Motorcycle Repair: yamaha xt 500 gearbox, yamaha xt 500, partslist

Question
Ihave a xt500 rebuilt sorted everything carb idle everything, when tried to connect the gear lever the circlip on the shaft shifted and the shaft shifted into the gearbox now I can only get neutral and first gear, tried everything but can;t get it fixed, any help! I would appriciate detailed gearbox diagram or repair manual, the part on gearbox.

Thanx Wilhelm
South Africa

Answer
Wilhelm,

if I understand you correctly, the shift shaft
moved inward and now it won't shift?
I didn't notice if the year of the bike was mentioned
but they should all be similar.
Inside the clutch cover where the end of the shift
shaft is there are teeth that have to mesh
correctly.

Here are some diagrams that may help to visualize
the possible problem:

The teeth on shifter shaft 8 here:
http://www.cmsnl.com/img/Yamaha_SHIFTER_2_XT500F_1979-partslist-big-YAU1051B-9.g...

should mesh with

the teeth on shifter part 18 here:
http://www.cmsnl.com/img/Yamaha_SHIFTER_1_XT500F_1979-partslist-big-YAU1051B-8.g...  

These teeth may have been misaligned after
the shaft moved inward preventing
it from shifting properly.

Just get the teeth centered and it should
shift up and down okay.
Make sure the return spring is on
the shift shaft and working okay.
Replace your circlip and shift pedal.

Let me know if this is not the problem,
and give me more info.