Topic: CB550F stuck in third gear

[matt.coles@gmail.com]

Hi all, long time reader, first time poster.  Searched all over the Googlenet and this site looking for leads to answers to this problem, but didn't find anything at all.  My last ditch effort for pointers is this post.  Here's the problem:

It's a 1977 Honda CB550F SuperSport, and it's run pretty great for me for quite some time.  One day while headed into work on a Saturday (my day already had me in a bad mood), I exited the freeway and got about a half mile into the arterials, and found that I suddenly could not shift gears out of third.  The clutch worked fine, and would let me idle with it pulled in.  No amount of jiggling the shift lever would allow me out of third.  I guess third was a pretty lucky gear to be stuck in, since it allowed me to hit all the necessary speeds to get home fairly safely (had to take it easy on the interstate, though).  No history of shifting problems, this was totally out of the blue.

Now, the problem persists.  I haven't done too much to try and fix it yet, because having just had our child, my free time is extremely scarce.  I have the option of taking this to a mechanic to have it fixed, but I'm a bit light on cash...so I'd like to do the work myself if it doesn't involve taking the engine out of the frame.  I've tried attempting to shift out of the gear with the clutch out and jiggling the bike back and forth, but that hasn't helped.

Basically what I'm looking for help with is:  Is this a problem it sounds like I can resolve clutch-side?  Or am I stuck taking this to a mechanic to take the engine out and bust the transmission out of this thing?

Any ideas are much appreciated!  Thanks!

[OldSkool]

As a disclaimer I have zero experience with the trannys on these CB550's but I was wondering if you've had the chance to simply take the clutch engine sidecover off and inspect everything inside? You could check the shift arms and make sure nothing is bent or broken there. The sidecover gasket is no longer available but I was able to purchase some gasket sheet material and make a few of them for only about $5.00


Good luck finding a fix

[ofreen]

On the 750, there is a little spring called the gear shift arm spring that occasionally pops off.  When that happens, you can't change gears.  I haven't messed with the 550, but there may be a similar spring.

[bryanj]

First question is the pedal "floppy" or still sprung loaded

There are 2 or 3 springs that can break behind the clutch basket which involves removing the cover (new gasket required) If its not one of those its an engine out case stripdown which means that cover has to come off any way

[matt.coles@gmail.com]

Shifter is still spring loaded, not "floppy".

Thanks guys, it sounds like my course is clear:  rip out the clutch, have a look around, and take it from there.  I appreciate the help, I'll let you know how it goes!

[matt.coles@gmail.com]

A half hour's worth of work later, and it looks like a single spring on the end of the gear selector ratchet and shaft assembly snapped in two.  This is the best news I could have gotten!  Thanks again, I very much appreciate it!

[WFO]

A half hour's worth of work later, and it looks like a single spring on the end of the gear selector ratchet and shaft assembly snapped in two.  This is the best news I could have gotten!  Thanks again, I very much appreciate it!

Don't ya love it when it's something simple and cheap. 

[bryanj]

They dont break often but that is the one i would have suspected, could be worth changing the other 2 on the detents at the same time and if the pedal had been floppy It would have been the big one on yhe pedal shaft.
Look for:-
24641-292-000    broken one
24435-323-020   other two small ones
11394-390-306 gasket

24651-286-000 pedal return spring if you feel like it