Ok I got my new 850 1974 mk started.....

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flanker850

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Hello all! I got my 850 1974 norton started and running with the help of the forum but now its shown a host of other problems. Especially up shifting. Being new to norton I hope im not boring anyone with these question, but i'll get up to speed quickly. My gears get stuck in 2nd and its really difficult, if not impossible to get it back to neutral and first at sometimes.... I changed the gear oil!!! what next, any suggestions? Thx Rob
 
Norton Motto, if it feels like cabs look at electrics first.
If symptoms appear on one side, like this shifter working, 1st think opposite side within primary issues. Clutch plate grime drag to chain tension too tight. Then again may be the clothes pin pawl spring under outer cover may be rotten distorted or bushes giving up the ghost on shafts and cogs deeper in. In for a penny down for pound and pounds sometimes. Usually its both sides at once stacking up against you. Gotta get messy then can tell us what ya found.
 
I assume you are mobile while trying to change gears and not stationary. Check your clutch is not dragging.
Famil yourself with the gearbox innards here
http://www.oldbritts.com/gearbox_a.html

Once you fix the gearbox problems then it will most be likely chasing oil leaks, wet sumping ahh the list goes on.
Welcome to British motorcycles
Cheers
Peter R
 
Mine did the same thing a few weeks ago was hard to go down the gears, my problem was the gear slector sharft was dry and and went tight, have to pull the outer gearbox cover off to fix it but is a easy fix if its the same problem, its the part that the spring sit on just pull it out it will be tight but once out just give the sharft a good clean and put some grease on the sharft and put it back together.

Ashley
 
Hi Peter
I'm at Brighton down the road from Brighton State school about 100 yards away down the hill.

Ashley
 
cool I'm in the aspley area and often go to Woody Point for a coffee so probally we have passed on the road.

Cheers
peter R
 
Flanker850, the beauty of this forum is that you can obtain technical advice followed almost immediately by psychological support from people around the world. It's like having your mother being a British Motorcycle Mechanic.
 
If theres lound graunching and cranging noises . Dont ride it till it selects correctly on the mainstand , not running.
BY THE WAY , its UP for Down , and DOWN for Up , just in case . :lol:

Most likely clutch set up / adjustment .If the gear shift is free , though possible to bend something , Its Liable to BREAK
something , or several somethings , if banging and forced .

Correct ign setting and valve settings and carbuation are really a necessity , as is a steady idle . Pretty normal to blip throttle and catch the gear on the rev drop , also cold the actions clunkier . Checking the Clutch adjustment starting
at the pushrod adjustment is the correct proceedure .After all , its a machine. Correct clearances are required if its to
opperate properly .
Plus corrections for previous ommissions and abusses . Dont add any intolerance to the mix. Itl win there .
Its been sent to test you . :lol: 99 % out of 100 might be almost good enough for a pass . 8) :D
 
Flanker
There are no dumb questions to be asked on this site. I've asked a few and been glad I did.

In your previous thread on starting the bike you didn't give us the bike's history.
If the seller said the bike worked fine and had sat for a while then the gearbox/gearshift problem may just mean you need to clean the clutch plates well and put in only enough oil in the primary case to just start dripping from fill level hole or pulling the outer cover and cleaning out any corrosion as described by ashman.

However if the seller wasn't able to assure you the bike was in good condition when it was parked then the problem could be the gearbox was acting up and the owner never got around to fixing it. In that case looking inside the box will be the route you will have to take. There are a number of threads on working on the gearbox and you will see they all say when you are in it you must replace the layshaft bearing since it has been the source of serious accidents due to the possibility of locking the rear wheel when it fails. Their is a choice of ball or roller bearing and there are proponents for both but I went with the Ball Bearing from Mick Hemmings that doesn't require shimming of the shaft that the roller bearing requires. At the OldBritts site they have an excellent tutorial on overhauling the box.

Bob
 
I think the problem is UP for First, DOWN to "upshift" through the rest of the gears.

Neutral hard to select is most likely a combination of primary chain tension and clutch adjustment.
 
I'm not sure whether you are riding it or just trying to shift gears while stopped. The rear wheel will have to be rotated in order for the gearbox to select the gears. You can do this by hand with the rear wheel off the ground on the centerstand.

No dumb questions but maybe a few dumb answers. Either way you will learn a lot here.
 
grandpaul said:
I think the problem is UP for First, DOWN to "upshift" through the rest of the gears.

Neutral hard to select is most likely a combination of primary chain tension and clutch adjustment.
Click to expand...

I have a few old bikes with the right sided configuration. I have to go through the clutch and gears!!! thx
 
batrider said:
I'm not sure whether you are riding it or just trying to shift gears while stopped. The rear wheel will have to be rotated in order for the gearbox to select the gears. You can do this by hand with the rear wheel off the ground on the centerstand.

No dumb questions but maybe a few dumb answers. Either way you will learn a lot here.
Click to expand...

Its when im riding! the gears get stuck in 2 and bring it back to first is difficult, if not impossible! I think it is the gears. maybe the clutch too. will the chain tension affect it??? the chain seems to be appropriate!
 
rx7171 said:
Flanker
There are no dumb questions to be asked on this site. I've asked a few and been glad I did.

In your previous thread on starting the bike you didn't give us the bike's history.
If the seller said the bike worked fine and had sat for a while then the gearbox/gearshift problem may just mean you need to clean the clutch plates well and put in only enough oil in the primary case to just start dripping from fill level hole or pulling the outer cover and cleaning out any corrosion as described by ashman.

However if the seller wasn't able to assure you the bike was in good condition when it was parked then the problem could be the gearbox was acting up and the owner never got around to fixing it. In that case looking inside the box will be the route you will have to take. There are a number of threads on working on the gearbox and you will see they all say when you are in it you must replace the layshaft bearing since it has been the source of serious accidents due to the possibility of locking the rear wheel when it fails. Their is a choice of ball or roller bearing and there are proponents for both but I went with the Ball Bearing from Mick Hemmings that doesn't require shimming of the shaft that the roller bearing requires. At the OldBritts site they have an excellent tutorial on overhauling the box.

Bob
Click to expand...
ok the owner said the bike ran well, but i dont think he knows a whole lot. im sure its gunked up. when i changed all the fluids they were so dark and thick. they have been in there a long time. i think i have to go into the gear box and at least clean stuff up. im studying now. i saw the old britt post. that may be the way to go. its pretty exciting. im getting to know the bike well.
 
hobot said:
Norton Motto, if it feels like cabs look at electrics first.
If symptoms appear on one side, like this shifter working, 1st think opposite side within primary issues. Clutch plate grime drag to chain tension too tight. Then again may be the clothes pin pawl spring under outer cover may be rotten distorted or bushes giving up the ghost on shafts and cogs deeper in. In for a penny down for pound and pounds sometimes. Usually its both sides at once stacking up against you. Gotta get messy then can tell us what ya found.
Click to expand...

Yep i think its all of the above to some extent! mostly from the bike just sitting there. I will let you guys know how it goes. im reading into the gear info before i go in!!! the chain does not seem to tight though. too bad because that seems like a simple solution. i love the bike already. cant wait to run it!!!
 
The primary chain will bind up the gearbox in a heart beat if it's too tight and will screw up your GB mainshaft and bushings. You need to go through all the chain adjustments, just my opinion. It's not intuitive, the gearbox adjustment has a lot to do with it. Then the clutch cable adjustments too. The manual has a very good explanation. Poor shifting is usually too tight primary chain or something wrong in the GB. It should snick into gear, even if you don't use the clutch.

Dave
69S
 
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