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Shifter Slack

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ronaldreynolds

New Member
My shifter arm on top of the 5 speed, 1986 flst does't work. It freely moves back and forth about 8 inches. Is the problem inside the outer door? I need help to solve this problem. I think it may be a broken push rod fork. Plese respond.

thanks
ronald
 
Re: Clutch Adjustment By The Book

Do you have the clutch cable disconnected off the arm? 8" sounds like a lot of travel.You have the the old style finger mech. that pushes the clutch rod from right to left. You may want to ck. your throw out bearing on the right side.You can see it by removing your fill cap/dip stick.You should see the slinger wheel.The parts book doesn't show the slinger wheel for some reason.Do you have a manual?
tourbox
 
More than likely it's the lever where it attaches to the shaft behind the inner primary. They loosen up and wear out. There are some pretty good aftermarket (billet) ones out there. Pain in the tukkus to change as the whole left side (primary-inner and outer, clutch, comp pulley, starter) needs to come off to get to it correctly. So...while you're in there, new seals, primary tensioner, gaskets & seals, maybe a new lefty bearing...yeah... It's one of THOSE projects. But...if ya wanna ride it, ya gotta fix it in order to shift it.
 
LOOK at the shaft the shifter is attached to....

Does the arm just move on the shaft OR does the shaft Move With the shifter arm....

IF Loose,,,,, the shifter is Not pinching tight enough to move the shaft ,,,, there is the problem like suggested above:s

signed....BUBBIE
 
Looking at a parts diagram for a 1986 FLST he has the old style kicker cover type(no kicker).The clutch cable attaches to an arm out of that, like the old 4 speeds did.
tourbox
 
hogrotten said:
Curious how you get the old one out? :eam
Click to expand...

You have to use a Dremel tool with cutoff wheels and cut from under the primary. You cut opposite of the split where the pinch bolt goes through. Its got to be cut at least 1/2 way around the circumference of the shift shaft. You end up cutting the bottom of the old shift lever off and then just remove the rest.
I have never done it but there is a video on his site. I think its easier to pull the primary IMO.
 
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