4th gear --- arrrgh

[kell]

Description: Had to pull the transmission, because it wouldn't stay in fourth gear.

Post by kell on May 15, 2003, 4:02am

Had to pull the transmission, because it wouldn't stay in fourth gear. When coasting it would slam in and out of gear. This is a heavily reworked 52 pan of unknown history, the guy I bought it from left for greener pastures shortly after selling me the bike. Don't know what year the tranny is. It has an open belt primary the seller put on, and a jockey shift.
Here's the scoop: after taking off the clutch and sprocket, fourth gear slides a full eighth inch closer to third. I have to take up some of that eighth, and I think a spacer between fourth and the case would solve the problem. I don't trust moving the fork to where it will fully engage fourth, because with fourth gear so far from third and I would have to move the fork so far that I would probably end up with a problem in third. At best that would just barely work, and with no room for error.
I would appreciate advice. I have never done this, but I can little afford to take this tranny to a shop. And I'm not even sure which direction the shaft comes out.

Post by Cotten on May 15, 2003, 5:02am

Kell!
I wonder if you have really found the real problem.

If you remove the sprocket, then certainly the main drive gear (4th) will be free to slop inboard.

You really must check your specs with a sprocket installed, at least snugged if not fully torqued.

The popping-out-of-gears most often indicates that just a fork has backed off it's nut (if not bent). You may not even have to take the shafts out.

Post by kell on May 16, 2003, 4:19am

After some study it is plain the mainshaft is just too far to the right (the kick side of the bike). Third on the main grazes second on the countershaft. First on the main all but touches the case. There is too much room between third and fourth on the main. Solution: a washer between the bearing and first (not between fourth and the case, as I initially thought).
Have already taken the whole schmear apart, now must find a washer...

[Pooka]

Kell, you didn't say what year your transmission was, but it sounds like some one has been it long before you.
Be sure you have the right main shaft.
Had a similar problem years ago, I found out, much to late, that part of the trouble was a ' 65 up main shaft in a pre '65 transmission.
The early main shaft is 11 3/4 " long, ' 65 up is 12 1/2 " up to , I think ' 79, then , some one jump in here if I'm wrong, but I think they are
12 3/4".