Looking for some input and thoughts on a dilemma with my big block 727...

Just the other day, after pushing my car forward in neutral about 15 feet then later attempting to reverse the car, it felt as though the wheels were chocked or the brakes were applied. Forward was okay. I drove the car home (no noises) and attempted to reverse and noticed it felt the same way in reverse. I would go forward a bit and be able to go in reverse a bit and needed to go forward again to be able to reverse some more. After a couple of R to D to R cycles it would stop reversing and felt locked up.

Initially thinking it was something to do with brakes I disconnected the driveshaft and isolated the concern from the trans.

The transmission is a BB 727 built years ago by B&M and has a reverse manual valve body.

A little brief history, when I first drove the car/trans I mistakenly shifted the trans back into first instead of 3rd from 2nd gear at approx 50mph. (driver error and column shift car).
I blew out the rear yoke straps and all had been fine since then.

Now looking at the service manual I see the low and reverse share the same band.
I dropped the trans pan today and see what look to be pieces of band material in the pan. I am thinking my low/rev band is toasted. Am I correct?

If so, can I sneak the band out by dropping the valve body? I remember a friend of mine telling me one of the bands is able to come out with complete teardown and not sure if it is the low/rev band or not.

Any thoughts and suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Sounds like the L/R band. In a stock trans the L/R band is not applied in drive. Only in manual low and reverse. You going to have to take it apart to replace it. Plus your going to have to do alot of cleaning. You might also have to replace L/R drum. Do you know if they left the over running clutch in? If they removed it the car will free wheel in manual low when you let off the gas. Sounds like it still in it.
Good Luck.

What your describing doesn't sound like the typical broken band & if it were theres no sneaking a band in anyway.. It sounds more like an element (rear clutch) isn't releasing fully causing reverse to bind..

If the rear clutch is not releasing the car would move in neutral just like it normaly would. The rear clutch and over running clutch are on. If you remove the over running clutch it needs the L/R band to be on.

Yes. What ever is wrong it needs to be removed or taken back to who ever built it. It's broke.

You guys are awesome! Thanks cuda67 & Randy for your input. It makes a lot more sense and I do recall hearing something rotating in reverse but I thought it were the brake shoes.
The lug for the band wedging sounds like could be that noise heard.
I just remembered the rev/lo band is that hard steel band which def cannot be sneaked out. Looks Luke the trans comes out afterall
thanks guys!

hi
if that is not a low band apply vb you are VERRY luckey you still have both your feet!

ANY broken drive shafts , u joints , axels,hitting a water puddle and regaining traction in low, shiftting into low at wrong timerequires inspection of the overunning clutch <sprag>!!!

if the rollers and springs get damaged it may explode like a grenade !

pull that trans and have someone who knowes what they are looking at service it .
move it only in 2nd or drive if you must !

git er done!

Thanks for the suggestion. It was blessing the trans did not explode. the day I mis-shifted I really thought the car was going to roll over. It was a hairy experience

There's no danger of explosion if the rear clutch not releasing is the problem, with the rear clutch engaged the trans will lock up in reverse because it's in two gears at once.