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How To: Transmission Work & Diagnosis, Basic Breakdown

Posted: Sat May 17, 2008 11:47 am
by ragedigital
Transmission work by Yammyha

This is a way to save yourself some money for when your FZR neglects to shift, misses shifts or slips out of gear periodically. This is where trial and error took me. So I took notes and documented it for you all to use.

PAY ATTENTION: Cross reference these factors and see if they apply to your bike...

Symptons: The bike would not shift in to or get in to second gear. Only went into 1st and Netral Sounds, Noise, Etc...

The bike may not always present a noice. In this case, the "clunk" or grinding shift was not present. There was simply no second gear at all....

Possible Culprits: Shift shaft, Shifter Forks, Or a destroyed 2nd gear. According to Mark, the tranny gears may not display any damage at all. Its the shifting units that get the damage.

How mush did it cost to fix and where from?

Bike Bandit (http://www.bikebandit.com) prices are:
shift fork shafts are around $12
shift forks are around $35
shift cam or drum is about $100
the shift shaft is about $47

Many problems can be directly related to the previous statement. It is always best to start with the easiest solution first such as:

Clutch cable
Improper oil level
A lead foot and so on

If that does not work- Here is where the fun begins...

The processes of removing/replacing shift forks, shift fork rods, shifter shaft and shift drum within the transmission case can be completed with the motor in the frame. With a small portion of patience and precision total time from start to finish can be accomplished in about two hours.

Tools (most common to use)
1.#5 allen wrench
2.10mm socket and wrench with an extension
3.12mm or 13mm deep socket
4.Allen wrenches to remove body work
5.Two fingers of The Glenlivet

Steps:

1.Remove the tail fairings and side panels as well as the tank cover.
2.Remove the exhaust from the headers down.
3.Remove or move out of the way from the carburetors the fuel tank.
4.Drain the carburetors from the float bowl drain screw.
5.Drain the oil. There will still be residual oil in the case that may cause a big sloppy mess.
6.Remove the clamping bolt securing the shift linkage pivot boss to the shift shaft and let it hang free. (the part where you shift with your foot)
7.Remove the clutch cover. When that is off, unscrew the 5 pressure plate screws that secure the clutch. Make a mark on the top of each friction plate so you can put them back in the right order. (see illustration below)

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Once removed you will see this

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8.Pull out the shift shaft and inspect it for straightness or other damage and you will see the shift drum and the corresponding “gears”
9.NOTE: Shift fork shaft “A” should be metal and “A” and “B” will have a tab that you will need to remove to get the shaft out.

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10.This step you will need to lay the bike down on the left side (riders left) I would suggest a soft pad near where the stator cover will sit so you don’t scratch anything. This part is hard to look at but easier then taking the motor out. I did it both ways.
11.Now you see the bottom of the oil pan,

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12.Remove the fourteen allen screws and take the pan off. The screws are all the same so don’t worry about the order of them.
13.This next picture you can see all of the internals after you remove the oil pan. There are three shift forks: right, left and center. These forks will move along the shift fork shaft when you manually shift gears and line up the gears of the transmission. Remember where they go for an easier time to put it back together.

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14.Remove the tabs that secure “A” and “B” in the clutch area and then remove the both shift fork shafts. They are different so make a note.

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15.Now move the shift forks out away from the shift drum in order for the drum to be removed and move the stopper lever away from the star shaped gear on the shift drum.

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16.slide the shift drum out of the engine case. Remember what Gear it was in for the reinstall. Check for strange or uneven wear, if present replace. Now you can see the shift forks.

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17.Pull the shift forks out and remember where they go. They should only go in one way but just to make sure. Inspect and replace if bent or broken. While this is all out inspect the internal gears and the shift dogs (see illustration)

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18.here is everything that you should have out. Any one of these could be bent or broken to where we can barely notice, but the bike will notice, so if anything just doesn't look right, replace it or it can cause more damage down the road.

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to reinstall put the shift forks in first and follow the above in reverse.

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Again this can be done with the motor in the bike and I would think most average mechanically inclined people could handle this quite easy. I hope this makes sense, its getting late Good luck.

Permission granted to FZROnline.com by yammyha to post this thread in its entirety.

Re: How To: Transmission Work & Diagnosis, Basic Breakdown

Posted: Mon May 19, 2008 10:57 am
by rockthis
Great! I've been down a second gear since I purchased my bike. Thought it was an easy fix, and purchased the drum,dogs, and everything off of ebay. Flipped to my manual and it tells me i hafta basicly break down WAY more then i wanted. I still have not completed everything yet.

But with your article i should have second back in no time!

Thanks a bunch for great pictures and tutorial.

Re: How To: Transmission Work & Diagnosis, Basic Breakdown

Posted: Mon Oct 04, 2010 8:49 pm
by smokinbunta
what if second is just really rough sometimes and that it doesnt click into it sometimes? is it symptoms to total second gear failure?

Re: How To: Transmission Work & Diagnosis, Basic Breakdown

Posted: Mon Oct 04, 2010 9:35 pm
by ragedigital
smokinbunta wrote:what if second is just really rough sometimes and that it doesnt click into it sometimes? is it symptoms to total second gear failure?
2nd gear is a nightmare on most all FZR600s. I used to double clutch pump into second. The Factory Pro shift kit helps somewhat. It is a stronger spring and help click it into 2nd more securely.

Another thing you can do is make sure that the shifter lever is close to your boot.

