Sticking in Gear--Danger?

[mschor]

New development on my 81Special. Has had the 2nd gear slip for a while but I do my best to avoid it. Lately it's been sticking. When I downshift coming to a stop, it usually will not go down to 1st without sticking in a "neutral zone"--some place with and/or without a neutral light that feels like neutral; shift lever will not go down from there. Most of the time I can upshift into 2nd and then it'll be fine shifting up or down until the next stop light, but tonight the shift lever really got stuck for a minute, couldn't push it up or down. Finally ground it into 2nd, and was fine for the rest of the trip. Wondering if this is a hazard for riding at speed, or if it'll likely stay localized to where it's at. No sign of trouble beyond 2nd.

[skids]

Perhaps a clutch adjustment and a cable play adjustment is needed. Or, the plates are sticking if the new condition has been caused by the bike not being ridden for a while. Hopefully, you haven't been trying to keep force on the shifter to keep it from slipping in second. I have heard that it can bend the shift prowels(?)

[mschor]

Clutch adjustment is good, I don't think the plates are sticking, it would probably do it in all the gears. Plates were sticking when I first got it going, but after I freed them it hasn't shows those kind of signs.

[3Phase]

The shift pawl might be out of adjustment.

If you don't want to drain the oil just to take a look then you have to put the transmission in 2nd gear, lean the bike over to the right and prop it up with something that won't collapse, then pull the shifter foot lever and left side cover to see if the index marks are lined up.

If the marks are aligned, that lever stonkin' return spring is weak, one or more of the shift forks are bent, or the transmission is on its way out of the theater.

[mschor]

Alright that about covers it, I'll check it out, thanks!

[mack]

tranny

Is the bike new to you. 3 phase covered most of it. Some are worse than others to repair. Hope for a bad return spring or misalignment of the shift pawl. They are easy. Bent/ broke shift forks are a different animal. 1 st and 4 th work together and are more difficult to repair and hard to find replacements individually but Andreas will sell you the whole series with the shaft as a used unit.

[donebysunday]

Alright that about covers it, I'll check it out, thanks!

2 and 4 should be addressed, if #4 is not retaining the #2 shift pins/dowels the shift pins could be sticking out too far or even fall out and be at the bottom of the oil pan. Second pic shows the alignment of the two dimples on the shift pawl and the bent #4 allowing the alignment dowels/pins #2 too back out of the correct engagement. Lucky on this one 4 could be bent back and has been fine for many hundreds of miles since the second gear fix.

[motoman]

Shift pawl alignment marks only align correctly to be checked when in second gear ONLY, as 3Phase stated. If a pin came out of the shift mechanism, star retainer IS BROKE, period. If that were the case, wouldn't be able to change gears AT ALL..period! Any pawl alignment needed when in second gear is done at shifter mechanisim in order to re-align marks. Also, if shifter is loose up and down when in any gear, the spring on shifter assembly has come loose on one end which holds the tension on spring for shifter itself.....or it is broke. So, there you are......you have those three possibilities causing the shifting issue.

[motoman]

Also, donebysunday.....no offense, but if your gonna offer incorrect help, least wait till Sunday.

[motoman]

BTW mschor, if one of those little ears on the star washer that holds those little pins in is bent outward, and by some miracle the pin is still in there, straightening the bent ear back will NOT work, it WILL just break off. New ones are NO LONGER available from Yammy dealer. You'd have to possibly get one from a member here who may have an extra to spare.

[mschor]

Just pulled side cover; 2 washer tabs are bent outward, pins are there, indes lines a couple millimeters off. Not sure I understand exactly the chain of events that caused this. What's behind the pins that causes them to push outward and effectively break the star washer tabs?
Pics
https://www.dropbox.com/s/isqrzvy6lz...84929.jpg?dl=0

[mschor]

Everything is aligned now (one side had come outward when I pulled the shift lever off).
Now what happens if I take those 2 pins out and leave the bent washer there? Will things continue to disintegrate?

https://www.dropbox.com/s/6d43tpbgpv...91115.jpg?dl=0

[bikerphil]

There is more stress on those pins when that bad 2nd gear skips. It kicks back and forces the shift drum backwards and if your foot happens to be on the lever the pins take that force. You won't have these issues after doing the transmission repair. Ride it gingerly until then. I have never heard of a transmission locking up, but it will find a false neutral.

[mschor]

Ok, so probably wise to take the pins out so they don't get lost safe to say?

[DiverRay]

It will not shift without the pins... As long as part of the pin is covered by the washer, you should be OK. Look at the photo above. You can see that the washer does NOT fully cover the pins, but they are still there.