well, after washing my blaster i just got last week, cleaning the air filter and putting a new plug in it, totally removing the TORS system out of the harness, i was gonna take it for a spin around the property. It requires more than normal effort to shift it and it wont upshift past 3rd gear. i dont want to force it and do more damage, so i parked it. gear oil is full. the old owner ran Bel-Ray 80# Gearsaver. Any ideas what it could be ? Thanks in advance guys! :-/
my blaster wont shift properly
- Thread starter cpopanz
- Start date
Silly question.... Is the copper washer underneath the oil drain plug or is this a new "replacement" drain plug?
^^^^^^^^ common problem!
Or possibly,
Bent or broken shift fork or out of place, bent shift shaft, maybe a piece of broken part is jamming the shift drum? Any recent work done to the bottom end?
Or possibly,
Bent or broken shift fork or out of place, bent shift shaft, maybe a piece of broken part is jamming the shift drum? Any recent work done to the bottom end?
the old owner never said anything about the bottom end being opened. the case bolts dont appear to have tool marks on them.
That drain plug is too long and is pressing into the groove in the shift drum. Remove that drain plug, file one thread off the end, and reinstall. You'll have no more shifting problems.
Sicividude, if thats all it is you're a frickin genius!! im about ready to pull the right sidecase of this thing tonite. i will remove the drainplug and retest the shifting operation and let you know in the morning! Thanks man, you rock! \m/
That may not be it, but it just might be....
If it's NOT the drain plug causing the trouble then Slickerthanyou's suggestions start to take over. Bent fork, boogered shiftdrum, the detent leverl for the shift star unscrewed and jamming it...
No need to fully remove the drain plug to find out if it is the problem, just back it out a complete turn, not a lot of oil, if any, will be lost.
It absolutely can. The older blaster engines had a "key" and torx head screw holding the shift star onto the drum. The newer ones, the star is welded on.
The screw could be backing out. Normally that results in "loose" shifters and missed gears though. Anything is possible!
^^^^^ the truth. You do not need to competely drain the oil in order to test the theory, only back it out a turn or two and try rolling the quad forward and shifting (don't run the motor with no oil in the transmission!) and see if it's easier and can go above 4th. If it does, then remove the bolt (which will drain the transmission fluid) and grind a thread or two off the end of it. Make sure before you put it back on, that you clean up that last thread so it will start clean and DO NOT cross thread it putting it back in. If you booger than last thread (don't cut it straight and don't clean it up) and cross thread it, you will have totally boogered up that thread hole and you will be in a MUCH worse pickle than you currently are!
Sicivicdude-
you are da man! removed drain plug and drained out old gear oil(it was nasty & needed it done anyway) and retested shifting operation-shifts normal now in all gears!!! I mic'd the drain plug, it has an overall length of 28.72mm. Not sure what the stock length is but i'm gonna get one!! Do you guys recommend using Motul synthetic 10w40 gear oil ? i know the o/m says something like 10w30 regular oil. Again, thanks man!! \m/
you are da man! removed drain plug and drained out old gear oil(it was nasty & needed it done anyway) and retested shifting operation-shifts normal now in all gears!!! I mic'd the drain plug, it has an overall length of 28.72mm. Not sure what the stock length is but i'm gonna get one!! Do you guys recommend using Motul synthetic 10w40 gear oil ? i know the o/m says something like 10w30 regular oil. Again, thanks man!! \m/
I would say, remove one thread and reinstall. If it feels like it hits anything at all before the drain plug is tight against the gasket, pull the plug and shave another thread off.
You can have probably a minimum functional length of 15mm (not including gasket thickness).
You need type SE or below motor oil so that it doesn't have friction modifiers. Sulfur and phosphorous compounds will "burn" into the clutch fibers and gum it up causing hard shifting, dragging clutch, or even slipping clutch.
Good luck finding Type SE or below motor oil in any auto parts store. If you can, the bottles will be old and faded... You can buy either synthetic 10w-30/10w-40 ($$$$) or regular 10w-30/10w-40 "motorcycle" oil at almost any auto parts store. AutoZone and Advance Auto both carry Valvoline brand motorcycle oil that is compatible with wet clutches.
HOWEVER, that's not what I use in my transmission. I differ from the service manual (not something I do often or recommend often either) in that I run ATF in my transmission. The premix oil (or injection system oil) lubricates the engine itself (crankcase). The transmission fluid is exactly that.... transmission fluid.
Yamaha calls for 10W-30 SE or below but I actually run standard Dextron III/Mercon transmission fluid (some people say ATF Type F but I've run both and see NO difference). The advantage is clear... or red. When you are checking the level in the sightglass and there is mud and dirt all over, oil is hard to see the actual level. Transmission fluid is red when it's clean so the level is easy to see. Also, as the clutch wears it puts fibrous material into the transmission fluid. This generally isn't any risk to the transmission as it will chew it up and not harm anything but you don't want to run it too contaminated or it won't lubricate the clutch pack as well. When the ATF is contaminated it turns from bright red to dark brown and is MUCH easier to spot than motor oil.
BTW, If you search Wikipedia for "yamaha blaster shifting problems", that ^^^^^ is the first reply 8-| 8-| 8-| <----JOKE!!!!
maybe i will try cutting off a 1/4 inch then running a thread die over it to clean up the threads. I can see how ATF would be the logical choice, its going in a transmission!! its just like a passenger car application with clutches and gears, plus its $4 a qt versus $12 a qt for Motul. Do you notice any shift quality difference between ATF and a synthetic 10W30 gear oil ?
I ran 10W-40 motorcycle oil in my transmission until I heard of ATF (on this site actually) and noticed no shift quality difference at all. It runs, shifts, and clutches like it did with motor oil in it.
i think ATF provides a horsepower increase because of its lighter viscosity than say 10w30 or 10w40. it takes more HP to turn gears with 10w30 than a 5W ATF. You are definitely on to something dude !
That may be a separate added benefit but I haven't investigated the difference in actual viscosity between 10W-30 (recommended) and ATF. I simply like it because it's relatively inexpensive, readily available, and red tinted for easy identification.
Mine shifts really with a lot of force and only in to 1st neutral and second, then won’t go in to third, please I need help
Got oil on tranny? Did you check drain plug like mentioned earlier. If washer wasn't installed or plug was changed. It can. be to long and hit internally
Check that first.back plug out some and try shifting it while rocking quad alittle
First either get a Clymers repair manual or find the PDF file on this site. Knowing what pieces go where and do what is critical for diagnosis.
We can give a dozen “guesses “ but you still have to check it out.
First, is your problem while trying to ride it?
What have you checked? Oil?
How capable are you to work on it? (Repair manual?)
Check the external shift mechanism. Check shift shaft for straightness.
