Sweet! my bike will go into gear!

So forgive me if this has been a thoroughly exhausted topic on some other thread, but i have a situation with my new (to me) 82 maxim 650.

When i bought the bike (two weeks ago) i had the previous owner go through all the gears while on the center stand, then he drove the bike to a loading dock where we put it into the bed of my truck. He told me that a bunch of oil had poured out when he had finally gotten it started, but that he just thought it had been overfilled on the last oil change. I looks like the oil poured out near the lower rear part of the engine- near where the shaft linkage is. When i look through the oil window i can't tell anything about the oil level. Oil light is not on.

Well, today i started her right up, started some cleaning and got oriented with different parts etc. I put her up on the center stand and tried to put her in gear. grinding of gears and she died as soon as it popped into gear. Tried second, same outcome. Tried over and over, then got worried i might break something, if i hadn't already.

Without motor running i can switch the gears. It seems like the clutch isn't engaging. The other fishy thing is that the rear wheel does not want to spin freely. With extreme difficulty i can turn the wheel slowly in neutral.

Is the shaft drive seized up? or broken? Out of shaft oil? Is there something with the clutch i'm missing? Anyone else had this problem?

I should also throw out that i am just learning about motors and quite possibly have missed something obvious.

thanks for any advice
kasper

 

Re: Help! my bike will not go into gear!

First make shure the back brake is freed up and not holding it. 2 the oil window should show a low mark and a high mark make shure there is oil in the bike it is the blood of the motor. 3 make shure the side stand is up when you put it in gear ther is a safty switch that switches of the motor when put in gear with it down. 4 if you cant diengage the clutch the wheel should turn with motor running. 5i cant think of any reason why oil should pour out of the back so befor you do any thing fill up the oil and look for a leak and lean the bike as mutch as safley posable dont drop it then then try it running.

 

Re: Help! my bike will not go into gear!

I would first suspect the rear brake. Check your adjustment and make sure it isn't too tight. It could also be one of the brake springs is broken. I wouldn't first suspect the tranny or drive shaft. Put it on the center stand and pull the rear wheel. Check out the bearings and the brake components. If that checks out then pull the rubber boot back and check the u-joint.

 

Re: Help! my bike will not go into gear!

Sounds like the engine oil has become deluded with fuel, probably from a stuck needle and seat. I'd recommend draining the oil and see if it's really runny and smells fuel-fouled. If that's the case, it may be so deluded that the gear synchros aren't meshing correctly and that's what's causing the hard shifting.

Just my two cents worth.

 

Re: Help! my bike will not go into gear!

Thanks for the ideas. I will get on some maintenance this weekend. Another mechanic i talked to suggested that maybe the oil was overfull and that i may need to still drain some out. He said that too much oil can cause the gear and the clutch to bind. I can't see the oil level so could that i'm overfull right? seems kind of far fetched but i hoping that my prob is tto much rather than too little lube.

kasper

 

So I got busy on my first projects this weekend.
•filled up and charged my battery
•I changed the oil and filter.
•got the new oil down to the appropriate level
•spilled the old oil all over my driveway
•I succeeded in rounding my middle gear bolt before i read the thread on leaving that part alone-at least i didn't shear it off!
•New rear tire
•freed up, cleaned my once stuck rear brake (the cam was corroded and stuck)
•adjusted my rear brake
•opened up my case cover and verified that my clutch was not bound up.
•adjusted my clutch tension

I am now able to use the clutch, engage the gears, and move forward!
Went on a ride around my neighborhood. Was a lot of fun, and i gotta say i'm pretty proud to be learning a little about working on my bike. Starting to feel a little less timid about getting some grease on my hands and taking stuff apart. the riding part, well, i hope none of you saw me!

Next weekend-
•new fusebox
•plugs
•drain brake fluid
•clean motor
•locate oil leak
•replace shaft drive oil
•maybe a little chrome polish

Can't yet locate the oil leak in the lower rear of the engine, looks like behind the shaft drive boot (that rubber part around the shaft drive where it connects with the engine). single drip every few minutes or so. Any ideas?

 

i have the same oil drip from the shaft boot.

i fear on my part the shaft-seals are going back and leaking the shaft-oil.

 

you think my oil drip is coming from the shaft boot? It seems like it originated from behind it. I just can't tell though because there is so much oil and gunk all over the motor from years of disregard.

In your case do you just deal with it because its not a big deal, or a hard fix?

kasper

 

on the swing-arm side of the boot, at the bottom there's a little nipple with what seems like a 'drain hole' in it, the oil is coming from there.

Of course my main 'oil leak' was from the turbo, and it dripped oil onto the bike / tire, and when riding the tire would fling the oil back up to every part of the bike..

THIS could be were my oil is coming from. I'm honestly not to sure what's under the shaftboot, as i'm too scared too look.. incase i rip it or something.

 

Oil from the boot means either a worn seal right at the engine where the shaft comes out, or a leaky seal in the rear drive, allowing gear oil to migrate up the shaft tube and out the boot. Either one should be fixed soon.