Shifter....

[83VR3711]

Ok, I think there may be something wrong with my shifter. It does not want to change gears when at a stop. It will only shift when moving and that is only sometimes. I do not believe it is the cluch, it appears to be working fine. When I am in neutral and try to shift to 1st, the shifter goes all of the way down but does engage anything:puzzled:. If I shift up to second, sometimes it will go, but not always. It almost feels like the shifter is not connected to something. It will let you push and pull it as far as you want. Sometimes it will not let you back into Neutral once you got into second or above. Does anybody know where I should start to look? I was unable to find anything in the book, though I was able to find a parts break down of it. Please help, this is the last thing keeping me off of the road....

 

Thank you,

 

Clay

 

P.S. rocking the bike does not help.

[GeorgeS]

I guess first thing to do would be pull the aft cover on left side, and inspect all of the linkage Pivot Points. 2 outside, and 2 under the cover. Something might be loose.

 

If thats OK, then pull the cover off the clutch on right side, and check that rotating gismo with 6 pins in it. Folks have had problems with those pins falling out.

Pull up the IPC, ( parts list on line, Yamaha site ) , to see parts breakdown.

 

Squeez knows all about that one.

[83VR3711]

Would I need to drain the motor oil for any of this or better yet, how far can I go into this without draining the oil? The outside pivot points are ok.

[Rocket]

Would I need to drain the motor oil for any of this or better yet, how far can I go into this without draining the oil? The outside pivot points are ok.

 

Just drain oil at the middle gear cover (bottom allen bolt with copper washer), as you will need to pull that cover, to check the inner linkage connections.

[83VR3711]

Thank ya'll for your help. I will hopefully have an update tomorrow on what i find tonight.

[camos]

Before dismantling anything I would first spray some WD40 in the linkage to wash out any crud in there then put some better oil in it. If that doesn't work then consider more intrusive checks.

[Squeeze]

If the Pivot Points are ok, you'll most likely see the "Pins fallen out"-Syndrom.

 

 

Put a 2x4 under rear Wheel, place the Bike on the Side Stand and undo the Clutch Cover. Behind the Clutch Basket to the lower left is this Shiftung Rachet Mechanism. There's a Star shaped double Washer Metal Tabs coming from behind. These Tabs hold the Pins in Place. Most likely these Tabs are bent and the Pins esacped.

 

Yammi made an upgraded Part on the 2003 vmax. It's better to use this instead of the stock VR Part which most likely will fail again. If you're able to find the Pins, you could stick them back in and bend the Tabs back in Place as a temporary Solution. But really only temporary...

[83VR3711]

Ok so I pulled the cover off of the clutch last night, after I pull what I think is the crank case cover by mistake. When i was able to get a closer look at the shifter assembly, I noticed that the "shift lever assembly" was bent into a "n" shape. I thought that was the problem so bent it back into shape while it was installed ( I could not get that thing out of there to save my life). I was sucessful in getting it almost completly flat, but upon completion and reassemblly, the shifter does not move what so ever (with or with out the clutch engaged). Mind you, when I pulled the crank case cover, two gears came out of place. I think I got them back right because the cover did go back on. My question is.....What did I do wrong:think:? Now my problem is worse than before:bang head:

 

PLEASE HELP!!!

Edited August 7, 2009 by 83VR3711

[Venturous Randy]

First of all, let us start with cover names. On the left side as you are sitting on the bike, the big cover in front is the stator cover, which has two gears that will fall out and the shifter linkage goes thru the bottom of it. The smaller cover behind it is the middle gear cover. That is the one you can take loose to be able to see everything better under there and to service your clutch slave cylinder. That is also the one with the bottom bolt having the copper washer to drain the oil in the gear area.

On the right side of the bike, the smaller cover toward the front it for the water pump. The bigger cover behind it is the clutch cover. With the bike on the side stand, you can service the clutch assembly without having to drain your oil. Just make sure when you check your oil level in the sight glass, you are on the center stand.

Now, to see the gear linkage, remove the middle gear cover and you will be able to see the linkage better and how it operates. Just make sure when you are trying to change gears that you rock the rear wheel to allow the gears to engage if necessary.

One other note, if you look on the ends of the shifter shafts, you will see a small arrow. This arrow should point at the gap in the linkage as it slides over the splines of the shaft.

