Ok I know exactley what being you guys are referring to now, had to check the setting when I rebuilt it because of blowing 4th gear.
Spanner I'm going out side to pull the cover off and take a look. Personally I'm thinking bent fork. Last time I rebuilt it I replaced the drum and shifter forks and all the bearings.

I do have a manual by the way, a paper one with lots of greasy finger prints and a downloaded one for on trips , kept on the iphone.

Just wandering here, the two different scenerios for making adjustments can be done without needed parts but if there is a bent fork and the problem is only occuring in first gear can I put it back together and ride it until I get the parts in hand? We're always a week waiting for orders here as we have no indy's or harley shops in town.

When I changed the oils in the 3 holes I didn't find and metals in the gearbox oil.

 

I would disassemble the clutch and eyeball all the plates, especially the spring plate.

Check shifter pawl adjustment and shift drum as Spanners noted.

 

I agree with the above. I think 89 still has the studs the discs ride on. Look for grooves that prevent the discs from sliding smooth.

 

I thought you were telling me to click so I did. Why? I know nothing about clutches (other than the wifes one from which there's no escape)

 

Not possible

 

You can straighten a bent fork or ride until the parts come but when you fitted the new drum did you shim it correctly?

I don't think you are dumb but we have to ask these questions to help with the diagnosis....

 

Spanner you were correct on the first scenerio with the clip and shim. There was over 50 thou end play, I took it apart for inspection and couldn't find a problem, I thought I had to add another shim to the existing one from my measurement, long start short seems the circlip jumped out of its groove giving the large end play. Best I could get with the shims I had avialable was 10 thou endplay. I'll get a new clip but for now its running back to normal and just for added precaution I put a dab of silicone on the shaft next to the clip so if it does somehow jump out of the groove again it can;t go far with the silicone.
Gotta luv these evo's, so simple to work on yet even simpler to over complicate things

 

LOL sometimes I do do dumb things but yes I did shim it.

 

Seems the clip on the selector drum was pretty stretched and worn although I'm not sure how, I got another one from my buddy that was still a snug fit on his sPare selector drum. I road 500 miles and during the ride it did it again although it seems different now more of a let the clutch out get moving and it jumps. At work now but tomorrow I will pull the selector drum off with the 4 bolts , I expect to find the clip moved back out of the groove. I'll check the gap on the selector fork in 3rd gear, hopefully I find it out of wack. Would the selector fork being off centred cause pressure on the selector drum to push the clip out of its seated position?

 

Hmmm, takes a lot to shift those clips if they aren't stuffed. I would be surprised if it went that way about things. If the clip has jumped out again I would inspect the groove before fitting a brand new clip.

If its the fork bent it should be blued where its contacting the gear.