Everlasting problem..Stripped shifter

[Ghostv2]

So most of you have came across this one time or another. Here is my plan. JB Weld.

PO tried to fix it with just welding the shifter to the shaft by plugging up the end hole with weld. It ended up coming loose and i have not taken the bike out since i do not have the money to buy a new shifter and shaft. So i knocked it off, drilled out the old weld, and now on to the next process. Cleaning the surface area. Degreasing it. Then im going to rough up the surface area so it has something to bond to.

Now i have no experience with this product before, but its worth a try until its fixed properly. I figure its just like any other epoxy or glue, prep the surface to ensure a good bond. Now im sure it would fail if i was just trying to hold it on, but its just going to be preventing it from sliding up and down. Which an epoxy should be good for.

Anyone else tried JB Weld for this application before? I believe proper set time and surface preparation should be the key.
If not, ill have to wait a week or so until i get my neighbor to weld the end again. Well, try to. Hell, maybe both applications.

[honda200xguy]

I had the same problem on my dirt bike.
Then i got a new kickstart shaft and kickstarter and it worked fine
BUT i bet jb weld would work i think..i've tried to do it on my dirtbike and it just kept coming lose after a certain amount of kicks.
I mean it might work for a bit, but eventually, that is just going to come off again.

[Ghostv2]

Well as i said, its a temporary fix. It needs replaced regardless. I need to rebuild a lot on the trike anyways. Just not any time soon since im getting surgery and wont be able to ride for 6 months+. So not my priority now.

Plus if you think about it, a kick starter takes a lot more shock and abuse than a shifter. Minus the random branches and rocks coming up and tearing it up that is.

[CRAZY70MAN]

If it is temporary, I would personally drill a small bolt through the shifter and the shaft. It would be a better bet than jb weld in my opinion. If you weld it again...it needs to be clean as in cleaned by a grinding wheel, both surfaces. Have him weld the inside to the shaft as well as th outside. Good luck.

[jeswinehart]

I agree with Crazy70man.
http://www.3wheelerworld.com/group.p...824&do=discuss
Also, Howdy showed me a very good "field fix" by cutting a strip of alu pop can and wrapping around the shaft and tightening down the pinch bolt.
He may very well be still using the machine he fix'd up on the trail years ago just the way he fix'd.

john

[atc007]

Agreed. JB won't work. IF there are splines left on your shaft. Get a new shifter. I sold them for like $13, So I am Assuming, you can get one off ebay for less. For those reading this that haven't had a lot of experience with loose, stripped shifters. Here is the correct ,simple way to fix them. Once they will no longer tighten down. Take your shifter off,put it in a vice and pinch it together where the bolt goes through. Run a hacksaw,or I prefer, a muffler cut off tool,down through the slot. Wa la, fixed. The bolt now has enough room to tighten down again. But jb weld in this situation is a very bad idea. I hope you have enough splines left,it won't take much with a NEW shifter. And it will only cost twice what you would have paid for the JB..

[kb0nly]

That JB crap ain't gonna hold there, that stuff is worthless for anything of strength. Its ok for plugging holes but thats about it.. LOL

I agree with all the suggestions, if the shaft is ok then try a new shifter with fresh splines to see if it grabs. If its just too shot for that drill through the shifter and shaft and pin it with a small bolt, nut, lockwasher. Then you have a fix that will outlast the motor, won't cost much, and it can be easily taken apart to fix things if needed. I have cross drilled a couple as well, maybe ten minute job with a good drill and sharp bit.

[El Camexican]

And the moral of this story is that people should take 5 seconds to check their shift level bolts every time they go riding by gently trying to move it in and out horizontally to see if there is any play in the splines. Many times if I’m dressed and ready to ride before my buddies are I will walk around and check shift, brake and clutch levers, kick start levers, wheel bearings, chain tension, master link direction, spokes, etc. on my friends rides . I do this because I seem to always be the one who ends up doing the trailside repairs when they breakdown. Slightly loose shift levers are the most common thing I find followed by improperly adjusted clutches and sticking throttles due to the grips rubbing on brush guards. A properly secured shift lever will bend when it hits a log, or rock, not strip and if you hit something hard enough to bend the shaft, well you should just be glad you didn’t break your foot.

[Ghostv2]

If it is temporary, I would personally drill a small bolt through the shifter and the shaft. It would be a better bet than jb weld in my opinion. If you weld it again...it needs to be clean as in cleaned by a grinding wheel, both surfaces. Have him weld the inside to the shaft as well as th outside. Good luck.

That actually is a great idea. Im going to give this a try, plus its free.

