Check your Gear selector linkage

[KC000]

Hi folks

On the way home late in the dark, suddenly without warning I had no gear selector. The lever was still present but not attached to the gear box.

Check the top link - its a ball joint with a threaded shaft that screws into the gear box actuator arm from the inside. There is a foam washer over the threaded part, that expands to fill the gap so if it starts to work loose, you dont see it.

Now I know where to look, you can tell if its on the way out by looking at the hole in the gearbox actuator arm, now its tight the end of the threaded part is flush with the outer faxe of the actuator.

If you compress the foam washer, the threaded part has flats for an open ended spanner (8MM). Suggest you check its tight and stick some lock tight on it.

(If it does fail on you, I found 3rd was a good alround get you home gear)

 

[SickNick]

Thanks for the Warning KC!

I was washing my bike Saturday and noticed some play in the gear change lever.

I investigated and found that the stupid foam washer was locking the adjuster to the wrong side of the linkage and every gear shift was loosening the thread. It was down to the last turn or two and shortly due to part company.

So I tore off the foam washer and tightened-up the silly adjuster properly.

Folks, check your linkages, and tear off that foam washer. It's a trap waiting to catch you out!

 

[owl]

I discovered this the hard way, like KC.

Pulled up in my village & went into the post office - when I came out & went to pull away - no gear change?

Quickly discovered what it was, but our local vicar came walking past, and just had to pass a comment on Triumphs still not being reliable

 

[grnvett]

This must be an epidemic.....Sunday giving her the once over before riding for the first time in 4 months, I noticed EXACTLY the same looseness (?). I removed the whole assembly cleaned it and reassembled using red Loctite, really silly of the factory to not do the same.

jck

 

[Captain Rich]

Glad I checked mine too...the screw had come loose and fallen out at the clamp on the splined shaft into the gearbox. Replaced it and added Loctite.

 

[Bigfoot]

Hey Perfectspeed
I think, if you dont mind putting the picture of your mod. :idea: for all to see Sounds like this could be a problem for us all.
Thanks

 

[FreekyOne]

Hi folks

On the way home late in the dark, suddenly without warning I had no gear selector. The lever was still present but not attached to the gear box.

Check the top link - its a ball joint with a threaded shaft that screws into the gear box actuator arm from the inside. There is a foam washer over the threaded part, that expands to fill the gap so if it starts to work loose, you dont see it.

Now I know where to look, you can tell if its on the way out by looking at the hole in the gearbox actuator arm, now its tight the end of the threaded part is flush with the outer faxe of the actuator.

If you compress the foam washer, the threaded part has flats for an open ended spanner (8MM). Suggest you check its tight and stick some lock tight on it.

(If it does fail on you, I found 3rd was a good alround get you home gear)

KC, send me Your e-mail address and i will be happy to e-mail a picture of the mod to the gearlinkage. had the same problems on my Rocket, modified the linkage the way a linkage should be made :idea: (no machining required) and the problem was solved.
hans perfectspeed@icon.co.za

Truely, please do post your fix. You'll be saving us all some major headaches

 

[owl]

I'm going to place perfectspeed's fix as a seperate topic in the 'How To' section.

Please have a look at it - it looks pretty good to me.

 

[TonyMac]

After reading of these gear linkage horror stories and Owls posting of Perfectspeeds excellent "how to improve this piece of crap" article. I got to thinking and searching.

Managed to find LH and RH threaded 6mm female rod end bearings on line. Two pair for $20 plus a few bucks postage. They were delivered lightning fast.

Got them from www.xvb.com kit 279

http://www.vxb.com/Merchant2/merchant.m ... gory_Code=

As RH and LH rod bearings were to be used the existing LH/RH adjusting stud and lock nuts between the bearings could be reused. So there was no need to go to all the effort Perfectspeed went too to make a functional and eye pleasing adjustment stud. 6mm x 25mm stainless bolts, nuts and washers could be used as pins that connect the bearings to the linkages. the dome nut on the lower pin of the original pin could also be reused.

No machining and no special tools were required.

If you have a Rocket buddy nearby you could split the cost of the rod bearings, a couple of bucks for the 6mm SS bolts and washers. So that would be $15 to have peace of mind that your gear shift isn't going to quit on you in the middle of nowhere.

I am not computer savvy enough to post pics of my version of the upgrade. I could email them to anyone interested if they PM me.

Hope this helps

 

[owl]

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