Tranny problems Poll.

[pggg]

Had a thrashed 78' with big unknown milage that would slip out of 2nd under full throttle, but only after changing DOWN into 2nd. No problem when changing UP into 2nd and gassing it. Current 1196 78'/80' bitsa will do the same very rarely, so I tend to only fully gas it in 2nd only after changing UP from 1st. Never had problems with the other 4 gears.

[ccogswel]

Tranny problems

Hello everyone. I'm new at this. I've been reading your forums for a while. And tonight I had to join. I bought a 79 xs1100 last year off ebay with a little over 32,000 miles. Bought it as a parts bike. Got it running this year just to find out second is gone. 1,345 just fine. Man these alot of info here. I just love this site.

Hope I done this right!

[TopCatGr58]

Hey there Chris,

You have done it right, you also have done your profile right! We're glad that you have found this site and info helpful to you! Please read the tranny tech tips, you'll see that although your 2nd gear is gone, you could easily develop problems with 1st fairly soon as well. So...when, if you decide to work on it, and get in there, might as well touch up 1st gear as well as 2nd!
T.C.

[sam98177]

Never had this problem on my 78 XS1100E. I bought her at 32k miles back in 1990 and since then, she now has 58K miles. Not sure if the previous owner did a fix.

Sam

[strom]

OK transmission gurus... heres the problem:
The bike shifts OK.... for a yamaha emitating a BMW. But good enough... EXCEPT from 3rd to 4th I have days I find a neutral there. Probbably once per 30-40 km. Clutchless shifts are better and smooth, but I don't want to play with firegears here...
Also in 3rd and heavy load sometimes the gears slip. I hear a rattling noise, just like the dogs would slip off the slots. What am I looking at here? I suspect a black&decker fix and possibly a shift fork change.
I installed a new 2nd gear and shift fork bout 10.000 miles ago.

Also the middle drive started to whine XSevly. Under load that is. Gonna check the oil, then tear it down. Middle drive bearings went once from the lack of oil. Changed the bearings (all 4) and middle drive oil seal. Did that the same time as the transmission.

Any tranny ideas? Possibly with pics, I dont no read no good.

LP

[John]

Strom

You might want to check the shift drum also. The grooves can wear down also resulting in less travel of the shift forks. If you add up the wear in the drums, forks and the dogs, you'd be suprised at the total amount. I had to replace the drum, and forks and do the B&D fix on mine back in 93. A guy I work with used to race xs11's and he gave me a lot of useful tips, as we;; as spare parts. He also helped to find the broken p/u coil wire problem I had long before this site exisited.

[strom]

Tnx for the reply, John! The bike has bout 77 kkm, it ran fine for the last 15-20kkm, without (much) abuse.
Kinda scared to take it apart now.. I think I'll wait for some cash to roll my way and search the ebay.

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Strom,

It's funny that the problem is between 3rd and 4th!? When I had a few bikes apart for the Dremmel 1st and 2nd fix, I inspected 3rd, and unlike the other gears and dogs/slots that were square cut, 3rd was actually UNDERCUT, so I would think that it would be even less likely to skip or wear down to the point of causing it to skip or slip out of gear?! However 70+k miles is a fair amount of wear, so anythings possible.
T.C.

[strom]

70k+ kilometers... 45k miles.

What do you reccommend.. do I pull the engine or not. Whats more hassle? Working with engine in the bike or yanking the thing?

LP

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Strom,

I'm a big proponent of NOT pulling the engine, just prep it right, and turn it upside down....see tranny tech tip....nice pictures there also. You can remove the countershaft and all necessary gears, shift drum, forks, etc from underneath much easier than going thru pulling the Engine.....
IMHO!

My first Dremmel fix on MY machine was with the engine pulled due to rebuild of top end! But the other 2 XJ's I repaired were just flipped!
T.C.

[noeleo]

Originally posted by Bubba1954
This is the 2nd '79 STD Touring I've owned and while neither has had any transmision problems. I have noticed one small quirk, neither bike likes to be tow taped lightly between gears. Both require firm deliberate shifts to prevent hitting faulse netrals between gears, especially the shift between 3rd and 4th gear. Once in each gear though, I've never exerianced any problems with them jumping out of gear.

It really surprized me that they still chose to use straight-cut gears in these. Most bikes got away from this to quiet down the gear noise on the highway.

Bubba

My 80LG doesn't like toe tapping into 4th gear. Seems to find another neutral. 2400 miles, now. Worn out, huh?

noeleo

[TopCatGr58]

NeoLeo,

That false neutral between 4th and 5th is actual, I've found it myself! SO...your tranny isn't won out, just normal!
T.C.

[DeanR]

What exactly is a false neutral. I had been thinking that all it meant was that you missed the gear when shifting!

[TopCatGr58]

Due to the way the gears slide on the countershaft, and the general slop in the distance required to travel for each gear, there is a place between (in my experience) 4th and 5th gear that when you shift up 4th gear slides out of engagement and 5th gear does not completely engage, and the engine experiences a "false neutral" condition, allowing revving without any resistance. This experience has occurred during less than aggressive style shifting, while trying an aggressive acceleration!
T.C.

[skids]

Well then, shift like you mean it, TC!!! =8-)

Originally posted by TopCatGr58
... "false neutral" condition, allowing revving without any resistance. This experience has occurred during less than aggressive style shifting, while trying an aggressive acceleration!
T.C.