Villiers 7/8E 3 speed gearbox assembly

[Mike48]

I'm having gearchange problems with my 7E 3sp gearbox. Engine off, gear changes work fine, in or out of the bike. Start up, selects low gear fine, straight to neutral ok. Try for 2nd, get a heap of neutrals, eventually get 2nd, 3rd almost impossible. If finally there, downchange goes straight to neutral, then 1st gear.
I have 2 gearboxes, shafts & gears appear in good condition. The selector mechanism doesn't appear overly worn, yet I get a variety of selection problems with either gearbox.
Any suggestions as to what is wrong/I'm doing wrong? Does the box have to be in a particular gear when fitting the end plate?

Very frustrated!
Mike

[John Wakefield]

I'm having gearchange problems with my 7E 3sp gearbox. Engine off, gear changes work fine, in or out of the bike. Start up, selects low gear fine, straight to neutral ok. Try for 2nd, get a heap of neutrals, eventually get 2nd, 3rd almost impossible. If finally there, downchange goes straight to neutral, then 1st gear.
I have 2 gearboxes, shafts & gears appear in good condition. The selector mechanism doesn't appear overly worn, yet I get a variety of selection problems with either gearbox.
Any suggestions as to what is wrong/I'm doing wrong? Does the box have to be in a particular gear when fitting the end plate?

Very frustrated!
Mike

This diagram may help http://www.isdm.co.uk/VI62/_VSF6.asp?ID=EXG073&fun=F2

[Mike48]

Thanks, that's the first thing I checked. Everything is there, the splines & springs seem ok. My next step is to emery stone all mating surfaces in case I've missed something. I don't remember such a vague feel to a villiers box before, so it must be something I'm missing on assembly.
It's a shame, the engine is very crisp and strong now I've made up an expansion chamber for it.

Cheers, Mike

[John Wakefield]

Must be someting simple, as from what I remember these 3 speed Villiers boxes were usually no trouble. It was the 4 speed Albion box that was a problem, full of false neutrals