Bonneville America Forums Forums Technical Forums General Tech New Neutral Switch Installed - followup with pics

Replaced the Neutral Switch (dealer $24.00 plus crush washer) today and have pictures here as promised. Hope they show up or else I will need help getting them to show.
The switch was leaking from the electrical connection end. It also showed signs of wear on the pin end were it touches the slider inside the transmission. This is after 20,980 miles. I changed my oil at the same time and it was already drained when I removed the switch so no oil came out of the switch port in the transmission.

New and old (left side) switches

Neutral switch port in upper right . large port is where the oil filter attaches.

This shows the pin wear (one on left side)
I suspect that others with similar mileage would have similar wear which in my opinion is significant.


FYI - Great Nm torque wrench for this small size stuff


Hope they are here and hope this helps others with similar problem _OIL LEAK TO REAR OF OIL FILTER

Gary

Thanks, Gary. The pictures always tell a great story, and, I agree that's a lot of apparent wear for 20k. How hard was it to actually get to the switch, did you have to pull the right side muffler? I'm thinking deep well socket and pretty easy...
What brand torque wrench? I need one to further my collection

Ed,
I waited to do this job for when I did my oil and filter change because the neutral switch is located in the transmission, oil filled part of the engine/transmission case.
I used my motorcycle jack to lift the rear only(one jack pad against the rear tire and the other landed just behind the oil filter area. I guess if you had to you could suffer through this with it sitting on the ground.
I laid down to view the work area (one reason I have carpet under my garage parking area for the bike.
First - the spade wire connector doesn't just slip off like I figured. It has a boot over the connector that holds a pinch type release spade connector which I discovered by accident while trying to get a good hold on it to pull harder(important information on this item).
I took the oil filter off to do the job and I would suggest this be done to make it easier as you have to get your fingers up there to feel the connector pinch device.
You have to use a deep well socket to get over the male spade connector (14mm or 9/16"). Going back in and working upside down, I had to put a rag in the deep well socket to hold the switch out to the end of the socket to expose the threaded end for starting it in the engine/trans case port.
The switch with new copper crush washer gets tightened to 10Nm and the oil filter gets 10Nm as well.
With the torque wrench having a dial reading(shown in previous picture), I had to use a mirror to see when I was at the proper torque.
You have to get up close to correctly orient the female pinch connector over the male spade of the switch but once it is on you can fell it's correct. I pinched and released it again then went right back on to confirm it was correct.
Over all was an easy job. This is one procedure they do not put in the factory manual as confirmed by the dealer parts counter guys. Maybe someone can see if it is in the other manuals. I would guess this is a $75.00 - $100 dollar labor job plus parts (neutral switch $25.00 crush washer $1.10) and lost oil at the dealer. If you have the tools you can do it. 10 Nm is not very much (a good twist at the wrist is about it) torque if you are doing it without the torque wrench. You don't want to elongate the threads in the case or on the switch.
The torque wrench shown in the picture wasn't cheap but I wanted one that was going to be very accurate for all the small engine bolts. It is a non-ratcheting 0-300 in. lb./ 0-35Nm range. CDI Torque Products, model 3002LDIN manufacture Consolidated Devices Inc., City of Industry, California 91748.
Maybe someone can put this in the tech vault or an edited down version of it .
Gary

Good write up. Truly is Tech Vault material here. Sweet torque wrench too.

Just checked this out, it is in the Haynes manual Part 8.16 Electrical System, part 23 Neutral switch. Pretty good pics as well..

Ray,
Did they talk about the release for the spade connector?
Gary

Geezers eyes...must have larger photos!

I looked in the obvious places in the shop manual and the do not cover it that I could find, just as verification. I look in the electrical and tranny sections and didn't see anything,well I saw stuff but nothing about the neutral switch!

It's not in the Triumph book I've got either.

My question is, why did that sending lug get peened over in the first place? Sorry, but I would assume this device should be one of those 'for the life of the product' type items (as in, not hitting anything, ever).

Is this indicative of further issues?

Phil, If I am reading you question correctly( and tell me if I'm not), the picture above is an old (left side) and new (right side)neutral switch. The old one has been rubbing on a part of the transmissions mechanical shifting mechanism and has worn the sacraficial bronze switch pin end. The new switch starts out rounded on the end. The old switch is about 1/32" shorter now than the new one.
Gary

It is preferable for that to be soft and wear than an internal tranny part. I personally don't care if mine stops working all together, this is the 2nd bike in my life that I have owned with a working neutral light. If mine fails I'll probably put a bolt in there for a dollar or 2 and forget about it.

Ray,
The manual you have nicely shown in the post doesn't talk about the connector release like on my bike. maybe I have an updated one or (?). I wasn't able to pull the boot down like it shows there and I tried to do that even after the wire was disconnected from the switch.
Thanks for the information.
Gary

I think Better get a bottle of Glen Livet before I check mine. If it is stll there.
Now I know what to look for when I have a problem with neutal switch.

I wonder if this can happen if hunting for neutral at speed.

like in anticipation of a stop light click down to neutral and coast to a stop.

Had a friend used to ride that way. Cost him a transmission once. Just spitballing a cause as this appears to be uncommon.

Great write up!