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Tranny needs all the help I can get....

2587 Views 7 Replies 5 Participants Last post by  Sparkey
I'll give all the info I can think of here so the experts can make their best educated guess. Was riding my 2004 450 ES when it apparently decided it no longer liked any other gears than first & reverse. It will not shift past first no matter what I try. The ES moves the shift rod like it's shifting, but alas no 2nd on up. Tried to shift it manually with my trusty 12mm wrench, whis seems to have full movement, but it will not click into 2nd. First, neutral, and reverse is no problem, but anything else.....forget about it. I tried to adjust the clutch which seems to have zero affect on anything. I say that cause I first tried the "correct" setting which I found here(thank god for this forum), tried to make it too tight, too loose & it had no change in shifting OR clutch engagement at any setting. Any ideas on what the problem may be and how much I can expect to pay to get it fixed? My heart is broken right now(much like my beloved 4 wheeler) & I need honest opinions, good or bad.
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You'll have to remove the clutch cover and check the shift linkage & shift drum ...
QUOTE ("Honda Mechanic":7fl73wv2)
You'll have to remove the clutch cover and check the shift linkage & shift drum ...
check for what?

i'm in the same boat as you with my 2002 ES R N 1st is all she'll do
I hope you're not in the same boat as me. Just CHECKING the shift drum involves splitting the crankcase. In other words, I'm about to spend $600- $1200 for a complete rebuild. I figure if the engine and all has to be torn apart anyway might as well make it all fresh. New rings, hone the cylinder, replace anything that's not perfect. All this for what is probably a $40 part that broke. Just take it to a good TRUSTED bike mechanic. I usually veer away from the dealerships cause they have a tendency to replace parts that don't need replacing since they make money on the parts from their OWN parts department.
you can see alot of the shift parts with a light and the top end off . i would also take the motor out to get a better look. i dont know about spliting the case yet . dont forget about all those great HP power parts too. rummm rummm
Here is a picture of the gearshift parts for a TRX450 ...You see the pins in the drum shifter ,they must all be good or the gearshift plate won't turn past it .. The gearshift plate must also be in good shape ..

If your wheels are off the ground you can manually turn the shift drum thru the gears using a socket & ratchet while turning back & forth on the wheels , if it won't turn past 1st. don't force it ..

Your problem could be a gear or shift fork but I'd check the shifter linkage here under the clutch cover first ..

When the picture opens click it again to supersize it..

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I guess better late than naver, but wanted to thank everyone for the replies and the pictures. Can't wait to get my quad back from the shop. I've only put 70 miles on it and the weather is gettin nicer every day.
Please let us know what it took to fix it
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