OK people I have this thing that well it just don't feel right when second gear engages well Im hoping u guys have the answer... What is wrong?

SMH

Ok lol for real now this is more of a investigatory thing I am working on. I have experienced the feeling we all hate when you're gear box grumbles into second and you are wondering if it was you or the bike. I can get it to glide in but only under the finest finesse. I will leave my house sometimes and try to be quiet and shift a bit early and no matter what I do it will grrrrrrrrrclunk. I know that noise is the dogs bouncing off each other in the gearbox but now my real question is what is the primary cause of this other than user abuse which might be a defining characteristic on this girl. Or better asked is there ant failing mechanism that could cause this or even worn out of spec. Things like Shift Forks and or Shift Drum. Well Guys I think I just answered the Obvious #2 reason shift forks or shift drum. I guess ok now those are still internal now lets go one step further. External Mechanisms The Shift linkages are in good shape and everything seems to be in the correct positions. I will be fumbling with adjusting it to heel down a little so my foot has less trouble popping it up. Eureka Ok now I will start with the foot lever adjustment and keep practicing my Finesse and Get back with you.

Proper knowledge of how things work and or how they break is a key element to working on you're own motorcycles. I strongly suggest anyone without experience to tear down a small inexpensive MC engine and keep it on a bench for reference until you are so sick of sewing it you'll never be able to forget it. small things like how a Gearbox works in a motorcycle can keep people from catastrophic damage to the internals or even your self.

While sometimes proper knowledge of how something works does not solve everything it will give you the proper knowledge when to exclude mechanical faults as well. My ability to acknowledge that my hands and feet need some more fine tuning will help guide me into a more accurate future diagnosis. Upon adjusting bracket and practicing technique I am still unsure if it is not just me that is keeping it from being as smooth as it could. I will admit this girl came from a damaged home so she has hella daddy issues but we are sorting them out slowly one by one. So the shift forks etch may have a little excessive wear.


Should I go tearing into the 40k mile motor?
No!
Ride her but appreciate her. Someday we will have our go but not today. As long as I keep her fluids clean and maintain a steady Finesse we should have a great relationship before any need to overhaul.

Will I be doing any performance mods?
No.
That does not stop me from collecting and planning any extreme mods in the future but she will not see anything not even a sprocket upgrade until Overhaul date.

Will I rag on her?
That is a tough question
I will abuse her within her limitations but no further. I acknowledge that she is middle age given her miles and PO...


Thanks for reading if you made it this far you deserve a beer.

 

First off, 351 or 302?





Now, is it doing it just when you're getting out of your neighborhood and the motor is cold? Or all of the time?

Play around with the shift arm and make sure its perfectly comfortable for your foot.

To answer your questions, it could be internal stuff. The shift drums can get little wear pockets in the grooves from the forks bouncing on them on bad shifts. The forks themselves can wear thin or slightly bend.

Is there any play in the shift spline - in and out?

 

Don't hate but it is a 4.9 I6
I love it that thing has pulls through so much crap flawlessly.


It will do it low rpm fully warmed up. The shift spline shaft does have some wiggle in and out. I can finesse it when I fairly accelerate up to a decent rpm ( when the exhaust starts to scream due to lack of tack) If I really pay attention I can get a smooth shift under heavy accel but much finesse is needed.. Low rpm it is nearly impossible to get a clean shift.

 

Haha, I won't hate on it. As many issues as it gave me, I miss my old 351....



How much room in or out? It should be next to no play. If there is a lot of play, see if pulling outwards helps. The drum rests on the shift spline. If its not in its correct spot, the shift forks are not straight and could give you the issues you're having. This can cause permanent damage to the drum too. It can occur when someone beats on it with a hammer to set their shift lever position.

 

Eyeballing it I would say a tad over a 16th of a inch of wiggle.
These have the long internal shift shaft so there is not much I can do for now I think.
I will try all though putting a spacer between the shift linkage and the case to hold the shaft in a outward position and see if it helps.
Luckily My sporty only needed a primary adjustment and she slides into 2nd like butter.
I also have a factory service manual which I have neglected to buy been mooching off this site mainly for vital information. I came across a few people hosting shop manuals but the links were no good. Anyone have one they would not mind sending this way...
I wish I never sold that 929 motor I had last year I would have had a perfect 3d parts diagram with all working spares as well...