Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Transaxle Trouble shifting in general

It is very unusual for the reverse gear synchro to get worn out. It sees very little action as compared to the 1st and 2nd gear synchros. If he is having trouble in all gears I would suspect the clutch slave cylinder. I had an issue with my car where I could hold the clutch in and rev the motor above 6K with the shifter in 1st gear...the car would actually start to move forward if my foot was not on the brake! It seemed that the clutch was still making light contact and when the rpm's were high enough it would drag and create movement. The dealer ended up replacing the clutch, pressure plate and slave cylinder and the problem was solved.
It made for some stiff shifting.