Quaife
5 speed cluster. Road ratios with provision for a kickstart mechanism, although
my bike does not have one, as this makes it possible simply to reverse a gear
lever for the rearsets. This has the “benefit” of giving a down-for-down,
up-for-up gear change.
Incidentally, the Quaife selector plate spindle can be fitted to either surface giving “1 down, 4 up" or “1 up and 4 down” box options. The plate is marked “Normal” and “Reverse” This is misleading. Normal here means “like a Triumph” and “Reverse” means “like a Norton” So, I bought a 5 speed box for a Norton and chose to remain “Normal” but discovered that I had built a Triumph-like box!
I find it useful to leave the rear engine pates on the gearbox shell and use timber to chock up the shell so that the main shaft and sleeve gear can be fitted without touching the bench. keep a 12" length of 5/16" rod inserted in the selector shaft hole to prevent any of the three selector forks disengaging from the cam plate during the rebuild
If you have any problem indexing the Quaife 5 speed cluster, I discovered the following works.
This shows a view of the gear box shell without the inner and outer covers, and before any shafts, selectors and pinions are fitted. When the detente plunger is in the first gear notch the inner surface of the selector quadrant knuckle should be exactly in line with a centre line through the two studs . The box should then be built up without shafts and gears. Fit the knuckle roller before the inner cover! Fit the gear lever and ensure that all five gear positions for the cam plate are achievable without fouling any of the castings. If not, some judicious filing is required. When the selector mechanism is known to work, strip, place the selector plate in neutral and assemble shafts and gears.