84 xvz12 no second gear

[jamie f]

hi everyone.just picked up an 84 xvz12 with 57k on it,hadn't been onroad since 2010.cleaned and flushed tank,new fuel lines,pump and filter,cleaned carbs.started right up and ran great.changed oil,flushed brake and clutch fluids,flushed coolant,went to take it for a ride.....then things went south.air ride will not function(lights up on accessory position on ignition,but wont respond to buttons,decided to test drive it anyway,and SURPRISE...no second gear.Looks like i'm pulling engine and going through transmission gears.anyone had to do this before?would appreciate any and all advice/pointers/tricks,etc.Also,if i can't get air ride working,wondering how to justify removing and repairing engine/transmission..thanks all for your input...Jamie

[Marcarl]

Air ride should not be a real big problem. If you want to fix 2nd gear then the air ride is a minor issue. For second gear you'll have to pull the engine, turn it upside down, remove the pan (bottom end) and do the repair. You'll need new gaskets and the split washer that hold the shaft in place. The gear itself mostly can be repaired, but if not you'll need to figure that into the equation.

[zagger]

I did the 2nd gear fix back when I first got my 83. I believe that this problem & fix are well documented elsewhere on this site. My 2nd gear wasn't a problem but I wanted to make sure it didn't become one. Good winter project.

zag

 

[Flyinfool]

OR you could do like others, like @cowpuc has done for his last 200K miles, just do not use second gear.

 

The lose of 2nd gear is not something that will cause any additional damage to anything, so it is safe to ignore it. You can at least put it off for a winter project while you watch the SNOW fall.

 

You can often find complete newer transmissions that have the "fix" on ebay to just drop in.

 

Second gear is a issue on most all 83, 84 and early 85 Ventures. It was mid 85 that Yamaha fixed the problem.

 

 

As for the CLASS (Air Ride), it to has a common issue with bad solder joints on the connector to the circuit board. Also the CLASS will only work with the key in ACC, it will not work in RUN, this is by design.

[yamagrl]

I did the second gear repair on Big Red. My first recomendation is to order this video

 

DVD of 1st gen motor & carb rebuild process purchase info. $20.00

 

Here is a preview.

 

Heather

 

[jamie f]

Thanks everyone for the responses.I believe I will pull out the motor this winter and go through transmission repair with the updated parts.Meanwhile,I'll check out that circuit board problem and see if thats what it is.thanks again will update soon.

[DragonRider]

My 83 had he second gear go out at 81,000 miles, I started skipping 2nd and rode it that way till it started getting hard to shift and sometimes getting stuck in 1st or 3rd. I had an 86 motor donated to me so we just swapped the tranny from the 86 into the 83 and its still going strong. You will need a special compression tool or make one to change the split washer on the shaft. Maybe someone has a spare tranny they can sell or donate to you. I did it with a little help from my friends, didn't really want to, but with the write up in the tech section it was easy.

[yamagrl]

This is what I made to compress the spring and change the thrust washer. *Note: The top and bottom are oak and it is put together with 8@ 2 1/2" coarse thread screws on the top and 8 of them holding the bottom on. That thing has a really big spring and I didn't want the press to come apart! The center member has about an inch a quarter hole in it and acts as a guide to keep the shaft in line and to keep it from "blowing out" of side of the press when under pressure. There is a large hole in the top (can't see it in this pic) that will allowed access to the thrust washer when compressed. If you want more pics and plans let me know.

 

I think I still have the Partzilla packing list of all of the seals, etc that I ordered. I think that order was about $290.00 and another was about $100.00 plus a used transmission that I obtained from Venturous Randy. I spent a lot more on tools, engine stand, chain hoist. (There's nobody around my house that could lift the 230 LB engine.)

 

 

 

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