The shift lever on my '95 is a bit loose on the shaft. The pinch bolt holding the lever to the shaft is as tight as I dare yet the shift lever can slide in and out on the shaft a little bit, maybe about 1/16" (or ~1.5mm for you metric guys).
Yet it seems somehow constrained like it slides into limits on either side of the motion so it doesn't seem to be in any danger of falling off...yet.
OK, first thing is that the pinch bolt is probably running into the groove in the shift shaft, so you won't lose the lever in the near term.
[image: View Post]VFR72525, on 13 September 2010 - 08:08 PM, said:
Yet it seems somehow constrained like it slides into limits on either side of the motion so it doesn't seem to be in any danger of falling off...yet.
Next - what to do?
BR has a good start. Also, thoroughly clean the splined surfaces of the shaft and lever and retorque. Try that for a while. Maybe hacksaw at root of the slot in the lever pinch bolt to increase clamping.
Continue to read VFRD. This last bit of advice is vital.
:biggrin:
Glenn
The bolt that holds the shifter on does two things, it fits though a grove and it tightens onto the shifter splines... What has happened to your's is that the gap has closed so it won't tighten any more(the metel has stretched to the point it touches and it isn't suppose to) so by re-widening as BR said you'll be ready to go... hopefully....
You might buy a new shifter, if all else fails. I just thought I'd explain why it is this way now... BR and the others already said how to fix it.......
Just did some major maintenance on my 95 and the shifter was loose as well. Thought about the hacksaw trick...did that on other bikes but decided to remove, clean and re-torque. The shifter is now tight again but I suspect it will loosen again but I'll just keep on eye on it and see how long the cleaning & re-torquing lasts. I've ran mine a little loose for a while now but I'm concerned as I have has the shaft splines round off with time on other bikes.
Could be your good excuse to change out the chintzy and heavy painted steel lever to the later aluminum alloy one that came with the 5th gen bikes. I did the mod about 5 years aog and it looks goooood! I think it was something like 15 bucks for the lever. you can re-use the rubber thingy pad at the end of your old one too. I did have to grind off just a very little bit of material at the steel sidestand hinge bracket to get proper clearance for the 5th gen lever though, as the angle of the lever at that point is slightl different, bringing it closer to the brakcet than the old one. I'll try to post a pic of the lever mod up as soon as I find one.
Anybody got the torque spec for the shift lever pinch bolt? I just checked the shop manual as well as searched this site and the internet for about 30 minutes and I can't find anything. The shop manual has clear pictures of the bolt and lever but doesn't mention a torque value anywhere. I'm thinking it's probably around 20 lb/ft?
Mine did that on my '95 and it really bothered me even though I had it tight as you say. I ordered a new one from ServiceHonda and the new one is as tight and snug as can be now with no 'play' in it. :biggrin:
[image: View Post]VFR72525, on 15 September 2010 - 11:27 AM, said:
Anybody got the torque spec for the shift lever pinch bolt? I just checked the shop manual as well as searched this site and the internet for about 30 minutes and I can't find anything. The shop manual has clear pictures of the bolt and lever but doesn't mention a torque value anywhere. I'm thinking it's probably around 20 lb/ft?
I have a similar problem that the bolt clamping the shift lever onto the splined shift rod loosens occasionaly. I put in a longer bolt (good tip Keny) so I could use an extra locknut. That helped but I still have to re-tighten the bolt once in a while. In the past I've also grinded a bit of material away from the pinch faces but that did not help much.
I like the idea of the aluminum 5th gen shifter. :fing02:
[image: View Post]V4 Rosso, on 15 September 2010 - 12:33 PM, said:
What Monks says, only I think it is a M6 bolt.
the torque values he gave are based on the hex size not the major diameter of the thread -- I'm pretty sure there are no M12 bolts anywhere on the bike....that's friggin 'uge! Like a one inch diameter thread huge!! A bolt that big could be tightened to several hundred pound feet.
[image: View Post]VFR72525, on 15 September 2010 - 01:57 PM, said:
[image: View Post]V4 Rosso, on 15 September 2010 - 12:33 PM, said:
What Monks says, only I think it is a M6 bolt.
the torque values he gave are based on the hex size not the major diameter of the thread.
Yes, but it's coming from the Honda manual so I would think it is close enough grade wise....... And there isn't any other listing in the manual related to the shifting pedal pinch bolt&nut torque value ........ I'd say it a good starting point .... set the wrench a little lower to be safer.....
[image: View Post]VFR72525, on 15 September 2010 - 01:57 PM, said:
the torque values he gave are based on the hex size not the major diameter of the thread -- I'm pretty sure there are no M12 bolts anywhere on the bike....that's friggin 'uge! Like a one inch diameter thread huge!! A bolt that big could be tightened to several hundred pound feet.
No, those numbers are based on thread size. You'll never find torque values based on spanner size, not every bolt has a hex head. Engine mounting bolts are likely M12.
Well since I'm home sick today I got out to the garage for a look-see.
Took it off, cleaned the hell out of the shifter spindle, pedal and bolt and put everything back together. Good as new now. I think there was so much crap jammed between the clamp surfaces of the pedal and in the splines that it couldn't close far enough to get a good clamp.
[image: View Post]VFR72525, on 15 September 2010 - 03:05 PM, said:
Well since I'm home sick today I got out to the garage for a look-see.
Took it off, cleaned the hell out of the shifter spindle, pedal and bolt and put everything back together. Good as new now. I think there was so much crap jammed between the clamp surfaces of the pedal and in the splines that it couldn't close far enough to get a good clamp.
Thanks for the help
Wha???!!....that's all it was??!! :blink: .......geeeeeze..... :comp13: