Finally got my bike back together after replacing the shock linkages, refreshing the brakes and sorting the front end and got to ride it at the weekend....

...for all of about 50 yards before the gear selector shaft broke.

http://www.splatshop.co.uk/sherco-gear-shift-selector-shaft.html

I have just about got the engine out of the frame to start trying to repair this but have no idea what to expect once I get inside the cases.

I have the engine stripdown guide from Sherco USA which is grand but don't really know what I am looking for in terms of stuff that will need replacing and I would rather only take it apart once.

Can you guys provide any advice / guidance / enlightment?

Am I better of getting a donor engine and just swapping it? Would a 290 engine fit?

Thanks in advance.

PS - What is a squish clearance and how do I measure it?

Did you break the shaft or just the return spring?

Look back a bit in the forum for more details on this. The shaft slides out without engine removal.

I had assumed the shaft and the forky bit at the end were one unit like the one in the splatshop link.

Basically the gear lever was flopping about and the shaft was sliding in and out.

When I got home I took the chain off and the gear lever and shaft slid right out.

That's definitely a broken shaft then, I honestly believe from having broken or twisted a couple since I started riding shercos in 2000 that the shaft has been designed with a weak spot just behind the pawl that is meant to fail rather than damage the gearbox etc

Quick run down of what's involved

Drain fluids, coolant is easiest to do by removing waterpump cover which you'll end up doing anyway

Remove kickstart & brake lever

Remove clutch cover

Remove complete clutch, will give you a chance to check the condition of all the parts, if your basket is notched a new 1 is about 40odd quid for all the parts needed to rebuild it which also makes your motor quieter

Behind the clutch you'll find the pawl part of the selector shaft, remove that & swap the springs over onto your new selector, slide the new shaft back into place with the spring on the back locating over the pin

Reassembly is simply reversal of taking it apart

Shouldn't take much more than a couple of hours unless you're replacing the clutch basket & the only part you'll need other than the selector shaft is a new clutch cover gasket

Hope that puts your mind at ease as far as how small a job replacement is

Cheers that makes me feel a lot better about this.

I am told that you can undo the clutch without buying the £75 holder tool with a windy gun or more precisely I can take it to a shop with a windy gun and they can undo it for me. But I am not sure how you torque it up again without the holder without damaging the clutch basket.

I may replace the clutch plates while I have it out.

The trick to re-installing with a windy gun is to scribe the nut and shaft prior to disassembly so you can put it back where it belongs without overtorqueing it.

Thanks for the advice, I have the clutch cover off and plates/springs etc out now.

I have also found this chap on ebay who says if I send him a friction plate and metal plate he will make me a holder for £18 instead of the £75 Sherco want.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/110763586269?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

For that sort of money I will get one for the toolbox, just in case.

PS - Clutch basket is notched so that will get changed.

I see this is rivetted. How easy/hard is this to change?

Quite easy, look in the blogs on splatshop full a step by step rundown of whats involved.