2001 Bombardier Traxter....won't shift

replaced the sprag clutch on starter behind the ignition cover and now it won't shift. And can't shift manually either as long as the cover is on. Does anyone know what I'm doing to cause this?  

when you replaced trhe sprag clutch did you make sure you put it on in the proper direction?

most of the sprage type clutches will go on in either direction but are designed to run only one way to work properly.  honda fourtrax uses a sprag clutch as well if you put it on backwards it wont shift or kickstart either  
ALL REPAIR ADVICE GIVEN FREELY, I CANNOT ATTEST TO YOUR MECHANICAL ABILITY FOLLOW AT YOUR OWN RISK

Wolf Performance
...KEEP IT RUBBER SIDE DOWN!!....

Huge thanks to Aaron and Henn (user from a different forum) who helped me resolve this issue with me Traxter...

Hello all,



I have had an issue with my Traxter’s shifting and was unable to find a desperately needed bit of intel to fix it until recently.  With that in mind, I figured I would add to a few sites a bit of info I picked up about my Traxter’s shifting issues…

Note: this may not be the case with all Traxter’s shifting problems but if you have recently replaced the sprag gear/clutch (part 41/42) in the ignition assembly or if your have removed your ignition cover - this MAY be your issue.

My Traxter had a sprag go on it so when the electronic start was used it sounded as it something was grinding in the engine.  After a bit of research it turned up the sprag issue.  For fixing it most all of the info needed can be found here:

website -  serach: 2001-traxter-sprag-clutch-replacement-plus-some

Once this repair was complete my starter worked perfectly, however, during the test drive to make sure I had put everything was back together correctly, I found that I was now unable to shift from first.

So more research ensued…

What I found was out of a multitude of sites with no answers, I found two guys (Henn and Aaron) who had mentioned that when the ignition housing is put back on, care must be taken to make sure of the shift piston’s position.

(part #23 in the  diagram here: website add "." where there are spaces { www cheapcycleparts com /model_years/14065-can-am-2001-traxter-autoshift-/assemblies/281332-03-ignition-and-water-pump} )

This piston slides side to side on the motor shifting gears.  When reassembling the ignition cover it is possible to put the housing back on but have this piston slightly off.  To check if this is your problem take of the small cover (part #25 in the above diagram) on the right side of the engine -  be advised - a small amount of oil will puke out.  The diagram shows only the far left side of the piston with the hydraulic relief hole at the top/ 12 o’clock position but on the right hand side the hole is actually at the bottom/6 o’clock position.  If your piston’s relief hole is not right at the bottom/6 o’clock position (mine was at about 5 o’clock) this would likely be your problem.

To correct this (I am assuming you have already taken your rear racks on plastics off) drain your coolant, drain your oil and remove your air box ONLY.  Full removal of the rad, fan, airbox, carb, rear axle, rear swing arm IS NOT NEEDED.  It is for the full sprag repair or ignition cover removal, but NOT for repositioning the shift piston.  With ONLY the air box removed you should be able to get at all but two of the ignition cover bolts- some will be a bloody tight reach but it is possible.  Loosen these off to about 1/4” out.  This will loosen the cover enough to take the pressure off of the piston.  Pull off the shift piston cover (part #25) and use the relief hole and the tip of a philips screw driver to rotate the piston to the appropriate bottom/6 o’clock position (I had to tap lightly with a hammer to 'encourage' the rotation).  Once this is done, re-place the ignition cover, check the piston position once more then replace the small piston cover, tighten all bolts, and replace the air box.  Fire up your machine and give it a go.

Hope this helps someone as much as it helped me!