Shifter Seal

[wingy]

I remember seeing a post with a Honda part number for the shifter shaft seal.
I found Vic's reply about how to dig the old one out and get the new one squared up and pushed in, but no part number.
I tried a search and a few hours of combing through posts but came up empty.
Can someone remember where to look for this info?

[85GL1200I]

Honda part number 91206-286-013

[wingy]

Excellent.
Thank you !

[neoracer]

i saw somewheres that a guy needed one for a 1500 and it was the same part # so you might find one in stock at a dealer

[wingy]

Just a note to say that I did get the new shifter seal at Honda and dropped the exhaust to change it out.
It was fairly easy to remove the old leaking seal with a small bent screwdriver.
The new one tapped in nicely using a long socket, slightly smaller in diameter than the seal.
No more oil spots on the pavers!

[WingMan71]

Guys,

Just a tip that it is NOT necessary to drop the exhaust to change out the shifter seal. I just did mine last weekend without dropping the exhaust. It was easy.

EDIT: This only works on '86 and '87 GL1200s. The '84 and '85 used a different one-piece exhaust header design that does not allow this method.

The only thing keeping you from getting the shift lever off the shaft is a clamp and nut that holds the chrome shield onto the exhaust pipe. If you remove the nut holding that chrome shield you can remove the back half of the clamp (kind of like a metal strap).

Once that clamp is removed, you can pull the top of the chrome shield away from the exhaust pipe about 1/2 inch. That is all the room you need to remove the shift lever! Very easy.

The only PITB part is that you can't use a ratchet to remove the hold-down nut from the shift lever because the exhaust is in the way. You have to use and open end or box end wrench. That said, it only took me about 1 minute to remove the nut. Much less effort than dropping the entire exhaust system.

Be sure to take the hold-down screw all the way out. It sits in a cut-out in the shift shaft and you can't get the shift lever off without removing it. I used a right-angle pick to remove the old seal. Wedged it between the shift shaft and the seal, turned it 45 degrees and pulled out. Did that in two spots, and the old seal came out. Be careful not to scratch the shaft or the ID of the hole that the seal sits in.

Hope that sames somebody else some time in the future.

[admin]

While it is not absolutely necessary to drop the exhaust on a GL1200 to get the shifter seal in it sure makes it a lot easier to get the seal in straight and true. Driving the seal in out of square can easily damage the seal and possibly the engine block. If you can do it succesfully without dropping the exhaust then more power to you. For myself, since having problems with newly installed seals leaking on GL1200's I prefer to drop the exhaust for better access and straight seal driving.

[WingMan71]

Driving the seal in out of square can easily damage the seal and possibly the engine block.

Vic,

I didn't have any trouble at all tapping the new seal in with a socket. I thought that might be an issue, but it was a straight shot right between the two exhaust pipes! Got the socket on the seal square and true, no problem. Just had to put a 4" extension on the socket before tapping on it.

I'm still smiling about how easy of a job it was. :d

[admin]

I wish it worked like that on the bikes I worked on, especially mine. Perhaps some manufacturing differences in the exhaust manifolds would explain our different results.

[WingMan71]

Perhaps some manufacturing differences in the exhaust manifolds would explain our different results.

Vic,

You got my curiosity up on this one, so I checked the Honda microfiche.

There are TWO DIFFERENT exhaust header pipe designs on the GL1200s ! ! ! hock:

Both the '84 and '85 GL1200 use a one-piece exahust header pipe set on each side that includes the two header pipes and a one-piece flange used to bolt them to the head.

Both the '86 and '87 GL1200 use two separate exhaust header pipes on each side with separate flanges to hold them on. Not the same design at all!

My method of changing the shifter seal will only work on an '86 or '87 GL1200. Those with an '84 or '85 using the OEM exhaust parts will have to drop the exhaust to do the job.

I'll add a note to my original post making this clear.

Mystery solved!

[admin]

Great detective work, well done. :YMAPPLAUSE:

[Guest]

OUCH now the job does not sound so easy!!!!!