No 5th Gear

[rev]

I have an xs1100sh 1981 park bike for the winter everything was alright. Now I can't shift into 5th gear. I checked some older threads in the archive, and there was talk of a dowel pin. Anyone know where this is, because there is no clear reference in the clymer unless I over looked that.

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Rev,

Check out this thread in repairs section for shift lever spring , it's a nice pictorial by Ken Talbot, and in the very first picture in the left corner you'll see this round object(Shift Drum with pin plate on end) with 5 points on it.

This is inside the left shift lever engine cover, it's an oil filled chamber. However, with the bike laid on it's right side, you can remove it without draining the oil! But, if the pin has fallen out, then it may have fallen down thru the large drain hole into the sump pan and you'll need to drain the oil, and pull that pan to FIND the missing pin before you put a new plate on!
T.C.

[BLUEJEEPLAB]

Rev,

TC is correct in his description. I have had this problem twice, once when I first got the bike from PO and then when 2nd Gear acted up. That little fingered washer deally is very delicate, but it seems unlikely that it broke just sitting there.

I would do a little research as to why it happened. My (limited) experience would have me looking a blown shift (best case) or something like the second gear issue (tranny trys to shake itself about under hard acceleration) or other tranny problem.

Fix the root and only fix the washer once, or leave the root problem there and order a stock of finger washers from Yamaha (yeah, they are still available, as are the dowels)

Try to save the gasket when you pull the cover of the shift mechanism. It will help when putting things back together if for no other reason than you have a pattern to follow.

[rev]

5th Gear

found the problem, dowel pin missing, found it in the pan. Thinking back I probably blew a shift. I also have been having a little trouble with shifting from 1st to 2nd, wants to hang in neutral. Have parts coming from Merriam Cycle, funny I called the local Yama dealer, the acted like I was from Pluto for some reason.

[BLUEJEEPLAB]

Just my two cents, but I'd be a little cautious about 2nd gear. That was how the Battle Cruiser was acting and it turned out that PO had performed the "Reverse the Washer" 2nd gear fix on a 2nd gear that was really ready to be replaced. (The dogs were pyramid shaped, nothing to undercut) It worked... ...for a while.

I ended up fragging the dowel retaining washer again when 2nd gear started exhibiting the symptoms again. I am getting the through the 2nd gear fix, the tranny is back to gether and the case is sewed up. The lever that pushes in the throwout bearing is cracked and I can't find one (even Andreas doesn't have one). I have a bench grinder, drill, bench vise and a Dremel. I guess I'll find some steel stock and build one. That's what XS'ers do...