Well I did what you said I should try, reset it all and set it up again. Now I have reverse!
So I cleared the data stored in my transmitter, reset up the ESC and then it was perfect! I could enable and disable it and I have full brake also. It's a double tap to get reverse to engage. Which was kind of interesting, because I have never seen that before. Nor did I know that is how it engages reverse. Reverse activates right as soon as you push the trigger forwards, on my Futaba FX10 so I assumed it was the same. But, this is a better setup, saves motor wear from being slammed into reverse from forward.
I did a full tear down last night. Recentered my servo, respositioned the servo horn, shaved down the front axle carrier a bit farther because I noticed that the servo horn was still hitting the carrier. Which now gives my servo the full sweep. It also would explain why I had lack lustre turning. What I did was put that carrier onto the chassis (without being screwed down) and then turned on the transmitter and tried to steer, if the carrier was "pushed" by the servo horn then I know its still contacting it somewhere, which it was doing on both sides. So I dremeled it till it wasnt being pushed.
I also noticed that the front belt pulley was "wobbly" and I had to figure out why it was doing that. What had happened was, the small tab where the bearing is pressed onto broke off and was sitting between the bearing and the pulley shaft piece. So I cleaned it off and now it seems better. Im tempted to look for an aluminum pulley to replace that one.
I know the HPI dual link kit wasnt really designed for the Hitec HS-85MG, but I have it in there. It just sits a millimetre to far forward. I measured up the HS-81MG I have for my gf's car and I can see how it would fit that much better.
Tomorrow night - another rebuild!