The symtoms of this failure:

1. Initially a loud clunking after a slip into reverse.

2. Then it would die whenever it was put into drive when cold. The only way to get it moving was to rev the engine hard, get it moving, it acted like it was trying to take off in top gear. After it run for a half mile or so it frees up and acts fine.

3. The last time it was drove it could no longer shifted through reverse into park. So it has been setting in my driveway, in neutral, block, and the battery disconnected for the past 6 months.

My wife says fix it or trash it. I don't blame her. I would make someone a heck of a deal on a really nice SVX, except that it only goes foward.