscott73

    greatscott73 Formula Junior

    Sep 1, 2017
    457
    Eastern Tennessee
    Full Name:
    Howard Scott
    #5 greatscott73, Sep 18, 2025 at 5:50 AM
    Correct on the only when running, and only reverse. I’ll give your procedure a try today and see what happens. I may also hook up the pressure bleeder and open the bleeder on the slave and just let it push fluid for a quart or so. I much appreciate the response.
     

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