Gear shifter loose

[jmart94]

So i got a problem with the gear shifter, i was shifting down and instead of staying put it actually just slid on over the grooves on the clutch bar and just kept going down toward the ground. One thing i noticed, i bought a gear shifter from mikes and the bolt that goes through it doesnt tighten the gear shifter to the rod at all, it simply just goes through a non threaded hole on the other end, is that normal, is it supposed to tighten? Is there a way to tighten it myself if so, perhaps put a bolt through and use a nut to tighten it.

I also have another problem, i just got this 81 special and ive run it and never had an oil leak, well i decided to change the oil and it was really thick and dirty. I went with a 20-50 mobil and the viscosity was much thinner than the old junk that was in there. The next ride i had oil coming from many places. Is there a problem with my selection of oil, or did i just expose the fact that i need to rebuild the engine and replace all those gaskets. Or, and please dont smite me for asking, but is there a possibility to use a thicker oil, or thickening agent, so that i can make it through this riding season and then change out the gaskets this winter?

thanks

 

[payaso13]

I put my bolt in from bottom and snapped bolt...used old bolt from old shifter and came in from top....tight and no problems

 

[payaso13]

I've been using this oil with good results

 

[5twins]

The shift lever must be clamped tight to the shaft. If you got a lever that isn't threaded on one side, you got a bum part, one that slipped through the "quality control" process. But that's not surprising in the least since it came from Mikes.

 

[gggGary]

I hate to suggest this but.....

View attachment 43232

Unthread the bolt, put it in from the top, tighten it, see how that works.

Hope you haven't trashed the splines on the shift shaft yet.

If you can't get it tight show us a shot of the shaft without the lever on it.

PM 5twins: you're slipping

 

[fredintoon]

i bought a gear shifter from mikes and the bolt that goes through it doesnt tighten the gear shifter to the rod at all, it simply just goes through a non threaded hole on the other end, is that normal, is it supposed to tighten? - - -
I went with a 20-50 mobil and the viscosity was much thinner than the old junk that was in there. The next ride i had oil coming from many places. - - -

>
Hi jmart,
the shifter should have a clearance hole at the top and a threaded hole at the bottom.
Like you say, put a longer bolt through with a nut on it to tighten the pedal onto the shifter shaft.
But what if the splines on the shifter shaft are too worn for the pedal to grip on it?
What you can do as you plan the winter rebuild is tighten the pedal up as best you can at the angle that suits you then drill 1/8" diameter into the pedal and the shaft where the slot is and drive a 1/8" diameter rollpin in there.
About the oil leakage, 20W50 4-stroke motorcycle oil is what should be in there, nor should you dope it up with a thickening agent.
You never owned a Britbike, eh? Never had to routinely carry a quart of oil in your saddlebag?
Keep checking the dipstick, ride the thing until the snow flies and fix it then.

 

[jmart94]

yea thanks for the comments...i kinda feel like a dunce for not thinking of just putting the bolt through the top, but i guess i was just thinking it wasnt like that on m original one...but im sure that will do the trick.

As far as just riding out the oil leakage, its kinda a good bit, not something to ride around marking my territory ha. One place i believe it is leaking from is the portion where you adjust the cam chain tensioner but it is not around the acorn nut but the actual plate. Ill look into getting that gasket and replacing it.

anyway, happy riding...the weather is absolutely beautiful here in louisiana...for now

 

[payaso13]

Yeah that's how my original bolt was from the bottom... that's why I broke it cuz it wasn't tightening... so came in from top...good to go

 

[gggGary]

Read up on head stud re-torque.
Pay SPECIAL attention to the 6mm bolt just above the cam chain tensioner. DO NOT go gorilla and crank the snot out of that bolt, you will strip the head casting. It's a bit hard to get at but with the gas tank off a 10mm 1/4" socket and 1/4" extensions will get it.

read these threads on retorque.

http://www.xs650.com/forum/showthread.php?t=611

http://www.xs650.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14993


Other possible leak places are the rocker covers, the oil feed pipe, and the cam shaft end seals. None are that hard to fix. Clean everything ruin the engine a bit blow a bit of talc (foot powder is fine) to help see see where the oil is coming from. oil leaks can be VERY sneaky and where you see the oil is often NOT where it's coming from.
The oil feed pipe is not a common leaker and those two big nuts at the base ARE tricky to snug up without doing damage. Please report back on how this goes?

 

[gggGary]

I'll add that a "REAL" shifter bolt is hardened (like a grade 5 or 8) and will take to strong (but not gorrilla) tightening, the mikes bolt? Maybe not so much.

Here's a bolt marking chart showing both SAE and metric markings.
http://www.k-tbolt.com/bolt_chart.html

The factory bolt is a special chromed bolt and is strong even if not marked.

 

[rezsst]

I had to grind material off my shifter to get it tight. Done this many times over the years. Sometimes drill the threads out for a long bolt a nut , grade 5 will bend before it breaks. Now when I remove it I have to pry it open to get it off. Nothing more aggravating then a lose shifter. Worse case you can tack it with a welder, then just grind it off when you need to. I even see visecrips being used and that sucks

 

[XSLeo]

That old sludge that was in there wouldn't leak through a kitchen sieve.
There are many places that can leak. The most probable are the clutch push rod and main shaft, behind the drive sprocket.
The push rod seal is not hard to change, Mike's has a good how to.
The main shaft leak is often the sprocket nut loose.
Leo

 

[fredintoon]

As far as just riding out the oil leakage, its kinda a good bit, not something to ride around marking my territory ha. One place i believe it is leaking from is the portion where you adjust the cam chain tensioner but it is not around the acorn nut but the actual plate. Ill look into getting that gasket and replacing it.
anyway, happy riding...the weather is absolutely beautiful here in louisiana...for now

Hi jmart,
as a former KSS Velocette owner I'm conditioned to think that less oil loss than a pint every gas tank fill-up is no real problem.
Doubtless you have higher standards.
You say the bike was oil tight before the oil change but leaked afterwards.
Double check everything that you loosened, tightened or messed with during that oil change.
When you are looking for where the oil is leaking from, don't neglect the obvious.
Besides checking the usual suspects posted here, check major parts for loose fasteners.
Mr. Stupid parked the Heritage for years because it'd developed a Velocette-level oil leak that I couldn't find.
My son shamed me into looking again, he found the engine breather casting had a 1/4" gap between itself & the head and only 3 bolts instead of 4.
All fixed & oil tight now.

 

[jmart94]

well i figured out where my oil leak is, and it isnt good...

there is a crack under the fin under the spark plug. What are my options here guys...

all suggestions welcome

thanks

 

[gggGary]

Uh that crack is your head gasket. Haven't done much bike work? See head stud re torque. Do it NOW, There is a VERY good chance your leak will disappear.

 

[jmart94]

I didn't mean the gasket haha sorry I should have pointed it out, the crack is the next teir up, it's small and just looks like a rust line from this picture but I could watch oil come out of it at a steady pace.

 

[gggGary]

OK my bad I see what you mean now. That's a new one on me. I'll have to look at a head but a guess would be an adjuster nut fell off a rocker and the cam tried to push it through the head. No it looks like it's in the combustion chamber it's below the plug so I'm not sure where the oil is coming from..... If so that head is FUBAR. I guess no matter the cause the head is FUBAR anyways.

 

[gggGary]

Is that 12mm head bolt under the plug tight? I just can't figure how oil is getting to that crack yet.

 

[jmart94]

ill check on that tomorrow gggGary and report back...

 

[motorbikerx]

Im chasing massive oil leaks too so this is handy thread