Shift Cam Issue - Post Rebuild

Fingerscrossed

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Hi all, I’ve recently done the whole lot on the XS - custom wiring, bushings, bearings, electronics and an engine rebuild.

The engine was shifting fine when I had it on the bench but now I’m having an issue with the shift cam. It’s probably easiest to see in the video, but there’s sometimes a funny clunk when I turn the shift cam and the tension spring doesn’t come back. Sometimes it will shift through all gears no problem but other times (like in the video) I need to go back and forth to get it to shift properly… any ideas? I rebuilt the transmission with a rebuilt crank and all the same gears which worked fine before

Video
 
I'd put the rest of the shift linkage in it and try it.
Yeah I have that on now, it's not very happy. It sometimes gets through all the gears no problem and sometimes gets stuck in-between each gear and needs to go back and forth a few times. When it gets stuck it makes a 'thunk' not a 'click' but I can't figure out what it would be hitting. Shifting harder seems to make it work better, but I have no idea... i am stuck
 
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You said you were spinning the wheel in the video. I could see the countershaft spinning also... just from internal friction between engagements. If they're spinning the same rpm (or close to), the dogs aren't going to engage consistently. Wrap a belt or something around the countershaft to slow it's rotation... add some drag and try it again. I'd lay odds you'll find it shifts smoothly and consistently.
 
hmm nope, added friction to the countershaft but still getting stuck in between gears... is there a wrong way to install the fork guide bar? The plate with the two bolts is clicked in to it. I'm trying to think of anything that may be fixed without splitting the cases again, I'd try ride it before that though
 
G/day Fingerscrossed
2Many did some experiments on smoother shifting some time ago but i cant find it now. On the tranny he worked on he found some gauling on the keeper plate that keeps the shifter drum in position and it hinderd the smooth rotation of the drum. I'm not saying its that but just something else to check on.
 
G/day Fingerscrossed
2Many did some experiments on smoother shifting some time ago but i cant find it now. On the tranny he worked on he found some gauling on the keeper plate that keeps the shifter drum in position and it hinderd the smooth rotation of the drum. I'm not saying its that but just something else to check on.
ok thanks! I'll have a look.

I just took it for a ride and it starts/idles fine but died as soon as I put it into first. Put it up against a wall and got it into first but then wouldn't idle with the clutch in, just died slowly. Ran it down a hill and got it going in second and then it wouldn't shift back to first, the shifter was completely stiff. Kept trying and got it into first but then it died as soon as I slowed down. The revs went up when I put it into first but I suspect that's an air leak coincidence. I feel like it's probably something to do with the shift forks coming unseated or something like that? I've replaced the neutral switch with very short bolt, but it's smaller than the original neutral switch so I can't see that causing issues. It feels like pulling in the clutch isn't really doing anything - there's new plates and springs. Not sure. Split the cases again? :)
 
Couple of things there, first the clutch is dragging badly and that will make shifting even more difficult. check that the clutch press. plate is moving out nice and parallel to the clutch plates to make best use of the small separation. Make sure the new springs are not binding on the shanks of the clutch screws. Earlier in your post U mentioned that it shifted better with the neutral detent out so have a look at that, namely that the thick fiber washer under the cap nut is in place. Try and eliminate all you can and get it running right before you decide to take it apart again, It might be something small that we've missed. If everything else is sorted then you can concentrate on the shifting. Good luck Mate.
 
Couple of things there, first the clutch is dragging badly and that will make shifting even more difficult. check that the clutch press. plate is moving out nice and parallel to the clutch plates to make best use of the small separation. Make sure the new springs are not binding on the shanks of the clutch screws. Earlier in your post U mentioned that it shifted better with the neutral detent out so have a look at that, namely that the thick fiber washer under the cap nut is in place. Try and eliminate all you can and get it running right before you decide to take it apart again, It might be something small that we've missed. If everything else is sorted then you can concentrate on the shifting. Good luck Mate.
Thank you! The clutch is definitely not disengaging properly - I've attached a video of the plates moving in and out. The clutch is together correctly, holes lined up and with new plates. It has a single pushrod with the ball bearing and a new worm gear. I put the old springs back in to try and relieve some of the tension as the new ones are the longer style but it's still the same, seems like some of the plates don't move at all.

I took it for a few laps - it died in first gear unless I held the throttle, when I gave it some throttle and kicked it into first it went fine. When I released the throttle and pulled in the clutch it kept accelerating (at maybe 5kms an hour or so). I got it up to third, but it got stuck in second - potentially because the clutch isn't disengaging - got it into first, slowed down using the brakes with clutch in and it slowly died. The other weird thing was that on two kicks after that happened there was no compression, just a free kicker, and then compression came back on the third kick and the bike started again.

The grooves in the clutch hub don't seem bad enough to stop the clutch disengaging, and the nut is torqued correctly. I adjusted it like you should (out 11/8 turn from where I felt the pushrod engage) and got the lever pretty stiff but it still wouldn't completely disengage. Any ideas?

 
I have found the method described in the Clymer manual for adjusting the clutch very approximate. It looks to me as if you are close to having enough travel on the clutch. The plates don't separate by much.
Just a thought have you checked that you have the right number of ball bearings in the push rod train.
 
I have found the method described in the Clymer manual for adjusting the clutch very approximate. It looks to me as if you are close to having enough travel on the clutch. The plates don't separate by much.
Just a thought have you checked that you have the right number of ball bearings in the push rod train.
Yeah interesting. Even if I adjust it to it's very tight with no travel it won't disengage. And yes I have the single pushrod, so one ball bearing in the worm gear and one at the other end.
 
I remembered that I changed the clutch perch to this one a while ago. Maybe it has a shorter travel than the stock one but tomorrow I'll change it back to stock, double check the worm gear and see how it goes.
 
G/day Mate
Bit of a Bugger this one. The Clutch you posted looks pretty normal to me. To get more separation you could drill another hole in the arm of the clutch actuator at say 37mm from the center, or modify the old one if u dont want to mess with the new one, but beware the pull will be a bit heavier.
I would go through the steel plates with great care to make sure none are slightly bent.
These clutches can be absolute bastards. Why i say that. I just restored a TX 750 [same clutch as the XS} the clutch was virtualy new and it was a pig, took it apart and put it back and it was fine. I like to set them up like the old British bike clutches by running a DTI {clock gauge} on the outside of the press. plate to get it to run true. If its out i swap the springs around to get the best position. Some people even make a bigger "Mushroom" from an old inlet valve to get the Press. plate to run true. Good and parallel separation is the key.
The no compression sounds like the clutch was hung up for some reason, maybe because all the slack is adjusted out and the Handel bars were turned, that would pull in the clutch, but i'm just guessing here. I wouldnt worry about it too much if I were You. Good Luck
 
Thanks!! Something is definitely off. It feels clutch-related, but I've pulled apart, cleaned and adjusted everything and still get it close to idling in first with the clutch pulled in. I can rev it and ride it in first but it's hard to change gears and it'll die if I stop.

I think I'm going leave the top end on and split the cases on the weekend because I don't know what else to do. The only other thing I changed was the shifter arm as the splines were worn, but it's new and I can't see how that would affect the clutch disengaging...
 
When you changed the shifter arm, did you center the mechanism as per the manual. the spring is on an exentric screw to get the claws equal distance from the pins in its returned position. I think its 3mm each way. there's a write up in the tech section. I would try and get the clutch to separate more before going and taking the engine out. There's a very active XS650 Club in Australia maybe get a member local to you to have a look first. Good luck
 
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