Shifting problem

[48pan]

I have a '76 shovel FXE that used to have shifting linkage that went through the primary case. Someone changed to forward shifting like the old bikes. I've been having problems in 2nd gear. If i shift into 2nd and hold the foot shifter up as I let out the clutch as is well. If I shift normal up to 2nd and let the shifter go normally it usually pops out of gear into neutral. I've had the tranny out twice and other than a mildly worn grears, I can't find anything wrong with the ratchet lid or any linkage problems, except the lever on the ratchet lid points up which makes the ratchet lid turns in a clockwise motion to shift up and on my old pan the lever is pointing down and it turns in a counter clockwise motion to shift up.  Like I've said, I've had the tranny out twice. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

[Tobias]

It sounds like a broken spring in the shifter pawl.

[48pan]

Thanks. but no the springs are good. maybe weak. do they loose tention?
Doesn't it seem odd that the ratchet lid on the pan rotates one way and the shovel rotates the opposite way.

[Tobias]

The springs can get weak over time.
Does it only pop out from 2nd to neutral, or does it do it on other shifts?

The only other thing I can think of is that the dogs on 2nd are worn out.
Does it feel like it "ratchets" and then grabs in 2nd, or does it just pop out?

[easyricer]

I went through that a year ago in mine. I use a tank shifter with a smooth shift gate and had to hold the shifter into second while I got the rpms up enough to shift into third. Ratchet pawl springs as well as a worn shift fork bushing. I replaced all the worn gears while I was in there with Andrews gears. I used a JIMS rebuild kit, as it has not only all the gaskets and seals but new bushings also.
Today, shifting to any gear and back into neutral is slicker and easier than any twinkie tranny! Smooth and effortless.
EASY

[48pan]

Still question why the arm on the ratchet lid is on top on the shovel and on the bottom for the pan. Which makes the ratchet lever go in opposite directions. to shift. That the part that puzzles me.

[76shuvlinoff]

I would guess your answer may be in the opening sentence of your opening post, it used to have mid controls and now it has forward controls.

Someone did what they had to do with the linkage to get the shift pattern correct?

[Lew]

If all checks out as you say, my best guess would be the linkage is out of adjustment.

Lew 

[CraigArizona85248]

Still question why the arm on the ratchet lid is on top on the shovel and on the bottom for the pan. Which makes the ratchet lever go in opposite directions. to shift. That the part that puzzles me.

The lever is only backwards on the FX bikes that had mid controls.  The mid controls are too close to the ratchet lid to put the lever facing down and still get a smooth shift.  So they did two things... 1) flipped the lever around 2) put in a different shift drum to keep the shift pattern 1-down / 4-up.  Note that the first two years of the FX had the upside down lever w/ the FL type shift drum so they had a 1-up / 4-down shift pattern.

All the shovel FL bikes had the lever on the rachet pointing down like on panheads.  But they all had the controls mounted forward for use with floor boards.

-Craig

[48pan]

Thanks Craig that is the info I was looking for. Now all I have to do is figure out how to fix it without going back to that rear style set up.
thanks again.