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[NicoV]

I had thought of installing a new gearbox. Do I have to remove the engine for removing the gearbox, or is it possible to remove the bolts and studs of the gearbox and take it out independently ? I have a Jan 1999 Bullet 500.

[simon]

You can replace the internals in place but to remove the whole gearbox its an engine out job.

[PeteF]

The Albion gearbox is pretty robust. Why would you need to replace it? Unless you want 5 speeds of course.

[scotty]

Can be done got to take front engine plates off bit fiddley better pulling motor gearbox out. You can replace bearings with gearbox in place take off outer and inner box covers remove primery case and clutch warm ds case with portagas or hot air gun and tap bearing out new one stick in freezer o night I have a wooden drift turned up to fit something solid on outside of case and tap bearing in .

[Tim NZ]

Not too hard a job.


Remove seat, rear guard and tail light and the stays as one piece, and the fixed section of the guard, with the coil, Primary side, clutch etc all off.


Top gear box mounts off.


Remove the 1/2" stud from under the gear box.


Double nut the 4 studs off the rear of the gear box and into the oil tank and unscrew the studs...


WARNING! The studs can be very tight, AND they can be bent




OR, if it all turns to custard and you need to get the lot out:




DONT remove the lower engine plates, DON’T remove the center stand, DON’T remove the foot peg hex stud. DON’T remove the frame through bolts. Have them all loosened slightly and still attached to the frame, all spacers and packers still in situ; when reassembling it is a lot easier to get all of the associated frame through bolts and spacers into place with out the weight of the motor hanging off/on them…




To remove motor assy:
With no Clutch, alternator and primary covers fitted; just the bottom end and gearbox assy sitting in the frame.
Remove the 4 nuts and the 2 studs that secure the top of the gear box to the Triangular plates, loosen off the Through-bolt that passes through the top of the two plates, so that you will be able to swing the two plates up and around; the left hand one is Ok, the RH one is bit a squeeze and of need be that through-bolt ‘may’ possibly need to be tapped though to free of the RH triangular plate… Remove the lower rear through-stud that connects the engine to the lower front of the gearbox/engine plates.
Loosen off the two nuts on the ½” bolt that passes under the gear box.
Remove front engine plates, the motor will tilt forward… Swing the 2 triangular plates up and out of the way. (This is where you discover if you need to tap through the previously mentioned bolt?) Lift out engine and gear box, and the chassis stays there sitting on the center stand.

[NicoV]

Thanks very much to Simon, PeteF, Scotty and TimNZ for the replies. I am very positively amazed to get detailed replies (esp. TimNZ) to my question
I had thought of installing the right-shift kit. My 99 Bullet shifts on the left, and the shifting can be sketchy and erratic. The right-shift kit isn't cheap, and for a bit more I could get a new right-shift gearbox in India. I prefer to install the right-shift kit now that I know how much work would be involved, and I know the right-shift kit will be more sure to "work" and have the correctly machined parts.

[simon]

Most likely a clutch issue when the gears are hard to select. You'd be amazed what a pleasant and easy thing it is to use when the clutch is clearing properly.