Shifter Seal

[decorn33]

Pulled the bike out for a ride last Saturday and found a small puddle of transmission fluid on the floor under the bike.  Curses not loud but deep... I cleaned off the entire area and put a paper towel on the floor to see where the fluid was coming from. Come to find that the source was my shifter.

In a fit of presumption I ordered a new seal from Moto-Bins, and went riding anyway. The seal should arrive next week.  Is there any magic to replacing this seal? I assume I should drain the tranny first.

[steve hawkins]

no need to drain the tranny, just lean the bike over the other way a bit.

Rev. light

[nhmaf]

I'd still drain the transmission - that way you know it will be at the proper fill level and with good fresh oil.   It is likely that your only issue is the seal, but wouldn't be a bad thing to check for the proper "fuzz" on the magnetic drain plug either.

[Barry]

I like the window in the fill/level plug.  

And unlike the the ones they used to put on Jap bikes that were less useful when the engine oil got dirty; it should work better as gear oil stays clean. That gearbox should never suffer from water in the oil - at least not for long.  

All it needs is to incorporate a magnet so it becomes a fuzz catcher and you have a built in gearbox condition monitor.  

[decorn33]

Thanks Steve,  I'll give it a go.

[decorn33]

That little window convinced me that riding was still an option! I replaced the tranny fluid in March, so I'm leaning toward Steve's idea of leaning it to the right a bit.

[decorn33]

Let me qualify that by saying that after careful evaluation of the rate of drip, I convinced myself that there was sufficient fluid in the tranny, AND it wasn't going to coat my rear tire, rendering it tractionless as I rode along.

[Bob_Roller]

When removing the seal, don't gouge or scratch the bore that the seal sits in .

Also make sure you get the seal installed straight, if it isn't, it may bind up the shifter shaft .

[Adrian]

Hi - that's a very interesting window plug on your bike. Where can I get one thanks  

[decorn33]

I confess I don't remember exactly where I picked up the view plug I have. I know they market an equivalent unit at BMW2Valve:

http://www.bmw2valve.com/motorcycle/C-5/7475039.html.

[Adrian]

Thanks for that mate - I'll go check  

[Matt Chapter]

AND it wasn't going to coat my rear tire, rendering it tractionless as I rode along.

Funny story! ... well, in retrospect, after I got the seat removed from where it had sucked up.

I was riding on a backroad in VA, about an hour from home, and I went to lean into a mild curve, on my '84 VF500F.  The back tire stepped out about a foot!  I pulled over as quickly as I could, but gently..  There on the side of the road, the bike dumped the rest of the motor oil into the gravel.

I never did find the drain plug, and that was the last time I rode the bike.. sold it to a junk yard a week or two later. I had ridden the bike a thousand miles or more since the last oil change...