Popping Out of Gear On Steep Hills

[Skirted]

I've noticed the 48 has an occasional tendency to pop out of gear on long and steep climbs. No shortage of those in SW PA. The first couple times it did it I thought I bumped the shifter forward from 2nd to neutral accidentally. Put a bunch of miles on last weekend and I was near the top on one of the steepest grades one expects to encounter on a road and it popped out of first gear so I know the shifter wasn't bumped.

Is correcting this a simple matter of adjusting the shifter detent? The transmission shifts and operates fine otherwise.

Thanks

[20scout]

Yes, should be that simple. Had the same thing happen on my 46, adjusted the detent and the problem disappeared.

[RCamp]

Jason,
I'm afraid you may have a problem. If bushings, gears, and bearings are in good shape, and endplays and shifter fork alignment are correct, you should be able to run the tranny with no pressure on the detent at all.

When everything is correct, the backcut on the gears and shifter clutches will keep them in place.

Tightening the detent may only mask the problem and you could end up with a bent shifter fork when it jumps out of gear.

Ralph

[RCamp]

Jason,
I must have had a brain fart. I thought we were talking about a 48 Harley 4 speed. I just wasn't paying attention.
I don't know anything about Indian trannys.
Sorry about that!
Ralph

[Skirted]

Jason,
I must have had a brain fart. I thought we were talking about a 48 Harley 4 speed. I just wasn't paying attention.
I don't know anything about Indian trannys.
Sorry about that!
Ralph

No problem Ralph. Thanks for the response just the same. I felt privledged to get two responses! I noticed your experience was with HDs and that your response may have been relative to those. From what I've seen the Indian tranny gear arrangement is basic sliding engagement and no clutches or constant mesh design.

Thanks 20scout.
There seems to be what I'd consider light detent pressure now as the shifter glides very easily through the gears. I'll try increasing the detent a little this evening and go hill climbing.

[Sargehere]

Good Luck!
If you've ever had one apart and looked inside the Indian transmission, you'd have a better understanding of why yours pops out-of-gear. All the gear teeth in one are built "rounded," to start with, to accommodate the sliding-gear (second gear, of three) that does almost all of the work. As the gears wear, they just round-off even more.

It's just a very primitive transmission, dating back to the dawn of gear-driven machinery. Too bad that Indian, in its death throes, could never afford to design/adopt a proper transmission, run on more modern principles, like Harley did in 1936. That box served well until the 1980s. Just sayin'. It is the nature of the beast.

[stan]

Jason. Don't feel bad I have brain farts all the time. I think it comes with age. I think that is where Harley has it over Indian. The Indian crash box tarnsmission was the same for many years. I know my 37, and 47 uses the same straight cut gears. I think they used the same trans up to the end. Stan

[exeric]

I had that problem with my Chief. Tightening the spring loaded detent ball will help. I agree, the Indian trans was a weak point, and only made worse by a wet clutch that caused plates to stick, and made gear grinding unavoidable. A synchomesh 4 speed with a usable ratio would have unlocked a lot of the potential in the old flathead. Oh well, Indians are still one helluva good motorcycle.

[fillibuster]

I've noticed the 48 has an occasional tendency to pop out of gear on long and steep climbs. No shortage of those in SW PA. The first couple times it did it I thought I bumped the shifter forward from 2nd to neutral accidentally. Put a bunch of miles on last weekend and I was near the top on one of the steepest grades one expects to encounter on a road and it popped out of first gear so I know the shifter wasn't bumped.

Is correcting this a simple matter of adjusting the shifter detent? The transmission shifts and operates fine otherwise.

Thanks

I enjoyed this problem with 47/sidecar. Solo wasn't bad, but screaming on the mountains in 1st & 2nd (the rest of the pack is way out in front of me..), and slipping out of gear, losing momentum,,..... I spent a lot of time holding the shifter forward! Double-clutched a lot for down-shifting, ... I thought I was good!..
Anyway, the detent adjustment was of no help because of the bevel effect on ALL gear teeth except output. More discriminate scrounging at swap meets solved that, and darned poor and cheap stuff got me a lot of miles; and I have much patience for he who gets there on less, as long as it's HIS blood and sweat involved, not mine.

[fillibuster]

I've noticed the 48 has an occasional tendency to pop out of gear on long and steep climbs. No shortage of those in SW PA. The first couple times it did it I thought I bumped the shifter forward from 2nd to neutral accidentally. Put a bunch of miles on last weekend and I was near the top on one of the steepest grades one expects to encounter on a road and it popped out of first gear so I know the shifter wasn't bumped.

Is correcting this a simple matter of adjusting the shifter detent? The transmission shifts and operates fine otherwise.

Thanks

I enjoyed this problem with 47/sidecar. Solo wasn't bad, but screaming on the mountains in 1st & 2nd (the rest of the pack is way out in front of me..), and slipping out of gear, losing momentum,,..... I spent a lot of time holding the shifter forward! Double-clutched a lot for down-shifting, ... I thought I was good!..
Anyway, the detent adjustment was of no help because of the bevel effect on ALL gear teeth except output. More discriminate scrounging at swap meets solved that, and darned poor and cheap stuff got me a lot of miles; and I have much patience for he who gets there on less, as long as it's HIS blood and sweat involved, not mine.

[Skirted]

I made a small adjustment to the detent. A little more force required now but not excessive or enough to create an overshifting effect. Can't tell yet if its better as I was working through another issue last week and didn't ride much. Sounds like it could go either way depending on condition of gears. I'll find out this Sunday on a chapter road run which is certain to encounter some long climbs.

[prjmongo@yahoo.com]

Got an Indian, Chief- Yes it is true they used the same $%@&@#%#$ tractor transmission right to till just prior to their timely demise. Detent adjustments are helpful but in the end they are only as good as the shift fork slider (the other half of the detent) I am not positive but last I checked I am net even sure they are being reproduced - PLEAsE don't quote me I just don't know. anyway the ball has to have pressed onto theses lobes for 60+ years- If these old parts ever did hold a gear it was a long time ago.

[Skirted]

UPDATE - The slight adjustment I made to the detent solved the problem at least for the time being. Pulled many long hills riding two-up under full load.