verticalspark

.060 Over
Joined
Aug 7, 2022
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125
Ride
2005 Rocket III
After about 8k miles since buying the bike, I downshifted from 3rd to 2nd, and I got a large pop and grinding pulling into my driveway. I rolled down the hill with the bike off and heard nothing but metal grinding as the bike sped up and slowed down in front of my shed. Think I have been bitten by the 3rd gear C-clip popping off, which toasted the transmission. The real question is if it's worth tearing the engine apart and fixing it, or should I get a used engine? Having a used engine, I don't know what I'm getting, but I have to use my neighbor's garage to store my bike and tear it apart, assuming he lets me use it for a few months.

Adam
 
1ST the early rockets don't lose the clip
i would guess the problem to be the final drive and that is what i would check first.
i am thinking that the splines is stripped going into the collar on the final drive.
if it is then go with a later model with the drive shaft that is bigger.
to confirm move rubber boot back at the rear of motor rotate wheel and see if the driveshaft turns at the motor.
hth
 
1ST the early rockets don't lose the clip
i would guess the problem to be the final drive and that is what i would check first.
i am thinking that the splines is stripped going into the collar on the final drive.
if it is then go with a later model with the drive shaft that is bigger.
to confirm move rubber boot back at the rear of motor rotate wheel and see if the driveshaft turns at the motor.
hth
I pulled the final drive a few weeks ago, and it was rusted as hell but all good. The noise comes from the engine just in front of the input from the drive shaft. I have to ask a neighbor if I can use his spare garage to get it off the ground and start the hard checks. But in the short time it ran before I killed the engine, the noise was defiantly (and unfortunately) in the engine case.
 
I pulled the final drive a few weeks ago, and it was rusted as hell but all good. The noise comes from the engine just in front of the input from the drive shaft. I have to ask a neighbor if I can use his spare garage to get it off the ground and start the hard checks. But in the short time it ran before I killed the engine, the noise was defiantly (and unfortunately) in the engine case.

on some of the rockets the bearing was put in the wrong way int the back of motor in the torque assy.
 
on some of the rockets the bearing was put in the wrong way int the back of motor in the torque assy.
I have been looking at the forums and it seems that many early parts were put in incorrectly. If that bearing went, the gears are gone. I did manage to get it into 1st and idle a bit to get it all the way down my 1/4 mile drive which seems to me like it hit a partial shift during downshift and took some teeth. but I wont know until I drop the motor and split the bottom end. Either way, its going to be expensive.
 
I have been looking at the forums and it seems that many early parts were put in incorrectly. If that bearing went, the gears are gone. I did manage to get it into 1st and idle a bit to get it all the way down my 1/4 mile drive which seems to me like it hit a partial shift during downshift and took some teeth. but I wont know until I drop the motor and split the bottom end. Either way, its going to be expensive.
Bugger, good luck with the investigation 👀
 
I pulled the final drive a few weeks ago, and it was rusted as hell but all good. The noise comes from the engine just in front of the input from the drive shaft. I have to ask a neighbor if I can use his spare garage to get it off the ground and start the hard checks. But in the short time it ran before I killed the engine, the noise was defiantly (and unfortunately) in the engine case.
Not saying you're wrong, but take @TURBO200R4 advice and pull the final drive to see if the shaft is stripped. It's possible the sound is traveling up to the front end of the shaft. Fingers crossed for you- that would be your best case scenario.
 
Well you know what they say, when it rains, it directs a hurricane in your direction. I woke up today to no heat in the house. HVAC completely took a crap and will be a bit past 9k to replace. Then halfway to work, the transmission in my van decided it was a good day to blow up as well. So to say that it has been an absolutely crap few days to start the year, I'm not exaggerating.
Unfortunately with the new problems, the bike takes the back burner. I pushed it in the yard to move it out of the way and the scraping noise is still coming from the engine but I will be pulling the rear tire, final drive, and shaft once I manage to have time and money to actually fix it. Starting from the easy to the hard, I will be taking it apart from the rear tire forward. But as it stands in my mind, I will start saving for a used engine. Once its swapped and I can ride again (the bikes get more miles then my vehicles every year) I will tear apart the current engine and start to see what went wrong and how I can upgrade that engine.
 
MY EAT TOOK A **** AND ITTURNED OUT TO BE (SORry caps) a little pastic thing in the pipe going out replaced the pipe and plastic valve and all was fine.
hey guy been working on transmissions for (well since 1966)
give me a call if u want 520-two nine 4-eight 7 one 7.
hermans automatic
herman
 
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