1st Gear gone

[mortgagejohn]

I have just bought a 2001 F650GS for my wife with just 20K miles - on first decent run bike was running well until it overheated (previous owner had over filled oil) and 1st gear jsut ceased to exist - no noise, no warning, no slack in gear lever, just gone - nothing past neutral on down shift.

Have been advised that engine needs to come out to get to gear box. Does anyone have a step by step guide for removing the engine (have got the online manuals but they don't go step by step).

Any help appreciated before the sun comes back and the wife wants her bike back!!!

 

[RobA]

I have the Haynes manual. If you PM me, I can give you my telephone number. Rob A.

 

[Mr K]

Can't believe over-filling the oil would destroy first gear.....

 

[Spout]

(previous owner had over filled oil)

Present owner hadn't checked!

Getting the correct oil level is a bit of a black art on these, but a full oil tank might be a symptom of another failure within the engine (if you're sure you've checked the level correctly).

What condition is the oil in? As the bike has overheated and the water pump is a known weak point, has the pump seal failed and allowed coolant into the oil? Has the coolant level dropped?

Have read of this:

http://faq.f650.com/FAQs/Overheating_FAQ.htm

(There is a warning that over filling oil can cause overheating)

Hope you get it sorted before she wakes up

 

[komatias]

Bent selector forks is your problem. Probably due to dump the clutch wheelies or stamp the lever gear changes. You need to drop and split the engine. Thankfully it is a single cylinder. Change the head gasket as too while you are at it.

 

[mortgagejohn]

Step by step guide

Hi guys
thanks for the input - the query is does anyone have or is there anything on the net that would take me through an engine removal step by step.

Thanks

 

[john_aero]

haynes manual or f650 faq section will do it for you.

first just get all the items off around the engine and its simple job take apart. need more concentration putting back together though but haynes manual will have an assemble and dissassemble for each part, top end, bottom and gear box

 

[Timolgra]

Hi guys
thanks for the input - the query is does anyone have or is there anything on the net that would take me through an engine removal step by step.

Thanks

Try this, it's not quite for your model but should help.
http://faq.f650.com/FAQs/EngineRemovalF650Classic.htm#Removing the Motor from an F650 Classic

 

[komatias]

try and download the second DVD from the chaingang. it goes through the steps. For a classic but the engine is 99% the same. Oh and you will need to find a flywheel puller (motorworks) and make a TDC bolt (M8 iirc).

 

[mortgagejohn]

Problem solved

Take a note of this one and save yourselves some heartach and money...

Guess what the problem was...?

The bike was fine through all the gears from 2nd up but there was no movement past neutral into first...

There is a neutral sensor switch (about a tenner) which has a spring loaded "nib" - the nib was bent and wouldn't retract when you tried to move into first. It actually comes out of the right hand side of the engine near the brake lever and doesn't need an engine strip down.

We stripped the engine before finding this out and internally the engine is perfect with virtually no wear for its 23,000 miles. The oil tank was overfilled by a previous owner (a common mistake I'm told) but had nothing to do with the loss of first gear.

So now you know - thankfully myself and a mate did the engine out and strip down otherwise would have been looking at £600+ bill.