Gear Lever Not Returning

[vaughan]

Helo,

Can anyone offer me advice, I have a 1980 ish Mont MH 200 the gear lever will shift up a gear ok and return to the home position, however when i shift down it engages gear ok but wont return on its own, i have to lift it back to the middle position and it will stay there,

Am i looking at a replacement spring or is it an Engine strip,

Thanks,

Vaughan.

[jse]

Helo,

Can anyone offer me advice, I have a 1980 ish Mont MH 200 the gear lever will shift up a gear ok and return to the home position, however when i shift down it engages gear ok but wont return on its own, i have to lift it back to the middle position and it will stay there,

Am i looking at a replacement spring or is it an Engine strip,

Thanks,

Vaughan.

I'm not very familiar with the MH200, but I may be able to give you a couple of general things to check first.

There are usually two springs that can be checked by taking off the clutch sidecover and pulling off the clutch basket. The centering spring is what returns the shaft to the centered, neutral position but since you say the shaft centers on the shift to 2nd, that's probably not the problem as when that breaks it usually won't center up or down.

The other spring is on the "claw" (on the end of the shiftshaft arm) that holds it against the pins on the shift drum "star". It may be bent of possibly broken.

Another thing that might cause the symptoms you describe is a bent shift shaft. Sometimes, when hit by a large obstacle (i know, something "unusual" in Trials), the shaft will get bent and since it goes through the cases (and the "bushings", or bearing surfaces, where it contacts the case are fairly far apart) will tend to bind, sometimes in the way you describe. I'd take the shiftshaft out and check it for straightness. It can usually be straightened with a set of small V-blocks and a press.

Jon

[vintagecota]

Jon has it pretty close, the clutch cover has to come off, then you'll see the end of the shifter shaft. There is a "claw" that bends back toward the engine that fits between the two ears of a spring. I've found that even on a new spring, the ears are spread out too far and gave slack in the mechanism. I've had success bending the spring ears so they are closer to the claw with no slack. The claw sometimes breaks off too...

When you have it out for spring bending, etc... check the shaft for straightness.

I have to do the same thing right now on my 200.

[vaughan]

Thanks Lad's,

I will give it a go at the weekend,

Vaughan