I am still trying to determine the cause of my problems getting the car in reverse. I already replaced the prime suspect, the shift coupling. That didnt fix it so I moved on to suspect #2; the shifter bushings.

It was kind of tedious replacing the bushings, with having to take out the center console, remove a safety cable behind the dash, and deal with trying to get the shifter aligned when you are all done.

Once I got everything apart I could see that while my old bushings didn't look that great they were still working fine. I went ahead and replaced them anyways just in case. The new bushings were only $10 which is nothing compared to my peace of mind.

Too bad there is no change in my problem even with the new bushings installed. I guess the next step is to start replacing parts in the transmission. Bummer.

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Smll Med Lrg center console removed	Smll Med Lrg bushings are at the bottom of the shift rod, behind the bolt that is barely visible	Smll Med Lrg you can clearly see the shifter rod going into the engine bay	Smll Med Lrg shifter mechanism detached from the shift rod and removed
Smll Med Lrg bottom of the shifter mechanism/ a bolt goes through the metal sleave to attach to the shifter rod	Smll Med Lrg	Smll Med Lrg old bushings removed and sitting next to the replacements	Smll Med Lrg new couplings installed, shifter greased and ready for reinstallation