Hey guys,
I just bought a new bike (not a magna); but there's no way I'm getting rid of my '85 V65. That thing still runs like a demon. However, 6th gear has become pretty much unusable. I'm not necesarily looking for "how to". Just sounding out people who are real mechanics (unlike me). I had planned to work on it in my spare time. Is this a really bad job, and should I just leave it to someone who knows what they are doing? Or is this doable for someone who takes their time and follows the shop manual?
Welcome to MOOT!!!! (http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa214/TLRam1/Smilies/welcome.gif)
A little more info.
Define unusable?
All this being an assumption.
What's your age if you don't mind me asking?
Or let me say this, if you are young 20's and mechanically inclined working in the gearbox is doable IF you follow the manual AND you either take photos or have a good memory how you disassembled.
If you are say in your 40's and never work with mechanical stuff, this would be a much more difficult task to accomplish for your first time out. Many who ride and us here have never split cases and many would not attempt.
Before all the guessing, fill us in more with what you are looking at doing.
QuoteOr let me say this, if you are young 20's and mechanically inclined working in the gearbox is doable IF you follow the manual AND you either take photos or have a good memory how you disassembled.
If you are say in your 40's and never work with mechanical stuff, this would be a much more difficult task to accomplish for your first time out. Many who ride and us here have never split cases and many would not attempt.
So, your saying 20 year olds are smarter than 40 year olds :evil: so i guess 60 years olds are blithering idiots :roll:.. Really Terry you should be ashamed :D..
As far as tearing into the trans, I think it depends on your time, patience and desire to work on your own stuff, having enough tools makes a difference, but age :shock:!! Shame on you Terry, again :D
Go get him Charles.
We old guys have to stick together. :cool:
I would not hesitate to break into the transmission on either of my 3rd gen Magnas. I don't think a first gen would scare me off either.
Now if it were an automatic, with hydraulic logic and a million little ports and ball valves and springs, I might pause a while. On the other hand, if it were an automatic, it wouldn't be my bike!!
Quote from: Charles S Otwell on October 17, 2009, 12:29:51 PM
QuoteOr let me say this, if you are young 20's and mechanically inclined working in the gearbox is doable IF you follow the manual AND you either take photos or have a good memory how you disassembled.
If you are say in your 40's and never work with mechanical stuff, this would be a much more difficult task to accomplish for your first time out. Many who ride and us here have never split cases and many would not attempt.
So, your saying 20 year olds are smarter than 40 year olds :evil: so i guess 60 years olds are blithering idiots :roll:.. Really Terry you should be ashamed :D..
:shock: :shock: : :shock:
I think what Terry's trying to say is that if you're mechanically inclined it is do-able, if not, it could be difficult. I don't think age has anything to do with mechanical ability. I've got a few 20 year olds in my motorcycle mechanics classes that really don't have a clue.
Quote from: BA on October 17, 2009, 07:01:09 PM
I think what Terry's trying to say is that if you're mechanically inclined it is do-able, if not, it could be difficult. I don't think age has anything to do with mechanical ability. I've got a few 20 year olds in my motorcycle mechanics classes that really don't have a clue.
Ouch!! :lol: :lol:
Maybe that didn't come out right, BA has it.
If you are older and never worked with mechanical apparatus, good chance there is a reason (it intimidates you), if you young, that would be a reason you would not have the experience yet. Like if you are 40-50 years of youth and never jumped your dirt bike 10 feet in the air, probably a reason and now is not the best time to start. Tearing into a motor is different and by all means if you have it in you, do it, but if your mechanical abilities are not there....to some it can be difficult, others not so.
Of course I take your razzing tongue in cheek, cause I think you know me better than that. :P
Hey what can I say I used 5 smiley faces, well maybe one wasn't so smiley :twisted:.
Quote from: Charles S Otwell on October 17, 2009, 09:56:33 PM
Hey what can I say I used 5 smiley faces, well maybe one wasn't so smiley :twisted:.
I figured as much knowing the source :-P ...but, just in case someone doesn't know me....thought I better clarify.
Quote from: TLRam1 on October 17, 2009, 11:50:59 PM
Quote from: Charles S Otwell on October 17, 2009, 09:56:33 PM
Hey what can I say I used 5 smiley faces, well maybe one wasn't so smiley :twisted:.
I figured as much knowing the source :-P ...but, just in case someone doesn't know me....thought I better clarify.
By now I think we know you. You take it and dish it out with a since of Good humor... :shock:
Terry:
I'm 53 yrs old, and let me tell you something!!!
Uhh .. Well Heck, I cain't remember what it was now. :???: It was something about age I think.
Well never mind. I've got to go to the bathroom anyway. Think I'll turn up the heat while I'm at it.
Anybody know what time it is???
Now what was I saying?
:mrgreen:
and if you're 80 years old, keeping counting those chickens that you're still RIDING.
I'd tear into the clutch with some knowledgeable friends...being that i'm in the 20 year old classification...and that
having a few buds with beers is a great way to work on a bike.