Re: How To: Transmission Work & Diagnosis, Basic Breakdown

Posted: Fri Oct 08, 2010 4:50 pm
by smokinbunta
ragedigital wrote:
smokinbunta wrote:what if second is just really rough sometimes and that it doesnt click into it sometimes? is it symptoms to total second gear failure?
2nd gear is a nightmare on most all FZR600s. I used to double clutch pump into second. The Factory Pro shift kit helps somewhat. It is a stronger spring and help click it into 2nd more securely.

Another thing you can do is make sure that the shifter lever is close to your boot.
meaning having it adjusted to where its at the right height??

Re: How To: Transmission Work & Diagnosis, Basic Breakdown

Posted: Fri Oct 08, 2010 5:16 pm
by ragedigital
smokinbunta wrote:meaning having it adjusted to where its at the right height??
Exactly.

Re: How To: Transmission Work & Diagnosis, Basic Breakdown

Posted: Wed Nov 03, 2010 8:00 pm
by lennyz600
every once and a while my bike will do something funky, and what i mean by that is if im either in 5th or 6th (i know its one of the top gears) everyonce and a great while the bike will act like its in neurtal for a sec or two then pop back into gear, but only in the top two gears. sometimes it has alittle trouble going into second, but not all the time. i had the bike all apart and i should have just replaced the forks and the drum, but i was too worried about finding piston rings and other top end parts, luckally with this how to i can do it without taking the motor out again.

great right up by the way!

Re: How To: Transmission Work & Diagnosis, Basic Breakdown

Posted: Wed Nov 03, 2010 8:25 pm
by thatkid
Lenny if you haven already, grease the gear shift lever pivot on the foot peg. Mine was difficult shifting especially between 1st & 2nd (i nearly always hit neutral) The grease solved my problem, and it's an easy task.

Hope that helps
Mal.

Re: How To: Transmission Work & Diagnosis, Basic Breakdown

Posted: Wed Nov 03, 2010 8:53 pm
by ragedigital
You may also want to upgrade to the stronger Factory Pro Shift Kit: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/98-99-Ya ... 1132wt_939

They used to sell just the heavier duty spring for $40, but it looks like you also get the detent arm.

Re: How To: Transmission Work & Diagnosis, Basic Breakdown

Posted: Wed Nov 03, 2010 9:35 pm
by lennyz600
thanks for the input!
i will throw some grease at the pivot and give that a try.
and i was looking at the shift kit, it caught my eye. my bike is going up for the winter any day now, i haven't rode it in a week or two because of the temp and the lack of time. there was alot of stuff i wanted to do when i had the bike apart, but funds at the time were running low and riding season was coming , but thats why we have winter! haha!

i know this may be slightly off topic but one of my big questions i have that i haven't found a good answer to is what do you do about clutch basket wear? mine shows some, i bought another one with slightly less and i was gonna try having a machinist try cleaning up the wear to see what happens.. any input?

Re: How To: Transmission Work & Diagnosis, Basic Breakdown

Posted: Thu Nov 04, 2010 7:43 am
by ragedigital
lennyz600 wrote:i know this may be slightly off topic but one of my big questions i have that i haven't found a good answer to is what do you do about clutch basket wear? mine shows some, i bought another one with slightly less and i was gonna try having a machinist try cleaning up the wear to see what happens.. any input?
Go ahead and start a new thread and that will attract more attention about the clutch issue.

Re: How To: Transmission Work & Diagnosis, Basic Breakdown

Posted: Fri Nov 05, 2010 5:21 am
by DonTZ125
Clutch basket wear can be dressed somewhat with a fine file; draw the file along the fingers of the basket keeping the edge as square as possible. Bear in mind the basket is aluminum, so keep a brass brush handy because you're going to get a lot of pinning. By smoothing the grooves out of the fingers, you get less plate hang-up and cleaner feathering and release. The downside is of course that the extra clearance leads to greater rattle and wear of the remaining fingers. You're basically extending the life of an expired part; don't expect it to last another 20-odd years.

The hub CAN be dressed in the same manner, but they tend to be a LOT cheaper and a candidate for simple renewal.

Good luck!

Re: How To: Transmission Work & Diagnosis, Basic Breakdown

Posted: Fri Nov 05, 2010 12:09 pm
by 89FIZZER
One thing to keep in mind on attempting to mend a clutch basket, is that they are usually lined on the outside with a heavier alloy and lighter aluminum on the inside. If you try and clean up too much you will be into that soft aluminum and make the basket worse.

I had a grooved clutch basket on a 87 CR125 I was racing and tried to correct basket issues in the manner mentioned only to find that it got progressively worse. If time is more important to you than money replace the entire basket, as it will save you time in the long run.

Thanks
Scott

Re: How To: Transmission Work & Diagnosis, Basic Breakdown

Posted: Fri Nov 05, 2010 12:17 pm
by yamaha_george
89FIZZER wrote:One thing to keep in mind on attempting to mend a clutch basket, is that they are usually lined on the outside with a heavier alloy and lighter aluminum on the inside. If you try and clean up too much you will be into that soft aluminum and make the basket worse.

I had a grooved clutch basket on a 87 CR125 I was racing and tried to correct basket issues in the manner mentioned only to find that it got progressively worse. If time is more important to you than money replace the entire basket, as it will save you time in the long run.

Thanks
Scott
Yamaha kept it simple one alloy thro out

And for those of you who are not engineers "pinning" is where the file fills up with alloy and needs cleaning, a brass brush is fine if you like hard work, use kids chalk or baby powder on it before working on alloy. The alloy will not stick in the teeth so hard .

Re: How To: Transmission Work & Diagnosis, Basic Breakdown

Posted: Mon Dec 06, 2010 9:01 pm
by fazersteve210
my bike keeps missing 2nd and 5th. not all the time, just sometimes... wtf? i dont know what it is....