KDXRIDER.NET

Gidday guys,

A couple of questions about how to stop the gear lever from coming loose. I have tried cleaing the lever and shaft then loctiting and tightening. i have also replaced the lever and repeated the process, it seemed to work for a while and now the lever is again working itself loose and has small movement after each ride. I have had a look at the spline on the shaft and there is no obvious wear although the bike has prob got 12k on it, i would imagine that equates to about 40 billion gear changes.

Any tips on how to stop the movement, or is it more likely wear on the spline, if so how does the shaft come out, is it thru the clutch cover or by splitting the cases.

Cheers

Troy

I would put a spot weld on it... easy to grind off in case you need to replace it.

thx inda, bought some heavier loctite and will apply to shaft, a small weld may be next though.

TR

just been for a two day 400k plus ride, applied 609 loctite retaining compound to the shaft and 222 threadlocker to the bolt, worked a treat has not moved, touch wood.

Thx

Troy

Curious...can you define '...small amount of movement'?

It's easy to think, by feel, that the shift lever is loose when it's not. Your situation being not common (without some other failure..say a cracked lever) makes me wonder if it seems to be slipping. One gets a better sense of the lever being loose if one puts a digit on the splined joint and moves the lever. One can feel the two parts moving separately if they are not tight.

Often I've been sure mine is loose based on the feel and by looking at it, too. Mostly, it's not loose.

And overtightening that fastener/assembly is easy to do..with a bad result.

FWIW..not that you asked..but it would be a cold day in hades before I'd put loctite (or any other thread locker) on a splined shaft. Last time some simply wicked onto splines from the nut/thread assembly (kicker) it took me hours to get the knuckle off. No place for a puller. I ended up using a chisel. Granted..that is not a split piece..and being split as the shift lever is would make it easier. Still, it was a major PITA.

Good luck with yours!

btw...609 is the green NON-wicking stuff...right? Made for press fits? I could'a looked it up..but I didn't.

I've had luck with worn splined shifters hacksawing a very little off the gap so the shifter gap won't bottom and it will clamp tight again. also I put a longer bolt in it and nut it on the other side. I never have a loose shifter problem.

I pour RED LOC-TITE on the Spindle & inside the Shifter Hole, where it mounts to the spindle...

YEAH this is a lame answer but i tighten mine b4 EVERY ride.Sometimes it needs it,most times it does not. I ride at least 100 miles per week.I had an 84 mile day,not including the ride back to refuel,a couple of weeks ago.
Aha.I have found the new places that the dope growers grow their pride and joy.well,it is new to me at least.They like to let you know they are there.I can't help but let them know I am there.Reckon they hear that PC pipe and 304 end ripping up the trails 12-14 miles from any type of road?
I told one the other day that if he was that worried,Why The hell grow so close to the trail? He shook my hand.I now look for a sample at the right time. JUST SAY NO. ain't that what you say?
Hopefully that will spread the word that all i am doing is riding.Besides they are trespassing just like I am on the wood companies land.
off topic. sorry.
treelimb

canyncarvr wrote:Curious...can you define '...small amount of movement'?

It's easy to think, by feel, that the shift lever is loose when it's not. Your situation being not common (without some other failure..say a cracked lever) makes me wonder if it seems to be slipping. One gets a better sense of the lever being loose if one puts a digit on the splined joint and moves the lever. One can feel the two parts moving separately if they are not tight.

Often I've been sure mine is loose based on the feel and by looking at it, too. Mostly, it's not loose.

Good info Carvr! I've ridden my new-to-me mount (1984 KDX200) a few times with no complaint about the shifter or shifting, but I put it up on a lift to change the float valve etc. and while at it wiggled the shift lever: dang, it felt like it was ready to fall off! Seemed like I had to pull the chain to get the lever off (lever seems to wrap around the chain a bit), so I'm waiting for a new countershaft seal to arrive before pulling everything apart... but from here on out I'll be much more careful about verifying if it's really loose. I guess the mechanism inside the cases is really loosey-goosey?

Cheers, Cagey

My WR420 (WR400 with 420 big bore kit) had this same problem. I could tighten down the shift lever until it was almost stripped and it would still get loose within a day or two. I ended up replacing the lever with an MSR unit and it worked perfectly since I used locktite on the initial install.

LOCK-TITE (RED)

I had the same problem. The root cause was that while the splines did not look worn, in fact the top and bottom splines of the shaft were worn away by a loose steel shifter, so the shaft was now oval instead of round. I did the saw the gap thing, replace the shifter thing with a pretty MSR aluminum one, and even the red loctite thing. All worked for a while, then got loose again.

Eventually I used JB weld on the splines and loctite on the bolt. It has been great for hundreds of miles, hasn't moved a bit. My only concern is that when I need to remove the shifter, I might have to cut it off.

I agree with CC, if you still have a steel shifter, a spot weld would hold it still and be easy to grind off to remove the shifter.

with something like this;i would'nt waste my time with so called quick/temp fixes - just pull the rightside primary case and replace the shift shaft ($30.00)........its real easy and then its done right (back to new again)......replace your footshifter too. (don't put your clapped out shifter back on a new shift shaft)

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