Now do you have only no reverse or are all forward gears gone too? If you cannot move either way, a good suspect is a broken outer CV joint on one of the half shafts. You are going to need a live person to peek underneath, just inside the two front wheels. A clue is you should hear a rotational rumbling and thumping noise when you shift to any gear with the engine running. Another potential clue is you can push the van when it is in "park".
It is not practical to replace the CV joint. It is less work and less expensive to just install a rebuilt half shaft. These used to cost as much as $150.00, but I bought a brand new one for my 1988 Grand Caravan a couple of years ago for just $65.00. The outer joints make noise long before they break. Mine made a clicking noise when turning and backing up for about three years that I ignored.
If the van will still move forward under power, the half shafts/CV joints are okay. Losing only reverse is not real common, but is due to a broken part inside the transmission. Specifically it is a "band" that breaks, but that does not cause a noise. Your description of a noise is what pointed me to a CV joint.
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Saturday, December 16th, 2017 AT 9:14 PM
