Hi all, another trivial question: on my '89 1kF, the bolt on which the gear change lever fits and pivots keeps coming loose. If you tighten it to not much more than finger tight, the change lever is stuck fast; if you loosen it so the lever works OK, the bolt slowly works loose and will (probably) eventually fall off. My work-around is to use some Loctite but that hasn't been totally successful so far.

The bolt has washers which straddle the lever (if you see what I mean), but they are normal, nothing special, flat washers.

Surely this is a design problem (), or am I missing some special spacer or washer or something which allows you to tighten the bolt but will still allow the lever to pivot on the bolt?

- Greg P.

 

Greg, as far as I know, all you should have is a thinner, larger washer on the far inside, and a smaller thicker one on the outside of the bolt. I believe that the bolt tightens down on a dowel pin, and then the shifter rides on the pin.
You should be able to tighten it right down, and it should still pivot.

Just a thought, but maybe it's a little misaligned with where the pinchbolt in the spindle is? Maybe the misalignment is binding it? Like I said, just a thought... but maybe you can loosen the pinch bolt on the spindle and slide it either in or out, and then tighten the pivot bolt first... then the pinch on the spindle?

 

You may have to use a thin nut between the frame and the linkage, to stop the bolt from becoming loose. It will then hold it without overtightening the bolt. Maybe use a longer bolt too.
Just a possible solution, but it shouldn't happen.........................

 

Sorry about the delay in replying, guys.

Thanks 'Trout: You may be on to something with the misalignment idea because a little while back, I changed the position of the shift lever on the splined shaft to help with getting my Size 13's under the foot shift lever for upshifts. I later read that there is a specific position the lever is supposed to be on the splined shaft (punch marked?). I need to grovel on the floor and have a closer look at what's going on.

Thanks also Shadow: I had thought of the "nut on the inside" idea but it had struck me that our good friends at Honda have designed a few gearboxes in their time so they should have had it right by now.

- Greg P.

 

OF,
The punch marks are only to locate the "standard" position. You should be able to adjust the lever position to suite yourself.

 

Yep, bassman is right.
In fact, I posted a while back about how I was changing the position once a week to accomodate my humongous steel-toe work boots.
I ride to work and need the space during the workweek, but not on the weekends. I'm a size 13, too..
I was just thinking that maybe it was either too far on or off the splined shaft, and messing with the alignment on the dowel pin. Just a thought..