Shifter pedal stuck in neutral after top end rebuild

[Guest]

Hey folks, I've done a lot of searching (on this forum and others) and haven't really come up with any significant answer, hopefully my very own post will find it. I recently did a top end rebuild on a 1980 GS850G (first time doing anything like this, it wasn't without many problems, but hey, I learned a TON!) Much of which I have y'all to thank for the help! Thanks!

Anyway, back to my newest issue, finally got everything back together and the bike started! Awesome! Let it warm up, cool off and warm up again, then hopped on ready to get my first ride of the new year (around the block) when I found I couldn't shift the bike up or down out of neutral. And not just like it won't quite engage into gear, the shifter doesn't move a bit. I didn't really mess with anything near this except for replacing gaskets on the cover on either side. It feels as if some gears are locked incorrectly and not willing to sync up. I've given it as much force as I feel comfortable giving it before I'm afraid something will surely break.

Thanks in advance for the help and thanks again for the help so far!

[gsrick]

Did it shift before you removed the covers? If it did, I'd pull the cover again and see if it will shift without it. Is it possible that the shift shaft pushed through and turned, disengaging the shift mechanism from the shift cam gear?

http://www.partsoutlaw.com/oemparts/a/suz/50d40161f8700230d8b4e49a/transmission

[gsrick]

If you go to PDF page 100(manual page 7-47) there is an image of the shift mechanism and how it should look. Figure 7-175

http://zeus.mtsac.edu/~cliff/storage/gs/GS850_Manual_HiRes.pdf

If it pushed through it may have rotated, it will not be centered with the cam gear, which will keep it from moving the shift drum.

[geol]

When you rebuilt the top end and removed the cover over the shifter, the shift shaft probably pulled to the left side of the bike. If it does, it will pull out of the shift pawls under the right side clutch cover. If you take that cover off, you can see down and to the left of the clutch basket the shift pawls. All you need to do is engage them again over the shift drum mechanism I think. Had this happen to me when I took off the engine covers for cleaning on my last GS1000.

[bellirex]

Thanks for the ideas! Its sounds like that is very likely the issue. I have been out of town so I haven't been able to look at the bike recently. I'll try to do what I think I'm following, but I might be back for some clarification (as I said, first time getting this intimate with an engine!) Thanks!

[bellirex]

Well, I found what you were describing geol, got it to click back in and then put everything back together. Bike started up and shifted into down into first!! But then not up into second, tried rolling it around a little bit with no luck...I assume I need to drain the oil and give it another shot, maybe I didn't get the teeth in quite the right spot??

[cowboyup3371]

That is possible but did you also adjust the clutch lever yet?

[bellirex]

I was having some minor issues with that. No matter where I set the cable on the pinion it seemed to revert back to what seemed like 1 of 2 spots, too loose or too tight. After enough tinkering I decided bike time was over for the evening and came inside.

[bellirex]

I drained the oil and pulled the cover again and still can't get the bike to shift anywhere but 1st and neutral. The shift pawls seem to be in the right place, as well as the spring holding it. Any other ideas that could be causing this?