[TonyR]

The engine is out and the rear cover is off.

I got everything ready to put the cover back on and in another thread everyone said "make sure it shifts before putting the cover back on"



So.... You see where this is going right?

I put the shift lever on and it will shift up one and down back into the gear it started from.

I tried lifting the clutch lever.

I tried turning the engine by hand and re-testing.

It has the exact same behavior.

I am not surprised. My KZ does not like to shift unless the engine is running.



I am posting pictures of the gears in case I have something wrong.











This is with it in the up and down shift positions.



UP:





Down:





Thanks again!

Y'all have been great!

 

[NateDawg]

Looks same as mine. I dont see anything from those pics unlike you would find in the manual. Although you might have a problem in the clutch dept but I'm not possitive on that one. Thats something I'm going to be getting into in detail real soon. I'm watching this thread

 

[TonyR]

Looks same as mine. I dont see anything from those pics unlike you would find in the manual. Although you might have a problem in the clutch dept but I'm not possitive on that one. Thats something I'm going to be getting into in detail real soon. I'm watching this thread

I believe it is fine actually. I suspect it is just being a difficult old bike. My KZ was real pissy with me before I rode her much. Now I have about 1200 miles on her in the last 5 months or so and she is MUCH more cooperative.

This CX sat for God only know how long before I got it. I got it to fire up and run but she never did get to idle more than 2-3 minutes if that long. I expect once I have a few miles on her she will be more cooperative as well.



Curious since the engine was out and all do you plan on doing a break in oil change at 500 miles? I am. Not sure about a filter change then but certainly oil.

 

[NateDawg]

Honestly not lookin that far ahead. So much to do! But I probably will do a change early once its all up n going again. Especially because the case had never been cracked before and I didnt take the front off. I always change the filter, its the cheapest part of a change. And as they collect clutch debri and whatnot, eh,,, id just rather have the peace of mind. Lots of filters out there use cardboard in um. Wet cardboard gets crappy. Then gotta wonder if oil pressure lessons over time due to that. I'm a fan of the Puralator brand. No cardboard just metal.

 

[Shep]

Place the engine main drive shaft onto the engine with it's small insert gear in the CORRECT way round.



Put the gear lever on.



Place a rag around the shaft to help with purchase and turn the engine and move the gear lever and see if you can move from neutral and through the gears and back.If you have to,use a pair of Vise grips on the clothed/protected shaft to help turn the engine.You can also use several layers of masking tape around the drive shaft to protect it whilst doing this check.



All the spacers and thrust washers must be in place and the gear change mechanism at the correct height to allow the roller wheels to operate correctly.There are 3 thrust washers in the back of the engine.One either side of the small starter gear(the one on the small removable axle)

And 1 under the left hand side gear selector shaft.If these are not in place they will cause premature wear of components and vague gear changes respectively.





There is no point assembling and engine without checking the gears operate correctly.

 

[TonyR]

Place the engine main drive shaft onto the engine with it's small insert gear in the CORRECT way round.



Put the gear lever on.



Place a rag around the shaft to help with purchase and turn the engine and move the gear lever and see if you can move from neutral and through the gears and back.If you have to,use a pair of Vise grips on the clothed/protected shaft to help turn the engine.You can also use several layers of masking tape around the drive shaft to protect it whilst doing this check.



All the spacers and thrust washers must be in place and the gear change mechanism at the correct height to allow the roller wheels to operate correctly.There are 3 thrust washers in the back of the engine.One either side of the small starter gear(the one on the small removable axle)

And 1 under the left hand side gear selector shaft.If these are not in place they will cause premature wear of components and vague gear changes respectively.





There is no point assembling and engine without checking the gears operate correctly.

Shep,

Could this be accomplished if I had a buddy come over and turn the engine from the front?

Using the 17mm bolt under the 17mm cover that we use to set the engine to tdc for valves and such. If I put a 1/2 inch bar on it with a 17mm socket he could sit in the front and turn the engine while I worked the shifter.



If the goal is to simply have the engine rotating AS I try to shift it I think this would work.

I know a couple of guys who could come over and help with this.



If the goal is to have the transmission rotating as I try to shift it then having a friend come by will not help me any.



Good to know that missing spacers could cause vague shifting and other such behavior.

Thanks again.

 

[Reg in Bristol]

Sounds to me like its probably ok and you're just being cautious Tony

Nothing wrong with that, it can save a lot of greif later.



I had a motor with all that stuff in a box and I was a bit worried

and confused at first when refitting it all.

I put a spanner on the end of drum and kept cranking it clockwise then

anti clock wise untilI could feel all the gears and neutral

they dont like to be shifted statically much so having another pair of hands

to turn the motor as you check you can get the full range will help.

I did it on my own but an assistant is often useful

if only to make the tea

 

[TonyR]

Sounds to me like its probably ok and you're just being cautious Tony

Nothing wrong with that, it can save a lot of greif later.



I had a motor with all that stuff in a box and I was a bit worried

and confused at first when refitting it all.

I put a spanner on the end of drum and kept cranking it clockwise then

anti clock wise untilI could feel all the gears and neutral

they dont like to be shifted statically much so having another pair of hands

to turn the motor as you check you can get the full range will help.

I did it on my own but an assistant is often useful

if only to make the tea

Tea while you work and Beer when your done!

 

[Shep]

As Reg says.No problem using the front crank bolt to turn the engine.I just use the drive shaft because it was there and close and I'm working solo most of the time

 

[rickbert]

Just so you hear it again from someone else who's done it:



If it's together right then YES you should be able to shift through all the gears with the engine still out of the bike....would make sure it does before re-installation. And yes you can do it by yourself by just rotating the drive shaft around with one hand and the other hand on the gear shifter.

 

[TonyR]

Just so you hear it again from someone else who's done it:



If it's together right then YES you should be able to shift through all the gears with the engine still out of the bike....would make sure it does before re-installation. And yes you can do it by yourself by just rotating the drive shaft around with one hand and the other hand on the gear shifter.

Got it.

I have a friend coming over whom I have helped move a couple of times.

He will be happy to help if I stop goading him about heavy furniture!



Should only take about 2 minutes.

 

[Eurovee]

Woah, there`s no need to turn the engine, a buddy isn`t needed, forget about operating the clutch - it`s much simpler than all of that.



Just put the final output shaft on the end of the gearbox layshaft and turn it through half a rotation or so back and forth while operating the gear lever - you`ll be able to go up`n`down through the `box easily enough that way.



Motorcycles have (relatively) crude gearboxes where the `dogs` on one pinnion have to align with the slot in the corresponding pinnion it meshes with - turning the layshaft will do that.

This is what we sometimes do to select gears when the bike is assembled and want to check the gears without using the clutch - rock the rear wheel to and fro, or sometimes shuffle the bike forward/backward while sat on it when trying to persuade a recalcitrant gearbox into neutral...

 

[TonyR]

Good News!

Turning the engine did not help.

Turning the transmission output shaft (I know y'all told me) did!

Thanks for that tip!

it will go through all the gears.

Also on the good news front the Gas tank holds gas and does not appear to leak!



I had never put gas in it so I put acetate in it tonight and sloshed it around a bit.

The petcock works which is also good news to me!

It is starting to feel like there might be hope for this project!