No 1st gear

[Kampe3355]

I just put a differant engine in my XJ1100. It had (speedo broke 23,300) so I don't know for sure. This one has 15,000. My 2nd, 3rd were gone. And lot of metal on the magnet. Well it fired right up sounds really great.
It shifts into 1st let out the clutch and holy h--l breaks loose. the guy said the trans was OK. HUH. It grinds and jumps. Any suggestions at this point
except what I would like to do to that guy. The 2nd 3rd are great. Do i recall somrthing about a bolt head breaking of.

[trbig]

You need what they call the 2nd gear fix on here. Look it up.. lots of reading on it. It's also in the tech tips.

I realize you said 1st gear, but it happens mainly to 1st and 2nd gear on these bikes. With XJs, it tends to do it to first more than the XS even though the transmissions are all the same. The dogs of one gear slide over when you shift into gear to catch the slots on another. There isn't a lot of overlap or catch between the gears when stock and eventually the gears get rounded. What eventually happens is the gears will round enough until under pressure, the rounded edges push the two gears apart for a split second, then they push back together and try to grab the next land. This will get worse and worse when it starts and will resemble sitting on a .50 cal machine gun.

What the fix involves is to pull the gears out and grind them with a dremmel at a back angle to where under pressure, it actually pulls the gears tighter together. Depending on where you live there may be some folks around you that have done it and will help for a steak and beer...

Some folks flip the bike upside down, but many say it's not necessary. Some pull the motor and split the cases to do it. Either way, you can start off in 2nd for a while, but if 1st gear went, 2nd will probably go too.


Tod

[Ivan]

Yeah, tell us where you are. I hope you're close cause I could really use a steak and a beer, or eight.

[CatatonicBug]

Assuming it's the standard issue, the XJ usually shows this problem with 1st gear, and the XS's with 2nd gear(No one seems to know why there is a difference, since it's the same tranny). However, it can happen in any gear (BTDT). Get a tube of Permatex, a good Dremel bit (an air die grinder helps too for some gears), and some fresh oil. The whole thing can be done by one inexperienced person in one day. An experienced person can do it in under 4-6 hours.

[TomRodgers]

Hmmmm...

This will get worse and worse when it starts and will resemble sitting on a .50 cal machine gun.

... I do not want to know how YOU know what it is like to sit on a 50 cal....

Ivan Yeah, tell us where you are. I hope you're close cause I could really use a steak and a beer, or eight.

...... I live 55 miles east of Chicago. I could supply a keg if needed !! (since i have 2 bikes and a total of 4 transmissions!!!)

[Kampe3355]

So how about if I take the good first gear out of the old one and put it in the
one with the bad first gear??:

[DGXSER]

It could work for a while...may work for a long time depending on your riding habbits. If it were mine, I'd do the dremel work over the winter and have it rock solid for a long time.

[TomRodgers]

It could work for a while...may work for a long time depending on your riding habbits. If it were mine, I'd do the dremel work over the winter and have it rock solid for a long time.

I concur. If you are going to take the time to pull it apart to "swap" them, from what i hear, take the 30 mins and do the repair you KNOW you will have to do later. half or better of the time ( i guess???) is getting the thing tore apart and back together. i hate having to do things twice.... JMHO....

[Kampe3355]

I want to THANK all of you for your help. I'll do the repair.

[Kampe3355]

I forgot to tell you I live in Puyallyp, Wa.

[trbig]

LOL.. I grew up in Graham. Every now and then I hear Puyallyp in the news. Pretty funny some of the pronunciations you get on that.. lol.


What you were talking of doing.. just swapping out first... would also require swapping out 4th. The dogs of 4th go into the lands of 1st to operate it. It also slides the other way to operate 3rd. Same type of thing with 2nd gear. 5th gear dogs slide over to the slots in 2nd to operate it.

So it isn't just a matter of getting one gear fixed. To fix 1st, you'll have to grind on 1st AND 4th.. and to fix 2nd, you'll need to grind on it and 5th gear. Cat-Bug is the only person I've heard of having a problem with 3rd.. but I've always done the dogs on that side of 4th and 3rd gear also while I was in there.

Now.. if you're made of money, you can still get those gears new, and they have been back-cut already from the factory since this was a fix a long time ago. This would be the ideal way, but would likely cost more than the bike is worth.


Tod

[bikerphil]

Source for new back-cut tranny gears....

http://www.yamahaaccy.com/parts.aspx

Don't forget about the washer swap mod on 2nd gear while you're in there.

[crazy steve]

I forgot to tell you I live in Puyallyp, Wa.

Uhh, it's PUYALLUP...... and yeah, it get mangled.

'78E original owner

PHS class of '68

[trbig]

His was obviously a typo.. and I've been gone 20+ years. Sorry... lol.


Tod