Transmission issues.

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Michael Kara
Posts: 18
Joined: Mon Dec 16, 2019 12:24 pm
My Bike: ZXR 400 L7

Transmission issues.

Post by Michael Kara »

Hello again folks.

I've had a scary situation today.

As I was accelerating in I think 4th gear, while suddenly I felt a grinding it was sounding like the gearbox was tearing itself apart. I pulled the clutch in, tried to let it out and got the same feeling, like grinding(sounded that way as well). Tried to shift down a gear but I could't. Tried to shift up and that didn't work either. Like the shift lever was stuck somehow.

Pulled on the side of the road and it got into gear just fine and drove off.

A few km later as I was trying to get home it happened again(I think it was 4th gear again). Just like last time I stopped and was able to drive off again.

Also yesterday I was unable to shift from 1st to 2nd at high rpm and 1st, 2nd and 3rd would clank a lot during gear change. Could this be related?

Please help. I got honestly scared at that moment and the 2nd time almost got rear ended as well as it happened in a very bad spot.

Cheers,
Michael
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banner001
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Posts: 2584
Joined: Sat Sep 24, 2011 3:27 pm
My Bike: ZXR400 L4
Location: Nuneaton

Re: Transmission issues.

Post by banner001 »

Sounds like when I sheared a tooth off my 2nd gear cog.

Upshifted, heard a bang and grinding, up into 3rd noise goes away, 2nd noise is back, down into 1st gear and noise goes away.

You might have something similar. I wouldn't be riding it at the very least, could be an engine out and strip the bottom end job.
UK ZXR400 L3 (1993) - Fully restored and on the roads, my green beast!
JPN ZXR250 A2 (1990) - Revs to 19,200rpm... 'nuff said :smt003
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banner001
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Posts: 2584
Joined: Sat Sep 24, 2011 3:27 pm
My Bike: ZXR400 L4
Location: Nuneaton

Re: Transmission issues.

Post by banner001 »

UK ZXR400 L3 (1993) - Fully restored and on the roads, my green beast!
JPN ZXR250 A2 (1990) - Revs to 19,200rpm... 'nuff said :smt003
Michael Kara
Posts: 18
Joined: Mon Dec 16, 2019 12:24 pm
My Bike: ZXR 400 L7

Re: Transmission issues.

Post by Michael Kara »

Hello Banner

Thanks for the reply.

So far I doesn't seem to do it consistently.

I shifted through all the gears after it happened the 2nd time.

I feel it might have to do with opening the throttle in that particular gear?

In the post you linked it said something along the lines of 200 pounds? I defenetly don't have the required skils to fix it myself.

In case it had the same issue as yours, can I order/find new parts of do I have to look at used parts options?

Cheers,
Michael
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banner001
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My Bike: ZXR400 L4
Location: Nuneaton

Re: Transmission issues.

Post by banner001 »

Used parts would be fine, obviously check them for wear, and they might not last as long as brand new. Roger who did the work for me put in a used gear that he had and I have had no issues with it.

That post was a long time ago, and that was a very cheap garage so that price today could easily be £400 now.

If you can get the engine out I would remove the oil pan and look for "bits" in it. I would also see if you can observe the input and output shafts and/or the shifter forks.

Although first of all would be to get the rear wheel off the floor, start the bike, take it to a few thousand revs and then shift up and down to see if it is only on the 4th gear.

As for the throttle, there is no correlation between the throttle and a gear, so I doubt it's to do with that unless at a specific rpm your bike has a vibration and that's the cause of the noise.
UK ZXR400 L3 (1993) - Fully restored and on the roads, my green beast!
JPN ZXR250 A2 (1990) - Revs to 19,200rpm... 'nuff said :smt003
Michael Kara
Posts: 18
Joined: Mon Dec 16, 2019 12:24 pm
My Bike: ZXR 400 L7

Re: Transmission issues.

Post by Michael Kara »

Its not a vibration issue I believe it felt gearbox/clutch related at that moment, at least to my limited experience.

Those type of parts are actually quite rare in Greece. Is it possible to fit from another model?

On a side note I've been driving the bike quite a lot since I bought it(have done about 700km in roughly two months).

I really love the bike, the sound and the joy of riding it. Would hate to have broken it so soon.

As always thanks a lot for the help.

Cheers,
Michael
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banner001
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My Bike: ZXR400 L4
Location: Nuneaton

Re: Transmission issues.

Post by banner001 »

These are the part numbers

https://www.kawasakioriginalparts.com/r ... country=IT

https://www.kawasakioriginalparts.com/r ... country=IT

I've selected your bike as an Italian model, but it doesn't matter for the gearbox (as far as I know) unless it's an SP model.

Picking a cog at random - 13144-1214 - is zxr400 and the bj250 (which I have never heard of), some cogs are no longer available, so might require eBay or a spare engine.

But I would do some investigating first to see what the problem is before buying a new engine.
UK ZXR400 L3 (1993) - Fully restored and on the roads, my green beast!
JPN ZXR250 A2 (1990) - Revs to 19,200rpm... 'nuff said :smt003
Michael Kara
Posts: 18
Joined: Mon Dec 16, 2019 12:24 pm
My Bike: ZXR 400 L7

Re: Transmission issues.

Post by Michael Kara »

Thanks a ton Banner.


Was thinking it might be a good idea to get a donor bike altogether since it seems I might be needing a few things soon.

Will take her to a garage that was reccomended to me as soon as possible.

Good morning

Cheers,
Michael
Michael Kara
Posts: 18
Joined: Mon Dec 16, 2019 12:24 pm
My Bike: ZXR 400 L7

Re: Transmission issues.

Post by Michael Kara »

https://ibb.co/d0qhKTb
https://ibb.co/ygJFQZD
Just adding a few pics

This started happening last night.

I feel really down if I'm honest.

Will load her on a trailer tomorrow and drop her off to a Kawasaki garage and see from there.
Michael Kara
Posts: 18
Joined: Mon Dec 16, 2019 12:24 pm
My Bike: ZXR 400 L7

Re: Transmission issues.

Post by Michael Kara »

Hello folks.

Quick update.

Took my bike to a kawasaki repair shop last week.

Turns out my bike is an L3(could have searched that myself but ignorance is bliss sometimes).

As for my leackage, it coming from the shift lever side behind the front sprocket.

Ordered some oem seals about 20euros cost. Will take about 20(!) days to arrive to Greece.

In the meantime the bike runs fine. Somehow my bike has more oil than it should( manual says 3 litres) and I seem to have 0,3 more somehow.

For the time being, waiting for the parts to arrive.

As a sidenote, the mechanic seemed too scared to work on it in general(it did seem that way in our conversation, saying its too old and those bikes came faulty out of the factory stuff like that).

We'll see how it goes.

Cheers,
Michael.
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