Broken Shift Spring
Broken Shift Spring
Cryp! My girlfriend is costing me! '87 FLHTC 
Last night my shift lever. I had heard some kind of weird noise and then there was no spring in the lever. I can shift and it goes into each gear solidly but the lever does not spring back. I have to lift it up to push it down to shift into the next gear and vice versa shifting the other way.
I talked to a mechanic and he is saying at least $1K because of all the labor. the exhaust / primary / trans have to come off. When all the gaskets / seals / etc are figured in it is a pricey little break.
Any ideas as to how to do this cheaper? Can't do this myself. Also curious what else I should do when in there. Obviously he will check to see if all gears, etc are good and I should put a new belt on it - 56K miles - but wondering what the pack says.
Thanks.
Last night my shift lever. I had heard some kind of weird noise and then there was no spring in the lever. I can shift and it goes into each gear solidly but the lever does not spring back. I have to lift it up to push it down to shift into the next gear and vice versa shifting the other way.
I talked to a mechanic and he is saying at least $1K because of all the labor. the exhaust / primary / trans have to come off. When all the gaskets / seals / etc are figured in it is a pricey little break.
Any ideas as to how to do this cheaper? Can't do this myself. Also curious what else I should do when in there. Obviously he will check to see if all gears, etc are good and I should put a new belt on it - 56K miles - but wondering what the pack says.
Thanks.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 7,736
Likes: 1,524
From: Coromandel Peninsula New Zealand
Yes, you can do this cheaper without removing the primary or stripping the entire gearbox but is a fiddle....assuming it is a 5 speed box.
Take the top off the tranny and remove the selector drum and the forks.
You take the clutch cover off the tranny and then (make a puller or replace the bearings on reassembly) pull the trap door cover off but undo the two nuts so it comes off and leaves the gears and shafts in the tranny case.
Then you undo the bolt on the gear shaft, slide the gear lever off as far as it goes and destroy the little circlip to get it off (you will need a new one).
Then pull whatever gears will slip off the shafts and pull the countershaft (the one at the front that does not have the clutch on) out of the way until you can just about get the gear lever shaft back through the tranny case.
Swap the spring (find any broken bits with a magnet on a stick) and then clean up the outside of the tranny case where the shaft goes and replace the oil seal.
Oil or grease the end of the shaft so it doesn't wreck the seal and wiggle it all back together, remembering that you will need to put the shaft in the lever before its fully back in so you need to get the position on the splines correct first go (mark it before you take it off) you will also need the circlip and washer on the shaft before you mate it into the lever.
With a bit of "language" it will all go back together nicely and you can replace the trap door, clutch cover and selector assembly as per the manual.
I have done it more than once and it saves a heap of time and cash....message me if you get stuck but remember I am in NZ, so may take a few hours to reply.
Take the top off the tranny and remove the selector drum and the forks.
You take the clutch cover off the tranny and then (make a puller or replace the bearings on reassembly) pull the trap door cover off but undo the two nuts so it comes off and leaves the gears and shafts in the tranny case.
Then you undo the bolt on the gear shaft, slide the gear lever off as far as it goes and destroy the little circlip to get it off (you will need a new one).
Then pull whatever gears will slip off the shafts and pull the countershaft (the one at the front that does not have the clutch on) out of the way until you can just about get the gear lever shaft back through the tranny case.
Swap the spring (find any broken bits with a magnet on a stick) and then clean up the outside of the tranny case where the shaft goes and replace the oil seal.
Oil or grease the end of the shaft so it doesn't wreck the seal and wiggle it all back together, remembering that you will need to put the shaft in the lever before its fully back in so you need to get the position on the splines correct first go (mark it before you take it off) you will also need the circlip and washer on the shaft before you mate it into the lever.
With a bit of "language" it will all go back together nicely and you can replace the trap door, clutch cover and selector assembly as per the manual.
I have done it more than once and it saves a heap of time and cash....message me if you get stuck but remember I am in NZ, so may take a few hours to reply.
Last edited by Spanners39; Jun 16, 2013 at 02:39 AM.
Spanner,
Thank you for the info. I wish I was set up to do that much work on it myself. the instructions were clear and when my shop is set up better - more space - I would have given it a shot. I took her to my trusted mech and he is going to take care of it. He is also going to fix an oil leak from one of the trans seals. He is also going to be able to give everything a look and make sure there is nothing glaring and put a new drive belt on (57K on it)
Sounds like you know your way around these older ones.
BTW - have you run into the problem of the turn signals blinking while being held down but not responding to the push on - push off?
Thanks again!!
Thank you for the info. I wish I was set up to do that much work on it myself. the instructions were clear and when my shop is set up better - more space - I would have given it a shot. I took her to my trusted mech and he is going to take care of it. He is also going to fix an oil leak from one of the trans seals. He is also going to be able to give everything a look and make sure there is nothing glaring and put a new drive belt on (57K on it)
Sounds like you know your way around these older ones.
BTW - have you run into the problem of the turn signals blinking while being held down but not responding to the push on - push off?
Thanks again!!
Road Warrior
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 1,959
Likes: 2
From: Florida
Your signals are like mine, they are not push-on push-off. You hold the button down, while you down shift and steer and all the other things you've got to do at the same time. That's Harley for ya!
Advanced
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 74
Likes: 3
From: Louisville, KY
Was told I had the option of going the route Spanners describes when I did this a couple of weeks ago to my FXE, but my bike has a ratchet-top 4 speed and I have little constructive to add because I wanted to inspect the primary as part of the job. I will say that I removed my entire primary to access these springs with little more than an average collection of hand tools. Extras of note were a 24" breaker bar, 1-1/8" and 1-1/2" sockets, and a 9" primary locking bar.
This next part is a warning passed along from two individuals when I was gearing up to repair my early-'79 (supposedly, Harley transitioned to the new style on the FXE in the second half of '79). Spanners, please comment if you know for certain, but they said the shifter springs on the new style trans can fall down into the transmission when they break. Not an issue on my ratchet top, but sounds like it could lead to some pretty costly damage if that were to occur. True or rubbish?
This next part is a warning passed along from two individuals when I was gearing up to repair my early-'79 (supposedly, Harley transitioned to the new style on the FXE in the second half of '79). Spanners, please comment if you know for certain, but they said the shifter springs on the new style trans can fall down into the transmission when they break. Not an issue on my ratchet top, but sounds like it could lead to some pretty costly damage if that were to occur. True or rubbish?
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 21,029
Likes: 12,550
From: South Carolina
but they said the shifter springs on the new style trans can fall down into the transmission when they break.
If the spring is broken, the engine should not be run until the transmission is repaired and the broken parts retrieved. If the spring piece goes through the gears it will ruin the gears.
Stage I
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
From: Newfoundland
broken shift spring
You guys got me nervous now . I have a 1988 FLSTC the springs are not broken yet . Spanner39, you should make a video or take pictures next time you do this repair, it would save a few headaches for sure.
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Club Member
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 5,323
Likes: 37
From: NJ
Cost my buddy 700 bucks. 5 hour job. We were on the road when it happened to his softail. Dealer said he was lucky the broken spring part only went thru the gears once and didn't break a gear tooth.
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 7,736
Likes: 1,524
From: Coromandel Peninsula New Zealand
Shifter spring breakages do occur but are not particularly common and the pieces going through the gears is even rarer. Mainly because the spring doesn't disintegrate, it just snaps and there is plenty of room at the bottom of the tranny for it to sink into.
