I like the tack welding idea - I will have to do that to mine when I pull the primary

 

I have an 01 RK with the same loose shifter shaft. Wasn't sure how to go about getting it fixed. Primary is leaking anyway so i've decided to use your info and do them both at once. Btw rode home 3 miles in first last week(expletive)! Info was invaluable. Gonna cost a little bit though. Any good mechs in Reno, NV?

 

http://betterlever.com/

A friend of mine used one of these and was really pleased.

 

Replace the allen head bolt with a grade 8 hex head bolt. You will be able to tighten it more.

 

I can replace these without removing the inner primary.....the method I use goes against some of the "rules" in the manual but it works and the bikes I have done it on are still running just fine.

If you wanna have a go its at your own risk but I just remove the tranny side cover, then remove the nuts from the gear shafts and slip the transmission side door off using a puller I made.

Pull the top off the tranny and remove the shifter drum and forks, You can then manipulate the countershaft just enought to get the selector shaft out and the new one back in. Replacing the oil seal is a real pain but possible and you need to replace the circlip as it will need to be destroyed to remove it...refitting the new one is also fun...

Heat the inner races of the tranny side door bearings and replace the cover using a drift made from two pieces of pipe and a flat plate.

Put the tranny shifter gear back in and replace all the covers and its done!

It saves at least 4 hours work :-)

 

This has been a known issue for many years on the Evo, and I check mine regularly.

If the splines on the shaft have been damaged, my local dealer has been known to tack weld the lever to the shaft. This seems extreme, but the rationale is that the shaft is ruined anyway, and replacing it means removing the transmission. Might as well weld it and ride until the tranny has to come apart for some other reason.

Even if the lever is tight, there will be a small amount of endplay in the shaft. this is normal. What is not normal is "wobble" between the arm and the shaft.

 

[QUOTE=Mr1986FLST;5999732]I guess I was lucky this time around!...I loosened and then retightened the allen and it took out 90% of the slop....there is still a small amount of play in it but I am hoping it will last until next time I pull the primary and I'll replace it then....

I did the same but sleeved the shifter shaft with ally from a coke can till I went inside the primary.

 

check out www.betterlever.com---------- its 2 peice and looks pretty good.
good luck,Skip

 

X3 for the betterlever.

No need to tear it all apart to replace that POS lever. Just crack off the old one with a long blade screwdriver and a quick wack of a ball peen and then bolt on the better lever. Take all the time you just saved to go ride !

 

Mine has always been on the loose side and has a spacer between the shifter lever and the primary where it goes through. I just put a o-ring on before the spacer and shifter arms and this works for quite a few years before I have to replace the o-ring again. This is on a 87 dresser and I have been doing this since 89 when it was bugging me, its a quick and easy fix that costs next to nothing.