Anyone have access to shims???
 

I asked McMaster Carr if they would sample a shim to me, but they declined.

I'm looking for a shim that is .016 thick, with an ID of about .625 (5/8"), and an OD of no more than .875 (7/8") - (actually an OD of .75 (3/4") is preferred).

I'm hoping to shim up the shifter a bit so it doesn't wiggle... And I figured a 15 cent shim mod is something I can pull off pretty easy :):):)

James

Have you thought about using nylon washers?

Yes... I was hoping to find brass or PTFE, but the only thing McMaster had in the correct dimensions was a stainless shim. I'm not being too picky about it because it's just taking up a little space...

I would prefer not cutting something out and having to make it round... Was just hoping to found a simple round washer/shim...

James

Why not just fit a new bush? I got a new DU one for a few bucks.

I did a bronze bushing last year, i'd like the shim for this area... See pic.

James

Pic 2

K&S Precision Metals, sells bulk brass shimstock available at any good hobby shop. Punch out your own with copper tubing and old drill bits??:cool:

I do not have any brass available but I can make you some stainless ones. Let me know if you want me to make you some. If you still have my email from the signals send me an email and I will do them in the morning and drop them in an envelope. I usualy only get on the forum once a day so I will see an email first.

Walt

James, read "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle maintenance"; i.e., aluminum soda or beer can/bottle. Cut out approximate size, punch center hole, punch OD, trim with scissors as need, stack to thickness required. That's what I did...

Walt made some shims for me and now the shifter has no play at all!!! :):)

I used a .008" on one side of the shifter, and a .007 and .002 on the other side of the shifter.

Shim size was 5/8" ID to clear the brass bushing i installed, and about 3/4" OD.

Thanks Walt!!!

James

++++1 "Zen" is wonderful. Thanks for bringing it up. It's time for another reading.

Rode my bike after the new shifter shims were installed... Shifting is ridiculously precise now! It's shocking the difference... One of the better mods i've done. Thanks Walt!!

James

Glad I could help.

0.015" Thick, 0.625" ID, 7/8" OD
99432A372
McMaster Carr
McMaster-Carr

Probably the same ones I found at first, but cost with shipping is quite a bit....

Plus I ended up going a different direction. I shimmed one side of the shifter with a .007 shim, and the other side of the shifter with a .008 shim.

Thanks!
James

McMaster-Carr
.005 thick, same size otherwise.

I suppose if all you needed was one shim, no spare hardware no material stock, no cleaners, tools, tooling, than yes $8.30 for a 10 pack and $6-10 for shipping is a lot.

There never been a day when I needed something from McMaster Carr I could not add 1/2 doz other things to make the order worth the shipping.

And not everyone has a buddy to cut them shims....:D

I think a new bushing in my sloppy gearshift would be a good investment. Can I ask what you purchased and where please?

I have no idea what he is talking about. Stock shifters don't have bushings, so there is nothing to order.

I had a bushing custom made for my stock shifter, then had the shifter bored out to accept the custom bushing. Pretty simple to do, just need to order the brass stock to get it started. I think I picked up a remnant piece on Ebay.

James

Better than brass if you're making a bushing use PTFE/Oil-Lubricated SAE 841 Bronze
McMaster-Carr

Or fit a bearing...

Sorry, I meant to say I did a bronze bushing, then stainless shims on the inside and outside of the shifter to take up the "wobble"....

Hard to remember all the little things that have been done.

James

Pardon my ignorance but if you are going to the effort of boring out the shift lever to take a bushing, why not just install a bearing?

No problem. Good question actually! I had planned to do a bearing at first, but they cost more, can be more difficult to find, and after conferring with forum members, they are really overkill.

I'm telling ya, if you rode my bike you would notice how amazing the shifting is. It is the most positive shifting bike i have ever owned, which is saying a lot because i have owned quite a few.

James

Thanks for a helpful reply James. I have a number of bearing suppliers located close to my work. What was the consensus on the bearing type? I'm pretty sure I can get needles or balls to suit, or bushings, and I have a helpful engineer at work as well.

Terry

It will have to be a needle bearing and one that has no inner race (or cone) unless you can find a better bearing then i could by way of common availability stock.

And it will take boring shifter and reducing or enlarging the size of the bolt that acts as the inner race for the bearing depending on what bearing you use.

Or you make a new attachment bolt to fit the new bearing.

The bronze bushing is much faster to make, fit and ream to size and if made to fit the bike specifically, can have a shoulder designed in that means you do not need shims in addition to the bushing.

I did the bearing way first, but found the bearing to get contaminated way to fast, then it gets notchy. Really needs a seal on both sides to keep the gunk out.

Then I made a bushing from the bronze material I linked above. Simple build, install and use compared to the bering, no slop no extra parts to assembly when the shifter goes on.... Just the shifter and bolt.

Yep i like that last idea...

I didn't want to deal with a custom bolt either, which was another vote for the bushing.


James

This is good stuff guys. Thanks for sharing the information. Another mod for my list now.

The shim/bushing is great, but it was only an enhancement to the real mod, which was replacing the shift linkage with heim joints and the early style aluminum shift rod.

All those mods working together makes a big difference.

James