1986 250SX Front Forks

[sweetip2000]

Is there any tutorials you can recommend which show how how to replace the fork seals ? I drained out the original oil from 1986 and flushed with Marvel oil drained and refilled with ATF. Has good rebound now but weeps fork oil all down the fork tubes. These are the OEM original seals from 1986. I bought the trike from the original owner and has low mileage on it. I mostly use it around the yard to haul firewood and do some trail riding occasionally.

Greetz to all 3 wheelers and hope you are still riding your ATC's

" My daddy told me those things are sketchy"

[ctk]

http://www.3wheelerworld.com/showthread.php/56218-Get-your-trike-service-manuals-here!-Updated-9-13-07

Try this

[sweetip2000]

I guess you are saying check the service manual ? I have that downloaded already.

thanks for the link chris

[Dirtcrasher]

What part are you having trouble with Andy??

[sweetip2000]

Hey Steve I did not start in on it yet. Once I got the price to do this and one other minor thing from my local mechanic I was motivated to do it myself.

[wonderboy]

Its not a tough job. The service manual explains it pretty well. You need to remove the damping rod bolt from the very bottom end of the slider (on the end, not the drain plug on the side). Leave the fork tube cap and spring in until you get the damping rod bolt out, it will help keep things from spinning. Then remove the first dust wiper and the snap ring. Then you use the fork tube like a slide hammer and pull the fork seal out.

[sweetip2000]

Should I get the Honda fork seals, dust wiper and snap ring or do I keep the existing snap ring ? The original parts have lasted 32 years. I have my doubts about aftermarket parts.

[ctk]

Buy all oem Honda parts. I’ve used aftermarket and you will be taking the forks back apart.

[sweetip2000]

Yup I want honorable parts not aftermarket. BTW these forks are different than what you say. There is no bleeder on the side. It has the oem front end with the drum brake. The drain is that bolt at the bottom under the fork.

[Dirtcrasher]

Not sure I understand. There are never any "fork bleeders", just drains and air bleeders on the TOP of the fork.

Just about all forks have a drain screw (10mm bolt with copper crush washer), and once you get into 200X/250R/350X, there is a schrader valve (tire valve stem) on the top of the fork for bleeding out the air that builds up inside.

When you say bottom, you must mean center bottom from below? That is the oil lock pipe bolt, it holds in your damper; It's not a bleeder...

Reuse the snap ring, I usually just wire wheel off the old surface rust, and then I rub grease all over it.

The only somewhat difficulty to this job is putting the seals back in. I must have 50 different pieces of pipe/tube/stock that I cut down and smooth out for hammering in the seal.

When you came up a few years ago, I believe I put seals in your 350X with you??

[sweetip2000]

Yes it is the bolt underneath the bottom of the fork. That is where I drained the oil from. Yup last time I came up was the 350X and you did the fork seals. I moved up north since then and needed a work horse for around the yard so went with the 250SX to haul firewood.
I still have some of the left over Bel Ray fluid you used for the fill.

[sweetip2000]

This is an encrypted link to my cloud drive. Tell me what you think of these vids. Are the 250SX front forks somewhat similar to the this ?

https://mega.nz/#!OS5h1LAT!wcsTDVtYzaUaR324eAY2Hd49SHC74ff-0pPYds2GIBE
https://mega.nz/#!ie5VXbLA!MwL_Ld-SkmaW1odpUwzHpJ-QCB_q1Bau_IluYjYULrw

One more bonus link for Steve and anyone who likes B0ston 1979 Giants Stadium Meadowlands NJ ripped from original VHS Tape

https://mega.nz/#!KX4DGTQQ!NaZ7te_22e_fBEujT38_ipwz4YRjdCdtiFIAt9e srws

enjoy and thanks for the replies

[Dirtcrasher]

Won't let me see the links...

Did you check YouTube for a video??

[sweetip2000]

Reposting the links. Here you go.

Boston 1979 Full Concert

https://mega.nz/#!zKpBWLSQ!NaZ7te_22e_fBEujT38_ipwz4YRjdCdtiFIAt9e srws

Fork rebuild videos Part 1 and 2

https://mega.nz/#!WLhh0JpI!wcsTDVtYzaUaR324eAY2Hd49SHC74ff-0pPYds2GIBE

https://mega.nz/#!zPwVXJZY!MwL_Ld-SkmaW1odpUwzHpJ-QCB_q1Bau_IluYjYULrw

[Leevvii]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ssZXBHL8Z4&t=1030s

Not the exact forks your after, but the principals are the same, at least for the gen 2 250R and the gen 1 200X, hope this helps

[sweetip2000]

hey thanks for posting the video. I downloaded it. Will watch a few times and give it a go.

[Leevvii]

no probs, hope it helps

[sweetip2000]

I watched the videos a gazillion times so I might as well order the oem seals I believe that is part #51490-473-305. It is for a 86 250SX. From what I have read the seal hammer is 43mm ID and has a split in side of it. I will see if I can get some PVC tube for that.

I found some pics of my niner. One of my favorite bikes of all time.

[Leevvii]

43mm ID and has a split in side of it

Are you sure they have a split, not really sure what you mean by this
heres a pic of the fork seals should look like [from my 250R, not the 250X, but should look the same], both are included in the set you quoted.
255065

or are you talking about these [pic below]
255067

These are not the fork seals, they are guide slider bushes, they are split to allow installation on the fork slider tube. They may also need replacing, but curiously, they are not listed on the 86 250X schematic [on partzilla].

As i said, these ones are from my 84 250R, but i thought there would be similar parts on the 250X forks, but i cant be sure, ive not seen inside the 250X forks.

I also notice that only the BUSH, GUIDE is on the 84 250R schematic, and the BUSH, SLIDER is not shown on the partzilla schematic, i wonder how accurate their Schematics are, because they definately are a part of my forks, and are clearly shown and listed in the Clymer manual for the 250R

[Leevvii]

All Balls also supply a fork seal kit for the 86 250SX, go to their website and do a search for your model and they list their kit numbers.

[sweetip2000]

I checked with rocky mountain atv today and they confirmed that the honda part # 51490-473-305 is the correct fork seals for the 86 250SX. There is a fork seal and a wiper in each package which is 21 dollars for each pair so it will cost me 42 dollars for the parts. I might as well look for them on ebay as I can probably get free shipping.

The split I was talking about is the fork seal hammer. I was thinking of getting a piece of PVC tubing 43mm and using it to tamp down the seal.