82 550 Seca won't shift

Hi, last week I had just started my morning ride to work (still in first I believe), I accelerated, there was a pop, the bike came out of gear? died, and I rolled to the side of the road. I was able to put the bike in neutral and restart it, but it can't go into any gear. When I try to put it in first, it indicates that it is not in neutral, but it is not engaged, the bike is not in gear. I can not shift into second or higher gears. Does anyone know what the problem is and how I would go about fixing it? Thanks in advance.

 

Lets hope nothing broke & it's just the bit of plastic in the selector forks, fingers xed.

 

Ok, how would I go about checking if something is broken or not?

 

The primary chain guide doesn't break up in the 550s like it does in the bigger bikes. That won't be it.

WHAT DOES HAPPEN though, is a shifter pawl lift or return spring will break, or the screw backs out of the selector drum allowing it to become disengaged from its shaft.

That's the good news (that it probably isn't "internal.")

Unfortunately, on the 550, the entire mechanism that you need to have a look at is located on the right side of the bike, BEHIND the clutch. The shifter shaft crosses over, the mechanism is on the other side.

Look in the fiche: http://www.yamahapartshouse.com/ for your bike, under "SHIFT SHAFT - PEDAL" parts numbered 1 through 7 are actually on the right side of the bike. Suspect springs #3 #5, or #6 could have an end hook broken off.

Also see "SHIFT CAM - FORK" parts numbered 3, 4, 5 and 6 are outside the inner case and also visible behind the clutch. If screw #6 backs out, the hooked segments in the "mousetrap" won't engage and pull on pins 4 and 5 to rotate the segment #3.

More likely the first scenario though, a broken spring. If any of those three break, the shifting mechanism doesn't work correctly. A lot more common than the drum screw backing out.

You will need to pull the clutch assembly to see what happened.

 

Ok great, I can do that. From searching around I found this http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=29541.html. (It's Clutches 101 pt 1) should I just follow this? If so, are those pliers 100% necessary?

 

Good searching. I'll save you some trouble next time: except for the warning about rear brake delamination (which is in "Announcements") all of my how-to's are in "FAQ Suggestions." AND, even though they often apply to the whole series (like valve adjustment) they were all done on one of my 550 Secas.

RE: the pliers: No, they're not; but you do need to hold the hub. It gets torqued pretty tight (use a NEW tab washer.)

Since you're not rebuilding the clutch, it's highly doubtful that you have a couple of old clutch plates laying around to make a tool from. You can make a rudimentary holding tool by screwing or pop-riveting an old friction plate to an old plain plate and attaching some sort of handle.

You can also use a strap wrench, but it has to be able to fit into the clutch basket without buggering anything up, and grab the hub.

Before you pull the clutch apart, put the bike on the sidestand and pop the cover. With it on the sidestand, all the oil will run away and you'll be able to at least PEEK in (with a flashlight and mirrors) and MAYBE see what broke. (You'll only be able to see part of the "mousetrap.") But you'll still need to take the clutch apart to fix it.

Do NOT do the "heavy work" with the bike on the sidestand. With it on the centerstand, you will lose a bit of oil, so have a pan ready. But it must be on the centerstand for loosening and torquing the hub.

If you have any more questions, please ask.

 

Great info Fitz, I also have something to toss into the fire. It's the reason I got my 550 for $30. There is a screw that holds the "segment" onto the end of the drum. the head of it broke on my 550 and it wouldn't shift out of neutral. The indicator light said it was in gear, but no love. The PO thought the trans was hosed and sold it to me. IF you have to pull the cover to check the "mousetrap" as Fitz said, have a looksee at the "segment" as well.

 

Never saw one where the screw actually broke, that's good to know.

 

Ok, so an update on the situation. I completed what I could, but came across an issue. The shift shaft has 2 grooves caused by the drive chain? being loose and striking it. This created bumps that stick up, and may have bent the shaft, resulting in me being unable to remove the shift shaft. This is assuming that the shift shaft comes out easily or at all under normal circumstances. I was able to pull it out a little, and I think the whole mousetrap assembly is intact, but I was unable to look really closely. From what I saw the springs are fine. Any ideas on the shift shaft? Should I replace it? If so, how do I get it out?

 

Did you remove the clutch yet? You can't pull anything out with the clutch in the way.

Why are you trying to remove the shift shaft?

 

Yes, the clutch is off. I tried to remove the shift shaft to try to see if the springs, #3 and #6 in the diagram, were intact, along with the rest of the shift shaft assembly. Is this not necessary?

 

Sorry for the delayed response.

You should be able to inspect springs #3 and #6 without removing the shift shaft; with the clutch off you can see them, as well as tiny spring #5.

You want to be sure that #6 still has both of its "arms" and is actually doing work, and make sure that #3 still has its "hook" that lifts up on arm #2. Plus you want to be sure #5 still has both ends and is attached at both. The most common failure is the lift-hook breaking off of spring #3, although there are also plenty instances of the other springs breaking as well, like #5.

 

I experienced the same symptoms as you on the same year and model.

After poking around behind the clutch basket, I found the shifter fork arm wasn't engaging the shifter drum. Snap in place, fixed. I never checked that screw for tightness, but now I'm going back in to do that.

On a side note, Fitz have you noticed that the clevis of the shifter (foot lever) isn't tapped on the other side? How can this provide any pinching force on the shift shaft? Well, now the shifter is stripped and I'm tapping the other side.

 

The lever is tapped on one side, and "clearance drilled" on the other; that's the side you put the bolt in from. The clamp part is only supposed to be tapped on one side.

 

My god! Big old DUH on that one. Thanks Fitz