gaj1917

Yes, getting the covers back in, with new gaskets attached is tricky. Two sets of hands helps. And, stick the gaskets on the cover grooves with a sticky gasket sealer before installing. Once the covers are in place, check and double check that the gaskets have seated properly.

There's this puller on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/OTC-Master-Bolt-Grip-Set/dp/B007X70NO6/ref=sr_1_11?keywords=bolt+wheel+puller&qid=1579384487&sr=8-11 Seems heavy duty, and has good reviews. Not cheap.

I plan to upgrade the starter clutch on my '84 with a DanO kit. I'd appreciate advice on removing the stator, especially a puller recommendation. I have a compressor and impact driver.

Ouch indeed! Not many other options though. I've used this little J-shaped booger and it does the job. Mighty tight quarters to work in though.

Probably. Fortunately, I live near the US border, and can have items shipped to a border town where I can retrieve and transport back to Canada.

I've purchased OEM from Partshark.com in the past. Valve cover gaskets seem competitively priced at $24.85 x 2.

Thanks. Have done that too when re-lubing, but in the case of my friends '84 we'll be replacing the entire speedo cable assembly with new. Fun and games.

Now that's a good and timely piece of advice. I'll try that. Will be helping a friend replace the cable on his '84 and wasn't looking forward to getting up in under the instrument panel to remove the old cable and install the new.

If it was a seized speedo I think you'd have heard it complaining (squealing) for some time now. At least that's what mine did before it eventually seized and twisted the cable end off.

My '84 has a reserve setting, but like BlueSky said, I need pliers to turn the little knob. I just leave it on reserve all the time. That way, any moisture that might collect in the tank bottom is drained away into the gas line filter.

Boy, you're doing a great job on that bike. So thorough. Impressive.

It’s been awhile since I repaired my 2nd gear, but I recall having to fiddle with that wheel as we dropped the bottom case onto the upper, so that it engaged a wheel on the transmission - I believe it was the 1st gear wheel but could be wrong. Anyway, make a trial run dropping the lower case onto the upper and you’ll see where things have to mess. BTW, dropping that lower case is a two-person job to make sure the shift forks drop into the correct slots.

Outstanding! Not so bad is it. If you plan to install the -hammer's '87 transmission, you will need to retain your '83 middle gear components. Otherwise I believe you'll get into gear lash problems. Someone here with more insight may have another thought on that.

When I did my 2nd gear repair I replaced the clutch springs and plates with new Barnett brand ones. Made a world of difference as I was experiencing some slippage before. Often times though, just replacing the springs will suffice.

Alright! That's the spirit.

Okay. I guess you have a decision to make about repairing 2nd gear. Don't do it, have a mechanic do it, or do it yourself. I chose to repair it myself on my '84. Not that complex, honestly. The fact that you've been able to pretty much totally disassemble your mc, tells me you'd get on just fine splitting the engine cases and picking away at the transmission. Lots of help here on the forum. That, along with a service manual, will get you through the repair. Repair parts are still available, and not terribly expensive. Or get a good used '85+ transmission and install that (using your middle gear components though!) You will need some special tools. I built an apparatus to compress the axle drive for disassembly. You'll also need a good impact driver, with preferably JIS (Japanese) heads. And, snap ring pliers. As a bonus, while inside the engine you'll have a chance to inspect other items for wear/breakage, like the shift forks.

If it's a 1300 engine, that could be good news. Have you checked the engine number?

I believe so. PM Damon_Ferraiuolo@msn.com and inquire. A XVZ1200 service manual would be a really good idea too. Here are a couple of reference links that will help: http://www.venturers.org/Tech_Library/index.php?action=article&cat_id=001006&id=250 https://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?120493-Second-gear-repair-redux&highlight=redux

Indeed. Consider fixing that 2nd gear while you have the engine out. Splitting the cases and exposing the innards is not as challenging as you might think, and lots of support on this forum. You can still get new parts to fix it, and lots of used transmissions for sale on eBay at reasonable prices.

Yes, I did it with the carbs on and the engine in the frame, unlike what you see in the Venturers forum writeup. Very tight quarters, even after you get the heat shields and valve covers off. But it's doable. Getting the shields and covers off, and back on, is very tricky. As I recall I undid the rad mounting bolts so I could push the rad a tad forward to make a bit more room. Even so, it will take a lot of wiggling to get those things out, especially the covers. Getting them back in is another story. You'll want to replace the cover gaskets. Getting both the covers in with new gaskets attached is challenging. I used some nice sticky gasket cement (Permatex 80062 High Tack) to hold the gaskets to the covers. It helps to have two people do the install - one to push from one side and the other guy to guide and pull from the other side. I made a practice run or two without the gasket in place, to find the best route. Once in place, make damn sure that the gasket is correctly in place and not rolled over somewhere. Maybe it would be easier to take the carbs off, but that's not trivial either. Others here on the forum may chime in with additional advice. Have fun!

Did valves on my '84 a while back. Found this step-by-step on the Venturers forum very helpful: http://www.venturers.org/Tech_Library/index.php?action=article&cat_id=001008&id=412

Congrats on the purchase. These old bikes are a true joy to ride. I've had an '84 since '96 and have piled a lot of klicks on it. 2nd gear disappeared at about 80k km. I considered living with it, but it bugged the heck out of me, so I took the plunge and decided to fix it. It's not that bad, a good winter's work project. And, has the side benefits of being very educational, and an opportunity to fix or replace a bunch of other stuff in the process. Not much by way of special tools required. Just get yourself a Venture shop manual, and go at it. Here's a link to my experiences: https://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?120493-Second-gear-repair-redux&highlight=redux Good luck in any case.

Very interesting. Amazing it took so long to get the window. Always thought it odd that my '84 lacked one.

I gather you're referring to parts 22, 23, 24 in the following? Last year I tried to rebuild the swingarm components on my '84 - washers, bushings, etc. The parts are hard to find and expensive. Someone on the list here may know of other aftermarket substitutes.

I've had this RAM brand one installed on my '84 for several years. An easy install. It's a ball mount type, so you can swivel to get the best position. The arms hold my iPhone very securely. I have a USB cable hooked directly to the battery for iPhone charging.