I went from no mechanical ability to average mechanical ability within the last 2 years just from having good friends, and trying things myself :)
Quote from: guywheatley on October 19, 2009, 02:34:50 PM
Terry:
I'm 53 yrs old, and let me tell you something!!!
Uhh .. Well Heck, I cain't remember what it was now. :???: It was something about age I think.
Well never mind. I've got to go to the bathroom anyway. Think I'll turn up the heat while I'm at it.
Anybody know what time it is???
Now what was I saying?
:mrgreen:
Now you sound like ME, the big print I can read much easier. :lol:
Quote from: Unlucky Dan on October 19, 2009, 03:07:31 PM
having a few buds with beers is a great way to work on a bike.
Until you wake up and ponder....that used to be a bike. :-? :-?
Does anyone remember the poor guy that started this thread looking for help with his "clutch'"?
Even though it sounds like a transmission problem to me, otherwise it would probably affect more than just 6th gear.
FireDriver -
You have to forgive all these old men :lol: -
They are a little forgetful :???:,
even of their social graces.. :lol:
Welcome... From Safety Harbor, Floriduh...
Glad you posted.. Although some of the people are OLD here, they have some pretty good knowledge, and have helped me out on more than one occasion..
BTW - where are you located??
I am a little above average mechanically, and I'd be a little scared to start a transmission job on my own without someone with at least a little experience close by to help me out/look over my shoulder..
But that's just me.. I've never worked on a Motorcycle Tranny before.. I think it's doable with some pictures or a good memory and a good shop manual.. I just love my bike a little too much to rip her apart, without knowing I can get her back together again... But since you have a 2nd bike, maybe that's not as big of an issue for you..
Anywayz... Great group of guys here, and Welcome..
Did he say klutz??? the hearing ain't what it used to be :shock:
BTW Lawrence,
If you REALLY want to dig into a 1st Gen tranny, I got one with a nice whine going on...
Quote from: MagnaDaddy on November 04, 2009, 10:56:02 AM
Did he say klutz??? the hearing ain't what it used to be :shock:
BTW Lawrence,
If you REALLY want to dig into a 1st Gen tranny, I got one with a nice whine going on...
Gee, I am a little busy right now, Ken...
(The weather is too pretty not to ride with the little free time I have.)
Maybe when I run out of work and weather, we could think about it. :cool:
Quote from: BudMan on October 21, 2009, 09:48:21 PM
Does anyone remember the poor guy that started this thread looking for help with his "clutch'"?
Even though it sounds like a transmission problem to me, otherwise it would probably affect more than just 6th gear.
I think maybe he's saying his clutch mostly tends to slip when applying power in that tall, overdrive top gear, but not so much when operating in the mechanically advantaged lower gears.
I've only ever worked on one motorcycle clutch, myself. It was in a '70 CB450 I bought in well-worn condition, when I was 19 or 20 years old. With the guidance of a Clymer Manual I ordered through the local NAPA store, I replaced the clutch on that bike with no outside help. The Honda dealer sold me the parts, but gave me the run-around about ordering the special wrench needed to remove the lock-nut, so I went home and took a hacksaw and a file to a piece of pipe and improvised one. The only other "special" tool I acquired for the job was a strike-with-a-hammer type impact wrench (as advised by the manual) for removing the Philip's-screws holding the cover on.
Based on that experience, I recommend you first acquire a manual, go over what's involved in a clutch replacement, and make your decision based on your own judgement of your ability to perform the series of tasks described, in words and pictures, therein.
You can down-load a manual, free, from links posted elsewhere in this website, but I personally prefer the real printed and bound version, as it's much easier to use. The Clymer Manuals of yesteryear were excellent, but I don't know if they're still availible.
I recently ordered a genuine Honda shop manual, and an owners manual, for my 3rd-gen Magna from this site: http://www.repairmanual.com/, and was well-pleased with their service and product. Just the shop manual, plus shipping, is about $66; not all that cheap, but it makes working on a motorcycle a much more enjoyable, and much less scary, undertaking.
OK, i'm a rube. :oops: I visited the Honda dealership this afternoon and spied, off to the side, an entire rack of Clymer Manuals. 8-)
I just rebuilt my gearbox on my V65 this past winter. I spend about a month on and off working on it - it was my first time rebuilding a gearbox, but I'm a pretty good wrench. If you decide to do it, take a ton of pics, get several manuals including download the honda manual. You're going to need some specialty tools like torque wrench, clutch tool (you can make one if you're handy), and a puller for the magneto. You can do it without pulling the heads, but I hear that procedure is tricky. Since you're in there, you might as well get a full gasket set and replace all of the troublesome gaskets and seals. I rebuilt the heads and did a valve job as well, so I had to find a valve spring compressor that would work on those heads. I also had a head bolt break, one pull the threads out, so I had to helicoil them to get it to go back together. Get a clutch slave cyl rebuild kit and a new clutch while you're at it, I didn't replace the clutch and now I have to tear it apart to replace the slipping clutch.
I'm not trying to scare you off of the job, but it is a big one. If you decide to do it, let me know, I'll be happy to share some of the "watchouts" I discovered. The nice thing is now it runs like a raped ape, and I rebuilt it myself...