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[JTL]

Hi all... some Bullets are converted to 5 speed boxes with gearchange at left side. It's done with a rod throu both oil tank and primary drive. Does anyone here know if the rod actually passes the oil tank itself or is it just the crankcase (the aluminum oil tank wall)?... regards Jacob

[mauri]

yes, it passes trough the oil tank which is part of the casing as a whole.



hence, thats why theres an extra tab on the gasket for a 5 speed engin casing.

[Alan R]

Hi JTL --- just to add my 10p worth in support of MAURI........ I had a Bullet 65 dismantled a few years ago and can confirm what Mauri has said..........In fact the shaft goes straight through the primary chaincase as well so as to connect with the L/H gear change lever..

[JTL]

Hi Mauri... but does it pass in its own compartment, or is it throu all the oil? The reason I'm asking is, that I have borrowed a 350 cc engine while I fix my own 500 cc with the broken piston. The 350 has been used on a bike with a 5 speed gearbox and left side gear change. I'm preparing the engine swop and was wondering about how to seal the holes left from the rod. Then someone told me that the rod passes throu it's own compartment, and will not cause any oil leaks. That would save me from fixing a "problem".

[Alan R]

Hi JTL----On the Bullet 65 I mentioned each case has a round hollow "spigot" cast into it and --- when assembled they align opposite each other to provide a complete hollow tube from one side of the oil tank to the other..The crankcase gasket was re-designed to accommodate this.. Incidentally the diagrammes in the Parts book online don't show this....If your 350 engine was designed in the first place to take a 5-speed box then it too should have those extra spigots cast into the oil tank area...Hope this is of some help ??

[Adrian]

Some Indian home market 350s DID have 5 speed gearboxes (350 E/S Electra 5S and the Machismo and Thunderbird AVL models), they will have the gear change shaft running through what is effectively an alloy tube inside the oil tank as Alan R describes.



A while ago I bought a set of 2001 500 E/S cases from our hosts. Although the cases were off a right-foot shift Bullet, the alloy boss was already part of the oil tank casting ready to be bored out for a left-foot shift five speed gearbox shaft.



A.

[JTL]

Hi... thank you all for replies. I have now had the engine in my hands and can confirm all your answers. Well, the history part of the tube construction the engine didn't say anything about, but I guess the owner didn't knew those details and now he can be enlightened thanks to you guys... regards Jacob