With your descriptions, I am not really sure what you have straightened or bent.

Keep us posted.

RandyA

[83VR3711]

Thank you for the info. Sorry for the confusion. The part that is bent is #30 on page 34 of 118 in the parts catalog. By looking at the picture, the part appears to be straight and not in the shape of a "n".

 

Will the two gears that fell have anything to do with the shifter not moving?

[Squeeze]

A Picture is worth a thousand Words ....

http://www.partshark.com/fiche_image_popup.asp?fveh=4522&section=198913&year=1983&make=YAMAHA&category=motorcycles&dc=5364&name=SHIFT+SHAFT+PEDAL

[83VR3711]

A Picture is worth a thousand Words ....

http://www.partshark.com/fiche_image_popup.asp?fveh=4522&section=198913&year=1983&make=YAMAHA&category=motorcycles&dc=5364&name=SHIFT+SHAFT+PEDAL

 

Thanks you Squeeze. I could not figure out how to get that picture from PDF file to here. I hope that that picture will help better explain it.

 

I do have an update.......I had my wife spin the rear tire for me (cuz I am at work) and she said that the tire moved and then made a click sound. The tire now does not move now. I think that it may have moved into a gear... (I hope it did and it wasn't something else).

 

Here is a little more history for you.....When I bought the bike, #27 on the pic was bent in a "U" shape. I wound up replaceing it. Since then the shifter has always had some slack in it. Being that this is my first motorcycle, is the shifter supposed to be stiff and tight or is it supposed to have some slack?

[Venturous Randy]

Being that this is my first motorcycle, is the shifter supposed to be stiff and tight or is it supposed to have some slack?

 

Actually, most of these old Ventures have a lot more slack than we want. It does sound like you are binding up somewhere on yours.

RandyA

[capn eddie]

Ok so I pulled the cover off of the clutch last night, after I pull what I think is the crank case cover by mistake. When i was able to get a closer look at the shifter assembly, I noticed that the "shift lever assembly" was bent into a "n" shape. I thought that was the problem so bent it back into shape while it was installed ( I could not get that thing out of there to save my life). I was sucessful in getting it almost completly flat, but upon completion and reassemblly, the shifter does not move what so ever (with or with out the clutch engaged). Mind you, when I pulled the crank case cover, two gears came out of place. I think I got them back right because the cover did go back on. My question is.....What did I do wrong:think:? Now my problem is worse than before:bang head:

 

PLEASE HELP!!!

 

I had this problem also and like you said shift rod #30 was bent like yours, what i did was to straighten out that rod then put cover back on and adjust shift lever and that took care of that problem. now it shifts great. you should put your bike on the center stand ,start it and try going thru the gears like i did before you go for a ride. Good luck hope this fixes your problem

Edited August 9, 2009 by cap'n eddie

[GeorgeS]

Good time to replace the " Starter engage Clutch " and install an Upgraded Stator !!!

 

Those two gears are for the starter, but I'm sure you figured that out by now.

[83VR3711]

I had this problem also and like you said shift rod #30 was bent like yours' date=' what i did was to straighten out that rod then put cover back on and adjust shift lever and that took care of that problem. now it shifts great. you should put your bike on the center stand ,start it and try going thru the gears like i did before you go for a ride. Good luck hope this fixes your problem[/quote']

 

 

That is exactly what I did and she works like a champ. I am so happy to finally get to ride her again. I thank ya'll for your help. I could not have done it without ya'll.

 

finally!!!

[Dragonslayer]

Just drain oil at the middle gear cover (bottom allen bolt with copper washer), as you will need to pull that cover, to check the inner linkage connections.

On my bike if I use the right side lean stand I can remove the middle gear cover and the stator cover without draining the oil. But if your bike doesn't have a right side lean stand don't try it without having a bag of cat litter handy.

[camos]

On my bike if I use the right side lean stand I can remove the middle gear cover and the stator cover without draining the oil. But if your bike doesn't have a right side lean stand don't try it without having a bag of cat litter handy.

OK, you have me curious enough to ask about a right side lean stand. I've never heard of that. Is it your invention?

 

Inquiring minds want to know.

[83VR3711]

That indeed is a very good question......