Got this bike 3 months ago for a project, but just started riding it now to check to see what needs atention
Long story short: 1st, 2nd and 4th gear smooth. Ratchet top. 78 FXE

3rd gear: enters smooth as the others. With a little gas, maybe up to 1500rpm it is fine. As soon as I give it more gas and go faster, it feels like the hear engages-disingages-engages-disengages and so on. Thow in 4th gear and it's fine.

Comments? is there something that "locks" the 3rd gear in place that might have "moved"?
Never worked on a transmission before nor have had issues with one (only the usual oil leak from the main seal )

 

Can be a few things , that gear rides on a brass bushing , that could be bad . Another is the shift clutch or " dog " and the pockets it engages in on the gear itself could be badly worn but the normal symptom for this is jumping out of gear under load . There's also a big spiral keeper ring that holds the 3rd gear in place if it popped out the gear could walk doing what you say .

4 speeds are a supper easy simple trans to work on , as long as you have the breakdown showing how things fit together and the manual , factory not Clymers you can handle it with a few basic tools .

 

I have the factory manual for the later transmission and the 5 speed FXR
Is tha ratchet top THAT different inside?
will start takinga lookas soon as I disassemle the bike to mock it up
thanks

 

The gear box itself is the same on both styles of the 4 speeds with a couple minor differences like caged verses loose bearings think the break year was 79 for that . 5 speed is a completely different animal .

 

ok.. here we go again...
what started yesterday as a kickstart kit installation, turned into half bike disassemble and tranny check up for the 3rd gear issue.
In all this months everything stayed the same... 3rd gear is fine below 1000 rpm... above that it goes in-out-in-out-in-out-in-out and so one.
Other gears work fine. From N to 1st is very smooth, no CLANK, finding N is easy, no issues at all... only 3rd in and out.

Here are the pics:



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All I can see on the shift cam is an area that is a little worn...
what should I look for?

 

Ok you took a good photo of first and second but what i need to see is the same picture of 3 and 4 - and i need to know if 3rd gear moves back and forth < if it does the retainer snap ring has broken and what is going on s 3 rd is floating / BUT i cant tell from pictures you need to work 3rd gear back and forth to see it it moves ( slides )

if you take the trans and turn it 180 degrees so 3 and 4 are up top 3rd gear is the one next to 4th, and that is the gear the chain sprocket is connected to, than slide the shift dog into 4th ( thats what happens when it is in gear ) and try with a #2 screw driver to move 3rd back and forth -

the other thing is the gear ( timing or correct engagement in depth is not set correctly ) and that requires special tooling ( sure i have seen people do it with out ) < might be the reason this one is not working correctly -- jz

 

Thanks.. I will take pictures later
Last night after taking the pictures I read about 3rd gear having a snap ring... so made me thing maybe it broke or just desengaged.
Also seing (for the frst time live) how the shift cam on the top cover works, made me think maybe it was disassembled before and put back wrong... maybe one or 2 teeth of the gears were off, so that 3rd gear is not 100% in

anyway thanks.. will post the picture later!

 

You can if you have an OEM book check the timing of the 2 gears but i doubt that is the issue - you have 1st/2nd and 4th gear is fine it only does it in 3rd ( correct ?? ) - if the gear drum is off ( timing ) you cant get one of the end gears correctly shifted - ( first or forth ) - jz

 

1st,2nd and 4th are fine, no issues AT ALL... all gears shift fine...
only 3rd have issues

 

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