Shifter problems
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2nd Gear
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
From: Athens, GA
Shifter problems
Been away for a good while... grad school has not been fun.
I checked a few threads about this and it may have been covered...
Shifter lever on '99 fxdx is "loose as hell" on the shifter shaft - lateral movement enough to hit the case and yet it won't fall off. The groove (or race) in the shaft has apparently enlarged over time. No matter the torque, it will quickly loosen. Seems weird that the pinch is tight enough to shift the bike with all that play between the lever and shaft.
If I have to replace the shaft and lever, is there a better engineered product out there? The interplay of the lever, pinch bolt, and shaft combined with my size 12 boot and Twin Cam vibration seems like a recipe for failure. Before I pull apart the case and buy all the parts & gaskets, am I better off simply trying a JB Weld fix? Anybody been through this? Suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
I checked a few threads about this and it may have been covered...
Shifter lever on '99 fxdx is "loose as hell" on the shifter shaft - lateral movement enough to hit the case and yet it won't fall off. The groove (or race) in the shaft has apparently enlarged over time. No matter the torque, it will quickly loosen. Seems weird that the pinch is tight enough to shift the bike with all that play between the lever and shaft.
If I have to replace the shaft and lever, is there a better engineered product out there? The interplay of the lever, pinch bolt, and shaft combined with my size 12 boot and Twin Cam vibration seems like a recipe for failure. Before I pull apart the case and buy all the parts & gaskets, am I better off simply trying a JB Weld fix? Anybody been through this? Suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
Advanced
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 65
Likes: 0
From: Maple Shade, SJ
There are many do-it-yourself solutions short of buying new parts and removing the inner primary cover. Ive done these things in the past - one even while over-the-road - with good long-lasting results. Assess your knowledge, your skills, and the strength of materials; trust them accordingly. Without pictures of your mechanism, I cannot say for sure which would work best for you.
1. If the shift lever pinch gap is gone (sides are touching), simply remove material from the pinch gap(s).
2. If a larger diameter pinch bolt seems like the solution, you could:
...a. enlarge the non-threaded portion of the shift lever bolt hole, use a bolt with a larger diameter shoulder/sleeve
...b. drill the shift lever bolt holes and tap it for a larger diameter shouldered bolt.
...c. drill the shift lever bolt holes, use a through-bolt and Nylock nut or a lock washer and nut.
3. Perhaps you need to introduce more material between shift lever and its splined shaft to take up the slop:
...a. make a peg from a small nail,
...b. make a thin sleeve from sheet metal
...c. put it/them where needed during assembly.
4. EXTREME: Grind a keyway into the shift lever and a corresponding keyway on its shaft, add a key.
NOTES:
- Before you drill, tap, or grind your shift lever, be sure that it has enough meat to stay together.
- If you use a key, set up and hold the desired lever angle because changing it later is not easy.
- If you use a key, consider a tapered key or a Woodruff type which cannot work itself out and get lost.
1. If the shift lever pinch gap is gone (sides are touching), simply remove material from the pinch gap(s).
2. If a larger diameter pinch bolt seems like the solution, you could:
...a. enlarge the non-threaded portion of the shift lever bolt hole, use a bolt with a larger diameter shoulder/sleeve
...b. drill the shift lever bolt holes and tap it for a larger diameter shouldered bolt.
...c. drill the shift lever bolt holes, use a through-bolt and Nylock nut or a lock washer and nut.
3. Perhaps you need to introduce more material between shift lever and its splined shaft to take up the slop:
...a. make a peg from a small nail,
...b. make a thin sleeve from sheet metal
...c. put it/them where needed during assembly.
4. EXTREME: Grind a keyway into the shift lever and a corresponding keyway on its shaft, add a key.
NOTES:
- Before you drill, tap, or grind your shift lever, be sure that it has enough meat to stay together.
- If you use a key, set up and hold the desired lever angle because changing it later is not easy.
- If you use a key, consider a tapered key or a Woodruff type which cannot work itself out and get lost.
Thread Starter
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2nd Gear
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
From: Athens, GA
Thanks for taking the time to read my post and offer suggestions. I have been leaning toward drilling & tapping the lever for a larger pinch bolt. My buddy thinks the lever won't be able to take it for long - this makes me want to try it.
