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I noticed the front shift lever was getting "sloppy" on the shift shaft ('09RK, 96ci TwinCam, six speed).
I finished a ride, pulled into my garage, and looked closer.
The front shift lever is stripped and will not seat with the shift shaft.
I pulled off the rear shift lever.
I attempted to remove the front shift lever but the lever can not be pulled off of the shaft.
It spins freely in a "clock wise" fashion but the lever can not be removed from the shaft.
How can I get this lever off?
Your thoughts, ideas, experience, and words of wisdom will be appreciated.
Last edited by coylizard; Jun 24, 2021 at 09:53 PM.
Reason: spelling error
It's designed that way... so the softer metal shift lever will wear/strip before the harder metal shaft...
It frequently happens because the bolt that clamps it to the shaft gets loose, and the vibration wears the splines... if you're a "foot stomper" when shifting, that only makes it worse/faster....
Put a flat bladed screwdriver in the gap marked by the red arrow and twist the screwdriver to open that gap.... the shifter will come right off..
You may be able to reuse the shifter... people put a tougher bolt in the shifter and really torque it down... the fact that with the bolt removed, it is too closed up to come off, suggests the splines on the shifter are really worn bad.. I'd toss it it and start fresh..
I suggest you buy a new shifter. Mount it and tighten it per spec. Then check the torque of the bolt every oil change, or anytime you hear a rattle from that area...
I clean the threads anytime it comes off, then put some Loctite 243 (blue) on it and torque it to spec (I can't remember what it is off hand)...
I have heel toe shifters on my 3 current bikes and two previous bikes. I have never had one wear/strip on me yet....
I also check them frequently and I don't stomp when shifting.....
Last edited by hattitude; Jun 24, 2021 at 10:14 PM.
Just re bushed my shaft. It is worth checking to see if there is movement in the splined shaft. The bushes are cheap and just drift out. Tourers have issues with the heel shift as the dual action causes wear if used heavily. Lots of people get rid of the heel i never liked the idea. You then have a spare lever! Think you will need to replace shaft, shift lever if internal splines are at all damaged. The shaft is pretty hard my bushes were worn but the shaft being harder wasnt. When tightening inner lever make sure you get the shaft flush with the lever when tightening.
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Front shift lever question...
