Shift lever concerns

[85twofiftyES]

Hi guys! I wanted to save my introduction until I could post pictures of my Big Red all cleaned up and looking sharp. But I could use a helping hand first.
It is my first three wheeler and first time riding one, picked er up last month for $1000 CAD, she looks sharp, (pics incoming) he wanted $1250 and it came with the factory plow, not necessary for my driveway so i passed on the plow and offered $1000.
Anyways how I got myself into trouble is I get stuck in reverse gear and and try to muscle the shifter lever back out of reverse it almost "strips" and have lots of play almost "skipping" thru all the gears. When moving it trying to catch neutral I can hear the gears clicking. If you could dumb it down as much as possible as I couldn't tell what wrench I have while holding it in my hand .
Pulling it out of the bush in reverse gear back to the garage. I loosened the bolt of the shifter lever and not overtightened but sinched er down good. I managed neutral again fired er up and all gears were good to go. I took another test run in the bush again and another attempt in reverse and same situation. I drove reverse for a mile back to the garage, did same adjustment but now she idles REAL high. Put the wrench down and came to the experts!
I know i'm low in experience but keep me in line and I'll take good care of 'er! Promise!

[85twofiftyES]

any suggestions appreciated

[Thorpe]

First, download the manual, and have a read... So was it the shift lever, or an internal issue you are chasing? I have dealt with both on my BR...

http://www.3wheelerworld.com/showthr...pdated-9-13-07

[tri again]

If the splines are getting stripped, you may be lucky and
the shifter is worse than the shaft, and another shifter is available to you.

Some have saved those by removing the pinch bolt and somehow
widening the pinch space with a hacksaw so it has more room to pinch tighter.

Some get tack welded but that almost never works.
Also good to have a new shift shaft and shifter arm for when it finally does
give up the ghost.
As I recall, the internal shaft is not hard to replace.
Nice to have a new side cover gasket tho.

I guess it depends on what's going bad.
As Thorpe hinted, a good diagnosis is a good place to start.

I've had a few stripped because the kids would STOMP on them.

so I'd baby them back together and install the shifters straight vertical so they had to shift with their hands

I've heard that aftermarket shifters are not too expensive or hard to find.

My fingers are crossed that your splines are still happy.

[85twofiftyES]

took the shift lever off, looks like a burr on one of the grooves. could be the culprit. shopping for new lever now. thanks boys

[85twofiftyES]

I installed brand new shifter, everything is copacetic on flat level ground. When I am off trail however, stuck in reverse gear, or sometimes cant get from low gear to neutral. In that situation I turn the key off, then shift down. Is this something I will just have to get used to?
And thanks to the board for detailed advice, I've changed rear diff oil, cleaned air filter, adjusted brake tension, attempted the fuel strainer, but fuel cup was stripped bolt head. Next on list is carb I suppose.
Thanks! Have fun out there!

[Thorpe]

I had part #21 break, (pretty common to these machines) and it made shifting in and out of gears very difficult...

http://www.bikebandit.com/houseofmot.../m1902#sch9401

[dougspcs]

I installed brand new shifter, everything is copacetic on flat level ground. When I am off trail however, stuck in reverse gear, or sometimes cant get from low gear to neutral. In that situation I turn the key off, then shift down. Is this something I will just have to get used to?
And thanks to the board for detailed advice, I've changed rear diff oil, cleaned air filter, adjusted brake tension, attempted the fuel strainer, but fuel cup was stripped bolt head. Next on list is carb I suppose.
Thanks! Have fun out there!

Just don't want to overlook the obvious..the high idle is why you can't shift from reverse. The centrifugal clutch won't disengage and 'lock-up' the transmission.

All my 250cc/semi-autos trikes and my 300cc/semi-auto quad are difficult to shift out of reverse if the choke is on and the idle too high or when the clutch isn't adjusted properly.