Agreed. JB won't work. IF there are splines left on your shaft. Get a new shifter. I sold them for like $13, So I am Assuming, you can get one off ebay for less. For those reading this that haven't had a lot of experience with loose, stripped shifters. Here is the correct ,simple way to fix them. Once they will no longer tighten down. Take your shifter off,put it in a vice and pinch it together where the bolt goes through. Run a hacksaw,or I prefer, a muffler cut off tool,down through the slot. Wa la, fixed. The bolt now has enough room to tighten down again. But jb weld in this situation is a very bad idea. I hope you have enough splines left,it won't take much with a NEW shifter. And it will only cost twice what you would have paid for the JB..

No splines left. Both completely stripped. Shaft is partially grinded down for a weld. The shifter bolt does not tighten anymore, plus there is weld in the crack. Its just a mess and none of that would work. Its either get a new one or try this bolt method.

And the moral of this story is that people should take 5 seconds to check their shift level bolts every time they go riding by gently trying to move it in and out horizontally to see if there is any play in the splines. Many times if I’m dressed and ready to ride before my buddies are I will walk around and check shift, brake and clutch levers, kick start levers, wheel bearings, chain tension, master link direction, spokes, etc. on my friends rides . I do this because I seem to always be the one who ends up doing the trailside repairs when they breakdown. Slightly loose shift levers are the most common thing I find followed by improperly adjusted clutches and sticking throttles due to the grips rubbing on brush guards. A properly secured shift lever will bend when it hits a log, or rock, not strip and if you hit something hard enough to bend the shaft, well you should just be glad you didn’t break your foot.

Hey, i have never broken, bent, or stripped a shifter. Its buying bikes from people that dont know how to maintain them or ride them. I also check everything before i ride because 98% of the time im alone and if something breaks i have to drive home with it or wait for rescue.

On the other hand, i was just going to give it a try. You guys are so negative with this product.

[El Camexican]

I wasn't insinuating that you were responsible for the damage, I know what used trikes come like. Just wanted to let let others who may read this know how to avoid buggering up their rides. Good like with the fix, just don't make the hole too big and be sure to use a hardened steel or ss bolt and not something soft.

[Ghostv2]

I know. Im going out soon to work on the shifter soon then off to work on the YTM motor. Ill have to see what kind of bolts i have. If not run to the hardware store. Is there a size i should try to keep it to? I never heard or seen this done before, but none the less a great idea.

[El Camexican]

This is not a new way to hold pins and shafts, for example it is how the pin between the spider gears on some differentials are held in place.

I would suggest that you measure the diameter of the shaft and don’t drill the hole any larger than 50% of the diameter. This will give you an equal cross section of material on the shaft and the bolt, i.e if the shaft is 10mm then use a 5mm bolt, if its 14mm use a 6mm, what I’m saying is if you can’t find the perfect 50% bolt go down a size on the bolt, not up.

A little tip. Use a grinder to make a decent sized flat spot on the top of the shift lever and try to center punch it before you drill it to help keep the bit from wandering, it will also make a nice place for the bolt head to sit when you assemble it. Then, using a small bit, like say 1/8” drill a pilot hole through only one side of the lever and then put it on the shift shaft at the angle you want before drilling through the shaft and the second side of the lever. You may need a spare set of hands if you can’t tack weld it of hold it somehow. After this you can put the correct bit in and use the first hole as a guide to drill both parts separately and if you get a little off-center you can play with it a tiny bit when drilling the second size of hole. You only get one shot at setting the angle of the shift lever and if you miss it you will end up bending the lever to make it work.

A “flatter” drill bit angle along with slower speeds works better on hard material like the shaft than a pointy bit at high speed.

[Marty]

I was at glamis one year and mine was toast as well. Stopped at a vendor had him weld shifter to shaft and left like that for 2 years until I saved money to buy new OEM shaft. Weld it to shaft and enjoy your riding!!!

[Yamaha_Rules69]

If the splines on the shaft are already gone like you say, I would try opening up the pinch gap on the shifter. I have done this a few times, and it will last a long while. Put your shifter in a vise as mentioned before. Take a side grinder with a cut off wheel (wear safety glasses) and cut the gap to make it bigger. This will allow the bolt to pinch it a lot harder. You can also get a little longer bolt, and put a nut on the other side, after you tighten it down in the shifter threads, then tighten the nut on the opposite side. It makes a lot of difference. I would try this first, because if it somehow dosent work, you can use any of the other methods mentioned above afterwards.

[Ghostv2]

Well i didnt happen to see any of the advice since i last posted, but i got it done and it worked. I started out at 1/8", worked my way up until i got to the size of the bolt i had laying around. Didnt think i would have something so small and long, but i did. I also tried to look for a nail set to make a little indent to start the drill bit but i couldnt find one, so i used the pointy tip on a paddle bit. I also did what you said Camexican, drilled the one with the small bit to use as a guide then did it seperatly. As to how i held it in place on the angle, i simply got some blocks of wood and stacked them up to get the right height i wanted it, and there you have it.
Tested it out a little in the back yard, then went out for a short ride. Thats where i found this guy! Only ever saw snappers in ponds and lakes, never these kind of turtles just roaming around.