gear box work

[ard]

Hello everyone, I saw a Suzuki 650L ad on the Boston Craigslist the seller has mentioned gearbox problem, He sent me an email saying he can not find any gear. The price is right any suggestion that what might this be? anyone had any problem such as this that would be fixed reasonably?
ard

[SqDancerLynn1]

IF it is a GL I would suspect a broken secondary gear--Beveled drive gears

[ard]

Gear box

Hi SQDancer, yes it is gl so is it something easy to fix?

ard

[waterman]

Ard,
I have a 650g with the same problem as the one you are looking to buy. Currently, to fix it I am looking for a new engine. To fix this you will have to pull engine and do nearly a complete disassembly. I have never split the cases on a motorcycle to get to the gears, but even if you did, I think finding the necessary parts to fix secondary drive would be difficult task. The secondary bevel gears are a matched set and should be replaced together. From what I have found in the service manual, they also need to be installed and correctly shimmed to mesh together properly. Just for grins and my own curiosity, I may tear it apart to see what part failed.
I am fairly fortunate that I had a parts bike that I could rebuild and make a driver out of.
In my opinion, go find a running bike without major issues like transmission trouble. If you find one, you will still find enough things to fix to keep you busy awhile.

[ard]

I went and looked at the bike, it is in very good shape, 8500miles and looks it the guy bought it and rode for about 100 miles no problem, one morning he went to start the bike, started, as he kicked the shifter down or up could not engage. I went this afternoon, I rolled the bike forward and then I kicked into first, it rolled making click click noise no engagement at any gear, still think is a major problem? or lesser problem?

ard.

[waterman]

Ard,
First, I am not an expert by any stretch, but I would guess that the owner may have bent the shift forks that engage the transmission gears together. This is slightly less a problem in that you can get these parts but it will still require a complete disassembly of engine to get at them. Thus you will need a complete gasket kit and hope that everything comes apart easily.
I don't want to discourage you, but unless you want a great mechanical learning experience with possible heartbreak, I would look for road ready bike. You will pay a little more but will ride instead of wrenching and waiting to ride.

[t3rmin]

It probably won't take a *complete* disassembly of the engine. Pull it out, turn it upside-down, split the cases, and you've got the tranny. I see complete gear sets on eBay all the time. Only gaskets needed would be covers (clutch/stator) and RTV to seal the cases. Actually not as big a job as you might think, *PROVIDED* you have lots of mechanical experience/aptitude and time. But seriously, if you don't want to put a few days of solid work into it, and you're not comfortable with serious engine work, do NOT buy this bike.

[waterman]

Not trying to hijack this thread, but can you split cases without pulling heads and jugs? I am currently, (grease under nails) going about this very task of splitting cases. My dilemma is whether I can do this without pulling flywheel. I don't see anything behind it that will prohibit the cases from coming apart. I am pretty sure the cases can be split without disrupting top end. I just suggested to Ard to buy complete gasket kit since the service manuals show complete disassembly to split cases.

[t3rmin]

Not trying to hijack this thread, but can you split cases without pulling heads and jugs? I am currently, (grease under nails) going about this very task of splitting cases. My dilemma is whether I can do this without pulling flywheel. I don't see anything behind it that will prohibit the cases from coming apart. I am pretty sure the cases can be split without disrupting top end. I just suggested to Ard to buy complete gasket kit since the service manuals show complete disassembly to split cases.

Yep. Just did it with a buddy's GS. Don't forget there are bolts on the top too (under the starter even), and screws on the side (shaft keepers and such, in the clutch area). Flywheel (rotor) doesn't have to come off but clutch does (to get access to stuff behind it). Once you get into it it's pretty obvious what has to come off and what doesn't. Anything that spans the top and bottom case halves has to come off. Something that simply rides in the split, like the crank/rotor, doesn't.

[waterman]

t3rmin, Thats great news. I figured it might be possible, was going to give it a try anyway. It is always reassuring to find a nugget of info that saves money and time. I had been searching past post and hadn't really found much on the 650 cases. I probably ought to take a few pictures as I get it apart. I am still trying to determine which part of my tranny gave out. My guess is that it was the secondary bevel gear that connects to main shaft. Again thanks for the info.

[ard]

no gears

Hi everyone, thank you all for your input. I am sorry I was away for few days, I have not done anything to the bike except bought it! the symptom is such; as you shift; the shifter clicks, as the bike sitting on the center stand, the gear position indicator shows the gear you are in, but the bike does not move, I have few other bikes that I can ride for now, if push come to shove, this will be a fun project. I ordered the workshop manual, and probably need some more input to how to pull the engine of the bike, and split the cases, I don't know what to look for, but I am counting on this forum to bail me out as many times before. meanwhile everyone please feel free to post up your suggestions.

ard

[Suzuki mad]

Im not used to shaft drive's only chain.

The bottom end of the engine is very similar to the chain apart from how the drive is sent to the rear wheel. The engagement of the transmision is the same just between the types. If the bike is changing up and down (which the gear indicator is showing) then it has to be either clutch slip or a broken drive unit.

The Suzuki manuals show very clearly how to do a strip down of them and there's enough people on here who will give support.

Do not be daunted by stripping it down.

Suzuki mad.

[ard]

drive unit

Hi Suzuki Mad, I don't have a manual yet, I just ordered one not here yet, what is the drive unit? I have another friend, he thought it was the clutch slip also, how do I find that out? can you advice? thanks

ard

[Suzuki mad]

Drive unit is my term Sorry. There are two bevel gears that transfer power from the engine shafts to the prop shaft and then back to forward motion in the rear wheel.
One is on the engine end, the other at the rear wheel. There's about 5 pages of how to repair it in the GS1000 manual, incorporated with the shaft drive. Suzuki would not have changed the basic principle between models, just refined the idea.

The idea being is if one has failed, say the engine end the gearbox would engage but no drive would come from the engine or if the rear had failed drive would come down the shaft but stop at the unit so the rear wheel would not go round.

Suzuki mad.

[ard]

gear box

Suzuki mad, thank you for your detail, to find this out do I need to open up the cases? or I could get to them otherwise?

ard