1997 Yamaha big bear 350 Shift shaft issue

[HSTAR]

Hey I have a 1997 big bear 350 4x4

I replaced the shifter shaft and the shift arm linkage and the rod when I installed them all I was unaware that you had to line the dot on the shifter shaft with the gap on the linkage arm gap put it all back  together and rode it I can't get it to shift in the right gears  I can move the shift cam by hand and goes in different gears but with the shifter shaft in it riding I can't put it in R or N 

Anyone know how to line up the shifter shaft and the shift cam s

 

[HSTAR]

Can anyone help

[Mech]

Is this a five speed manual with a clutch, or a belt drive system ?

What is the "rod" you replaced ?

 

[HSTAR]

Thanks for the response 

It's a 5 speed manual  pics are what I replaced  

[Gwbarm]

All Big Bears are manual shift. Have you tried adjusting it out with the shift linkage adjustment, did it shift when you were riding it. Im afraid you might have to take it back apart and line it up correctly.

[Mech]

Oh ok. And would this have an interlock on reverse ?  I suppose I should look in a manual.. haha.

[Mech]

Right..  So unless you split the cases and had the gears out, it does look likely that you will have a problem inside the side case..

[HSTAR]

Gwbarm,

That's the thing I don't know how to line up the shift cam star looking thing with the shifter shaft where the blue arrows are in the pictures  do I put the clip looking thing with blue arrow  on the points ??

[Mech]

Yeah the thing on the shaft with the blue arrow pointing at it works like a racthet to rotate the shift drum/barrel around to change gears. The forked spring at the top of that piece shown has to be engaged onto a pin in the case, one leg of the spring either side of the pin so it self centers the shift shaft between changes.

[Mech]

That other arm that's pointing down in the photo, it engages with the auto clutch disengage mechanism. You need to make sure that is going to engage with the mechanism when you put the side case on.

There's also a small arm with a spring and a roller on it, that roller has to roll against the star shaped washer on the shift drum/barrel. It keeps the drum in position once it's in a gear, but it also pushes the drum around once the gear shift mechanism has moved the drum half way into gear. It ensures that the gear change happens even if you take tour toe off the lever before the gear change is fully accomplished.

Once it is together again, with the side case back on, you need to check the reverse lockout is adjusted correctly.

Edited March 4, 2024 by Mech

[HSTAR]

Sorry for the late reply. 

So I took everything off again both case covers because when I took off the clutch cover I forgot to install the reverse cable bracket to case fixed that and everything is working again 

But now I'm having a stalling problem  riding in 1st and 2nd no problem as soon as I put it in 3rd and give it throttle is bogs down and starts to stall 

Could it be air/ fuel mix need adjustment?

Starting it takes about 20 minutes with holding the start button 

 

[Gwbarm]

20 minutes or 20 seconds, if it takes that long i think there is something wrong with fuel delivery.

[Mech]

Has this started after the bike's been siting for a while getting the repairs done ? Is the fuel fresh ? Could moisture have condensed in the carb ?

Check the plug is clean and has a good blue spark, then undo the drain screw under the carb and make sure fuel keeps coming out at a good rate. Keep flowing fuel till you are sure the carb should be empty and make sure it doesn't stop delivering plenty of fuel. Catch the fuel and check there wasn't water in it. If there was water then clean the tank and test the bike again.

If it's getting plenty of fuel to and right through the carb then it's probably time to take the carb off and give it a good clean.

I usually start by taking the top cover off before taking the carb off the bike, and checking the diaphragm isn't split and that the slide needle hasn't come loose, or adjusting the needle (if the circumstances seem likely that it's in need of adjustment), but if the problem just arose then just that it's not jumping up and down, or dropped down through the slide. Then I'd remove the carb and strip it entirely down and clean it and reassemble it.

[HSTAR]

Ok so little update I been riding it without air box hose to carb off and forget to put air filter back in could this be the stalling problem to much air 

Now new problem went to go start it no power to key no head lights fix a broken wire RED POWER wire fix that and the lights come on but still won't start with button then all of a sudden the lights flicked and heard a clicking noise from starting circuit cut off relay  now I have no lights again  what could the problem be 

put new key switch on and new headlight / start button on still nothing and new starting relay   help lol

[Mech]

You need to be sure the key switch you fitted is the right sort for that model. There are two different switches.

You need to get a manual with a wiring diagram.

Then you need to start tracing the power to the ignition switch, through the switch, and then through either the kill switch or the cdi unit, depending on what wiring that's using. Some models the start signal to the start solenoid goes through the cdi unit before going to the start button, and in other models the power goes to the start button then to the solenoid. And there are the start cut-out relays as well.

The bike needs to be in neutral or have it's brake light on for the starter to work..

 

[Mech]

This might be the right diagram..  Check it carefully.. Check the cdi and start button are wired like that diagram, if they aren't then you need a different diagram.

1997-Bigbear-350.pdf

[Gwbarm]

Hmmm! You haave replaced most everything related i would have guessed the starter cutout relay except for the lights flickering , that kind of points to a bad ground, time to start checking wiring connections.

[Mech]

Gw's right.. check the earths as well.

[HSTAR]

Thanks guys so when the lights flicker the starting cut off relay clicks as well checked all grounds cleaned them all up and still no starting but push button  CDI was checked its good 

so could the cut off relay be bad ?

[Gwbarm]

Yes that would be my guess.

[Mech]

The relay likely clicks because the power to it is being intermittently disconnected. A bad relay shouldn't make the lights flicker, but a broken wire/bad connection will make the lights flicker and the relay click.

Did you check the switches are making good contacts inside ?

[Gwbarm]

👍

[HSTAR]

I cleaned up some plugs that had dirty and oil in them 

If I play with the light switch the starting relying clicks I walked away for a minute came back head and tail lights where on start button worked turned off the kill switch a few times came back on now I have nothing again what the hell is going on 

[Mech]

You operated a switch..  There's a bad connection/contact somewhere..

You need to be doing what's called a "voltage drop test" on every suspect part and all the wiring. The test is to check for any voltage drop along a wire while it's got power in it and flowing to/at the wires's usual load. Look up voltage drop test and it will be explained and probably demonstrated online.

[Gwbarm]

Yeah it does sound like a bad switch, you can take them apart and clean them up, but for this level of inconsistency i would just replace it . Aftermarket ones are fairly cheap and i havent had any problems with them.

[HSTAR]

Guys I'm at a heading shaking my head at things now so 

If I take a jump wire from the brown wire from bike side and add a jump wire to the red wire on key switch side my start button works all lights bike starts up .

Why is adding power from red wire bike side to brown wire from key side making the start button work someone plz help me with this you don't have to have key on I'm so so lost I just want to ride

[Mech]

Well if the bike is like that diagram I posted, and the two wires you are connecting are the red and brown  wires that go to part #3 in that diagram(which is the key switch), then it means the key switch has a bad contact or bad connection in it or it's wires/plug.

Your wires are just by-passing the contacts in the key switch.

[Mech]

Those other two wires only act to kill the ignition. If you look at the switch(#3) in the diagram, it's showing that when the key is is the on position, the power is switched to the brown wire(which feeds starter and lights etc), and the ignition kill wires are not connected. When it's in the off position the kill wires are connected and the power wires are not connected.

[HSTAR]

Want to thank you guys for your help 

Got it it up and running again now back apart waiting on intake manifold boot it split apart 

But just for my thoughts and info 

What is the best oil to use and what's the best spark plus to use as well I have to give it a tune up 

[Mech]

NGK plug.