Gearbox ratchet spring - Fix?

[Stick]

 I would urge anyone with an 02 (maybe others) to bite the bullet and do the fix. At least prepare and carry the roadside repair kit. It will break.

Just as a data point:  I bought a 2002 Lemans from the original owner about 3 years ago.  He pointed out the spare spring he carried, due to the breakage issue.  I bought it with 50,000 miles, and sold it with about 60K miles.  The spring was never serviced in the bike's history.  

 

Maybe carrying the spare spring is a good luck charm?  

 

The spring is now in the tool kit of another 2002 LeMans that I purchased - at around 7K miles.  Now over 10K mi, and running well.

[Scud]

 

Maybe carrying the spare spring is a good luck charm?  

 

 

I'm carrying my spring with a rabbit's foot, a horseshoe, and a four-leaf clover. 

 

Seriously, I'm hoping it lasts a bit longer so I can do a pre-emptive spring repair while I replace the flywheel and do the engine paint (due to bubbling). That's the Scura trifecta... Of course, the trifecta only pays out if you guess the order. Engine paint has already crossed the line... spring and flywheel are running neck-and-neck.

[Paradiso]

 

Maybe carrying the spare spring is a good luck charm?

 

I'm carrying my spring with a rabbit's foot, a horseshoe, and a four-leaf clover.

 

Seriously, I'm hoping it lasts a bit longer so I can do a pre-emptive spring repair while I replace the flywheel and do the engine paint (due to bubbling). That's the Scura trifecta... Of course, the trifecta only pays out if you guess the order. Engine paint has already crossed the line... spring and flywheel are running neck-and-neck.

Did you manage to lay your hands on a Ram replacement clutch kit? My supplier's estimate of 5 weeks was optimistic. Recent update was that it could be October, so I'm trying to find a second hand 2 plater.

 

Sent from my GT-I8190N using Tapatalk

[footgoose]

 

 I would urge anyone with an 02 (maybe others) to bite the bullet and do the fix. At least prepare and carry the roadside repair kit. It will break.

Just as a data point:  I bought a 2002 Lemans from the original owner about 3 years ago.  He pointed out the spare spring he carried, due to the breakage issue.  I bought it with 50,000 miles, and sold it with about 60K miles.  The spring was never serviced in the bike's history.  

 

Maybe carrying the spare spring is a good luck charm?  

 

The spring is now in the tool kit of another 2002 LeMans that I purchased - at around 7K miles.  Now over 10K

 

 

 

my 'luck' record is a bit different than yours, but I will be carrying a "charm" from now on. I guess if an undetermined batch of bikes can get built with an incorrect part (16+mm boss) it seems reasonable some bikes, maybe yours, got the correct one. And, just sayin'  from what I've read @LM.com, and from what I saw in MY bike, the design is not the best with the CORRECT parts, and with the over sized boss, the spring is stressed and abused with every shift. The relative ease of a pre-emptive repair, makes it a no -brainer for my other '02. I'll post what I find.

[footgoose]

 

 

Maybe carrying the spare spring is a good luck charm?  

 

 

I'm carrying my spring with a rabbit's foot, a horseshoe, and a four-leaf clover. 

 

Seriously, I'm hoping it lasts a bit longer so I can do a pre-emptive spring repair while I replace the flywheel and do the engine paint (due to bubbling). That's the Scura trifecta... Of course, the trifecta only pays out if you guess the order. Engine paint has already crossed the line... spring and flywheel are running neck-and-neck.

 

 

 

Hopefully you'll have Stick's luck, Scud. I'm following your clutch replacement process as well. I gotta do that in the Tenni as well. Hopefully, before it blows

[Scud]

I guess spring, flywheel, and engine paint are also the Tenni Trifecta, which is alluringly alliterative.

 

My RAM replacement flywheel and clutch assembly is still on backorder at MG Cycle - although I haven't called in while to see what's going on. I've decided to let the lucky dice keep rolling till the Scura hits 12,000 miles - do a major service and pre-emptive repairs at that time. Hopefully MG can come through in time.

 

Meanwhile, I just loaded the LeMans into the truck for a short trip; this thread has reminded me that I need to transfer all my tools and supplies (including lucky spring) from the Scura - so as not to need them in Arizona.

[footgoose]

I guess spring, flywheel, and engine paint are also the Tenni Trifecta, which is alluringly alliterative.

 

My RAM replacement flywheel and clutch assembly is still on backorder at MG Cycle - although I haven't called in while to see what's going on. I've decided to let the lucky dice keep rolling till the Scura hits 12,000 miles - do a major service and pre-emptive repairs at that time. Hopefully MG can come through in time.

 

Meanwhile, I just loaded the LeMans into the truck for a short trip; this thread has reminded me that I need to transfer all my tools and supplies (including lucky spring) from the Scura - so as not to need them in Arizona.

 

 Is this....

http://www.mgcycle.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=193&products_id=2986

the assembly you are waiting on? Will you need anything else for the swap? It doesn't say "replaces 1 plate or 2 plate" Would have been helpful to include "this is the one you Tenni/Scura/Rosso Mondello owners are after"

Should I assume replacement friction plates will be available for this kit?

If there's a thread covering this replacement, somebody please link me.

[Paradiso]

Hi, that link is a complete replacement kit, if you can get one. The alternative is a second hand V11 2 plate clutch or new 2 plate clutch (pricey at around £1500 for the parts needed). As far as I know replacement plates and clutch centres are 'available' for the Ram kits if these wear. I'm not sure 'how' available they are.

My, so far fruitless, search has done wonders for my language skills. I know the word for clutch in several languages from repeated Ebay searches.

There are lots of threads on this site that I have found useful. Probably easier to search through Google.

Simon

[Steve S]

Simon, I am not getting much interest in the Cafe Sport I have for sale so I'm seriously considering breaking it for spares, the Ohlins suspension and engine are worth quite a bit, although it would be a shame as there are not many in the UK, if I go this route I will put your name down for the clutch assembly which was recently renewed.

[Paradiso]

Hi Steve, I share your reservations about breaking a good bike, but they are certainly worth more in parts.  A couple of months ago there was a very nice Ballabio in the North West on Ebay with less than 20 000 miles that went for around £2700.  Breaking it would have brought a whole lot more. 

I bid, but missed out on, a complete V11 clutch on German Ebay that went for around £300. I did manage to get a new clutch centre from Italy for the 2 plate clutch.

I paid a supplier for the Ram clutch back in May so I've been tied to waiting for this up to now.  I've been waiting a long time.  Do let me know if you decide to break your bike.

Cheers

Simon

[footgoose]

I have done the spring fix on my other LM. Dead easy after doing one already, and doing it before it breaks and is in neutral. The boss was 16.24 mm. The new updated one was 15.17... weird, so I filed it down to 14.92 - 14.98.

I rounded off the sharp edges, renewed the shift shaft seal, and finished off with 900ml of Red Line ShockProof heavy. BTW, i used Three Bond 1194, the grey, for the liquid gasket.

[Kiwi_Roy]

I installed a spring in the monkey-paw trap, I believe that guarantees it will never be needed.

BTW spring breakage is not confined to the VII, the one in my Eldorado gearbox snapped while I had it apart, the replacement had 3 coils instead of just 2 like the original.

 

 

Sent from my shoe phone!

[JBBenson]

If you do the spring preemptively, you will learn that it is pretty easy, and a roadside repair is do-able.

 

You will also feel better when riding, knowing you have repaired it, and if you need to do it again, you can.

 

But get a set of "stubby" allen wrenches, you will need them.

 

"Monkey paw trap"....funny, I knew exactly what you were referring to.