downshift sticky lever

[Tom M]

Not to speak for Tom, but I don't recall any spring trouble but with #25. And that primarily with the 2002 variety.

 

As Doc said #25 is the one that breaks. It seems like a lot of '02 owners have had this problem, but I've seen quite a few owners of the later bikes report that they've had their springs break too.

 

FWIW I got about 15k miles on the stock spring, 7k miles on the Racecrafters spring, and now have 10k miles on the MG updated spring. I also ground down the boss on the pawl to the correct diameter when I installed the updated spring.

[stefano]

Not to speak for Tom, but I don't recall any spring trouble but with #25. And that primarily with the 2002 variety.

 

As Doc said #25 is the one that breaks. It seems like a lot of '02 owners have had this problem, but I've seen quite a few owners of the later bikes report that they've had their springs break too.

 

FWIW I got about 15k miles on the stock spring, 7k miles on the Racecrafters spring, and now have 10k miles on the MG updated spring. I also ground down the boss on the pawl to the correct diameter when I installed the updated spring.

hi tom, are you gonna get nervous & change the spring before it breaks again or wait( being as you ground down the boss & maybe the upgraded one won't break?) btw,the shift plate on my '02 appears to have been off at some point.

scf

[Tom M]

hi tom, are you gonna get nervous & change the spring before it breaks again or wait( being as you ground down the boss & maybe the upgraded one won't break?) btw,the shift plate on my '02 appears to have been off at some point.

scf

 

Yup. Since I'll have about 15k miles on the updated spring by the end of next season I'm planning on replacing it and the other two next winter.

[Dan M]

Too bad all of these transmission threads aren't linked together.

 

When I had the sticking issue, the selector gears (#12&14) would not go fully into the next position when shifted. Then, the arm (#24) would not be able to reach the next pin (#15)

Through cleaning kept it from sticking anymore.

 

On mznyc's comment about it feeling like the springs were not of enough tension. Another thing I did when in there trying to figure things out, the eccentric(#9)acts against the spring(#28). If you position it 180 degrees from where it is shown in the image, it contacts the spring closer to the center for more tension and still maintains all of the up/down adjustment of the tension on the shift arm. When I set mine up before putting the cover back on I adjusted it so it was centered with equal throw on the arm to grab the pins on both the up-shift and the down-shift. It has worked fine and I did not have to do the "trial and error" adjustments others have talked about in prior threads.

[Kiwi_Roy]

hi tom, are you gonna get nervous & change the spring before it breaks again or wait( being as you ground down the boss & maybe the upgraded one won't break?) btw,the shift plate on my '02 appears to have been off at some point.

scf

 

Yup. Since I'll have about 15k miles on the updated spring by the end of next season I'm planning on replacing it and the other two next winter.

 

The thought of a small broken piece of spring loose in the box scares me.

Where does the spring break and would it help to cover the potential break point with heat shrink. I don't mean to re-enforce it, just trap it from working it's way to the bottom of the gearbox along with some expensive crunchy noises.

Where is the best place to get a set of springs?

[Tom M]

The thought of a small broken piece of spring loose in the box scares me.

Where does the spring break and would it help to cover the potential break point with heat shrink. I don't mean to re-enforce it, just trap it from working it's way to the bottom of the gearbox along with some expensive crunchy noises.

Where is the best place to get a set of springs?

 

When my pawl springs broke the broken piece has always fallen to the bottom of the trans case. The spring is well away from the gears and I've never see a report here of anyone getting transmission damage from a pawl spring break.

 

Here's a pic of where my Cannon Racecraft spring broke. IIRC the little tang that's closest to the coil is what broke off on my original MG spring.

 

[luhbo]

... When I set mine up before putting the cover back on I adjusted it so it was centered with equal throw on the arm to grab ....

 

Now that's an interesting approach. Completely diametral to the "Screw this and that, then make a test ride" methods usually recommended here Thanks a lot.

 

hubert

[Dan M]

Now that's an interesting approach. Completely diametral to the "Screw this and that, then make a test ride" methods usually recommended here Thanks a lot.

 

hubert

 

Whenever I read the "loosen the acorn nut and turn it some and see if that helps" advice, I cringe. If the unit was working properly at one point, the adjuster did not mysteriously move on it's own. That approach will more often than not take things out of proper adjustment.

 

Of course we are talking about Moto Guzzis here and from what I've heard, mysterious things do happen. Transmission and TPS settings alter on their own and once tight oil filters seem to fall off. Never happened to me mind you, but I have read about it on the internet!

[jam]

Just came across this a few days ago, and it's been an interesting read. The shift lever on my 2003 Rosso Corsa started sticking only on the downshift, on the last day of a 6-day, 1800-mile ride around northern California/southern Oregon in October. The bike had about 40,000 total miles on it by then - I bought the bike with 750 miles on it 2 years ago, so all original lever, springs, etc. I had ridden a few dirt and gravel roads on the trip, and rode in the rain the last 3 hours of the trip. The bike was pretty filthy by the time the the lever started sticking. After I got home, I gave it a good bath, including squirting and hosing off a fair amount of Simple Green up in the shift lever and environs, and it didn't stick any more after that. Have ridden another maybe 2000 miles since then. Just wanted to share this with you all.

I had heard about the dreaded pawl-spring issue, and consulted with Pat Hayes, who had just helped another Rosso owner deal with what was definitely a pawl-spring issue. Helped him replace it, in fact, after watching a similar emergency operation get perfomed at the rally in John Day this summer. I'm sure Pat would be happy to discuss his experience with you - he posts on some other guzzi forums; he doesn't have a v11.

Very good information here, though - thank you!!!

[Chuck]

Mine (x Roper Scura) occasionally does this, too.Sometimes I can feel it come back to center(delayed) and sometimes it sticks down. When it does, I can pick it back up with my toe. Unfortunately, it generally only does it in L.A. traffic, and I can't stop and see what is happening. When I try to make it stick, I can't do it. Only seems to do it when hot. Linkage appears to be tight and works smoothly. The lever just kisses the pork chop when pushed fully down. Is this the problem?

[emry]

While I still have my orginal pawl spring I have had a stick shift lever. Removing the lever and giving it and its bolt (the pivot) a good clean and lube has worked for me. After that occuresd a few times I just installed a Zerk so it can be regualrly greased.

[luhbo]

... Only seems to do it when hot. Linkage appears to be tight and works smoothly....

 

 

Loosen bolt 1 one quarter (or more) of a turn (while holding the nut on it's other end), move bolt 2 to the outer hole, readjust the rod length and Luigi (and Pete) might be your friends again. Keep the fingers off the gearbox itself.

 

hubert

[gstallons]

While I still have my orginal pawl spring I have had a stick shift lever. Removing the lever and giving it and its bolt (the pivot) a good clean and lube has worked for me. After that occuresd a few times I just installed a Zerk so it can be regualrly greased.

 

 

At least you didn't let your bike sit for a week after ordering the spring to find this out.......

[docc]

. . . The lever just kisses the pork chop when pushed fully down. Is this the problem?

 

Couldn't help. Reset the linkage as Hubert describes and adjust it so there is no contact with the frame's side plates.

 

My lever had some considerable side to side play that I shimmed with a thin copper washer between the lever's base and the inside of the frame support on the inboard mount.

[Paul Minnaert]

I've seen it happening with a v11with shifting problems, the arm that is attached outside the gearbox was mounted a few teeth wrong, in one outer position made the linkage move against something. Moved the arm a few teeth, readjusted the linkage length and problem was gone. Some 6things are more simple then people think. Just look careful what components should do.