You're sure its stuck in 1st and not 2nd?? Is it that slow that you're sure its in 1st? The shift adjustment can be set so it shifts literally as soon as you pull the throttle. My guess is its your adjustment, its just not where it needs to be. You need to determine if its in 1st or 2nd since adjusting for either will go diff ways.
Ditch the caps please, not needed.