Broken shift fork advice...

Hi All,
I have a 1982 xj550 Seca with a broken shift fork. I have dropped the oil pan and retrieved the broken fork tyne. My question is:
Can the shifter drum be removed and forks be successfully changed out without pulling the engine via the oil pan opening?
Or will this be my winter project because I'm pulling the engine and dropping the lower half of the case to gain access to these components?
Thanks on advance for taking the time to address this matter.

 

this is the assembly that you are talking about?
https://www.yamahapartsnation.com/oemparts/a/yam/500421b4f8700209bc78736f/shift-cam-fork

 

looking at the FSM it looks like your going deep into the motor shift forks are below transmission gears.
do you have an FSM?

 

That is the assembly I'm referring to and also my winter project from the looks of things. Thanks for the prompt reply and solid advice.

 

It looks possible from below but that's wishful thinking on my part. I'm just going to come to terms with what the FSM shows as the procedure for this fix and embrace my winter winter project with positive thoughts, I guess.

 

by tomorrow I am sure someone else will comment if it is possible to do

 

I know member "BluesBass" did a fork repair job on his xj1100 by literally flipping his bike upside down and working from the pan. Whether it was the same job, I don't recall, but it might be worth trying to reach him.

If you can't find him, send me a conversation and I'll give him a call.

Dave F

 

After further research the best way to tackle this matter is to pull the lower half of the case. It not the only way, just the best way. By pulling the engine out, flipping it upside down on my bench and pulling the lower case section I can perform the surgery in a comfortable and controlled manner. After looking into the procedure further I'm kind of looking forward to tackling this. I have all the odd and ends being delivered this coming week so hopefully I don't find any other items of concern while its under the knife. I estimate a solid weekend to do the entire job. If you don't see me back here asking for more advice everything went well.

 

Change the alternator chain guide, and rebuild the starter clutch, while you have the cases split.

 

+1

 

Finished up installing new shift forks and shift cam in the bike this past weekend. While apart I replaced the chain guide and starter clutch parts. These parts were in perfect condition with under 15,000 miles on them.
With the shifter pawl bearing modified and the new shifter parts the bike shifts like butter. Another welcome change is the reduction of crankcase noise from addressing the slop that occurs from the poor fitting gear attached to the back of the clutch basket.
Splitting the cases is not that difficult or intimidating as it may seem. This was my first time tackling this task and after a fair amount of research it wasn't too daunting.
When removing bolts that secure the case halves store them in a numbered cardboard diagram reflecting their installation spot. There is 37 bolts of varying lengths that need to be reinstalled correctly. Use blue thread lock on all of these bolts.
Use "Threebond 1148" or its equivalent for sealing the case halves back together.

 

The thing about the alternator chain guide is that it fails from age. The plastic parts get brittle and crack without warning. It's less common for one on a 550 to fail, but better to split the case once now than to have to split it again later.

 

K-moe:
Thank you for your wise suggestion regarding the preventive maintainance. I agree completely with you on the age over miles factor. After sitting on my bench for two weeks, I took another look at the chain guide and noticed a number of hairline fractures that are barely visible.
Dodged that issue before it was one.