I just installed this kit today for the same hard shift reasons. It was fairly easy to do, and now shifts great- IN FORWARD gears. Maybe someone can help me here. I now have no reverse! I previously never had any problem with reverse. When I dropped the accumulator body, instead of unbolting the body and removing the tubes like I should have, I also unbolted the manual 2-1 accumulator (tubes still connected) and dropped it out as a whole unit. I simply slid the manual 2-1 accumulator back up into place when I was reinstalling the main accumulator body. Is there possibly a certain way the manual accumulator was supposed to go back in? I didn't see anything obvious, but wasn't thinking it was an issue at all either. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

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OP installed a shift kit into his 2000-2005 Bonneville and no longer has reverse after the install of kit.

This is in a 2003 Bonneville. 4t65e. Transgo shift kit for hard 1-2 shifts. Dropped pan only not side cover.

I think one of your tubes isn't installed correctly.

There is nothing in the shift kit itself that will cause you to lose reverse, therefore it had to be something in the installation. I agree with Mike it could be one of the tubes not installed correctly. IIRC it is possible to install them in the wrong position.

I will check them thoroughly. However, I never disconnected the two main (hard) tubes, the ones that go to the manual accumulator body. The only tube I disconnected was the one that that has a small rubber hose in the middle of it for flexibility, and goes up into the transmission. I removed the 1-2/3-4 accumulator body and the manual accumulator body as a unit- fairly certain this is where I screwed up, looking back at online vids and such, I should have removed all the tubes from the 1-2/3-4 accumulator body, and not removed the manual accumulator at all. During reinstallation, the manual accumulator felt like it slid right back up into place, and I made sure to really push on all the tubes to make sure they were seated properly. Ill be driving the car to work (w/o reverse!) for the week and taking another crack at it Saturday morning. Hopefully I see something obvious. I will post an update!

Check fluid level before you do anything (you probably already have) but I think if you drop the pan and go over everything you did and check to make sure it was done properly you will find the problem.

Yeah I already checked fluid and thats what I was *hoping* it was at first- I initially just put 6 quarts in, but then topped it off with another 3. ( Castrol semi-synthetic DEX VI) After driving the car and getting it up to temp, it measures just at the top of the full mark, so no problems there. When I do shift into reverse, it is like I am in neutral- no noises, can rev freely, etc.... I plan on pulling it all back apart on Saturday, if I can find some time before that I will- having no reverse is not all that much of what I call a good time!

When u have no reverse, driving is completely different, especially when it comes to parking.
Good Luck Connor, I hope u get it sorted out.
Feel free to post back while ur working on it, if u are stuck or got questions etc..
Look forward to hearing if you can get the reverse back working!

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Hi monkeywrencher, good luck getting the reverse situation ironed out, I've been watching your thread with interest as I'm about to install the transgo shift kit in my 2004 Bonne with the 4t65e. Mine has 140k on it now, the hard shifts in stop and go started at about 120k, only about 5k after the last pan drop and filter change, reason I've waited so long to drop the pan again.

2004 Bonne SLE
1971 Chevelle SS