I need to figure out if a new lever/pinch bolt will make any difference without changing the shaft - my gut feeling is that too much material has been removed from the groove in the shaft (I'm assuming that there is minimal clearance for the pinch bolt in the groove when both are new - does the pinch bolt itself offer any stability against lateral movement of the lever?)
Thanks again!
I need to figure out if a new lever/pinch bolt will make any difference without changing the shaft - my gut feeling is that too much material has been removed from the groove in the shaft (I'm assuming that there is minimal clearance for the pinch bolt in the groove when both are new - does the pinch bolt itself offer any stability against lateral movement of the lever?)
Thanks again!
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 2,938
Likes: 30
From: North Florida
Did you google better lever
http://betterlever.com/
I have used this and it works, and you don't have to pull your primary.
It has a end cap instead of a pinch bolt, it clamps on like a rod bearing.
it is not cheap but it is top notch stainless and worth the money.
http://betterlever.com/
I have used this and it works, and you don't have to pull your primary.
It has a end cap instead of a pinch bolt, it clamps on like a rod bearing.
it is not cheap but it is top notch stainless and worth the money.
Last edited by Harleycruiser; Dec 2, 2012 at 08:50 PM.
Advanced
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 65
Likes: 0
From: Maple Shade, SJ
You speak of lateral movement. Are you saying that the entire lever slides left and right on the splined shaft? Or
Are you saying that the shifter toe peg sweeps left and right as the entire lever wobbles/yaws/rotates about an axis near the pinch bolt?
It seems to me that the pinch bolt cut-out on the splined shaft does little to prevent sliding (lateral movement) or pivoting (yaw) of the lever when fully tightened. I rather consider that it serves to aid assembly by standardizing depth of placement and that it maintains that arrangement should things start loosening up.
I surmise that you are experiencing excessive yaw, which I figure is due to either 1) not enough pinch, or 2) mismatched surfaces.
Not enough pinch could be caused by a cracked or bent lever, a burr or piece of grit in the pinch gap, stripped pinch threads, or something else. Mismatched surfaces could be the result of buggered up splines, foreign objects (grit), egged out hole, or something else.
Having said that, I offer a few more things to consider:
- If your shaft splines are clean and parallel, maybe a new lever is all you need.
- Use a small file to clean up splines, both inside and out.
- Weigh the effects of peening the lever with a BFH to change its dimension(s).
It seems to me that the pinch bolt cut-out on the splined shaft does little to prevent sliding (lateral movement) or pivoting (yaw) of the lever when fully tightened. I rather consider that it serves to aid assembly by standardizing depth of placement and that it maintains that arrangement should things start loosening up.
I surmise that you are experiencing excessive yaw, which I figure is due to either 1) not enough pinch, or 2) mismatched surfaces.
Not enough pinch could be caused by a cracked or bent lever, a burr or piece of grit in the pinch gap, stripped pinch threads, or something else. Mismatched surfaces could be the result of buggered up splines, foreign objects (grit), egged out hole, or something else.
Having said that, I offer a few more things to consider:
- If your shaft splines are clean and parallel, maybe a new lever is all you need.
- Use a small file to clean up splines, both inside and out.
- Weigh the effects of peening the lever with a BFH to change its dimension(s).
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Thread Starter
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2nd Gear
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
From: Athens, GA
Spoke with Conrad at Better Levers
Super nice guy who had a great idea - the problem is that his product is designed for the FL line. It is too short to replace the shift lever on my mid-control Dyna.
I really enjoyed speaking with him and will probably use his lever on my Road King when the time comes...
I really enjoyed speaking with him and will probably use his lever on my Road King when the time comes...
Thread Starter
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2nd Gear
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
From: Athens, GA
Great suggestions - I really appreciate it. I wasn't clear in my description - the lever is not sliding on the shaft but rather pivoting (yaw?) to such a degree that it can contact the case. I am amazed that it hasn't fallen off yet and that it still shifts fine...
My friend in the parts department said I'm looking at about $250 in parts and fluids (and an afternoon) to do this the "right" way...
My friend in the parts department said I'm looking at about $250 in parts and fluids (and an afternoon) to do this the "right" way...