Forks are apart, now I need to put them back together!

[NewfieBish]

Well, i started rebuilding the front forks on my 85' R tonight. Everything was going good until..... I tried to get that Hex bolt out of the bottom of the fork.. and it was hard, so i put the springs back in like the manual said. i then proceeded to strip the hex thread out! so now, i hammer in a standard size hex bit, it fitted good, but again.. it stripped. has anyone ran into this problem before or heard tell of it happening? all i am trying to do is replace the oil seals and dust seal, so if anyone knows how to get that hex bolt out or if i even have to, let me know! im stuck!:(

[Itrike]

I end up drilling the head of the bolt out when this happens then you will have to drill the rest out once its appart. probably diif ways to do this , its just what I do

[Dirtcrasher]

I end up drilling the head of the bolt out when this happens then you will have to drill the rest out once its appart. probably diif ways to do this , its just what I do


Exactly! Thats about it... If you use a 5/16 cobalt drill bit .3125 or so, it will munch through the very limited material left and leave you with a piece of stud stuck in the lower damping rod. Which, should spin right out. A lefthanded drill bit may zing that right out or a slice from a dremel and then a flthd screwdriver.

I loctite that bolt, so you'd be screwed if the forks came from me.

Can I guess that you used a standard allen wrench and not Mr. metric?? I think it's a 6MM wrench.....

[NewfieBish]

Exactly! Thats about it... If you use a 5/16 cobalt drill bit .3125 or so, it will munch through the very limited material left and leave you with a piece of stud stuck in the lower damping rod. Which, should spin right out. A lefthanded drill bit may zing that right out or a slice from a dremel and then a flthd screwdriver.

I loctite that bolt, so you'd be screwed if the forks came from me.

Can I guess that you used a standard allen wrench and not Mr. metric?? I think it's a 6MM wrench.....

6mm it is yeah, i used a 6mm at first, but it seemed really slack in the thread, coulda been fooled with before i guess, the other one came out fine, but this one stripped using the 6mm, so then i hammered in the standard hex bit that was a shade bigger than the 6mm (can't remember exactly what size but you know what i mean) and then i could feel that one stripping too, so either way it's jammed on too tight to be taken out with allen keys. so with a 5/16 drill bit you drill the head of the hex bolt off, then what?wont the bolt still be stuck there then?

[RoscoW]

Yea the rest of the bolt will remain but it is long enough to do something with. I've done three or four that I've had to drill out and so far on all of them the remainder of the bolt spun out with your fingers (I guess none were D.C's :lol: ). You can still get the bolt from Honda.

Ross..

[NewfieBish]

Alright i got that issue solved, i got the piston out of the fork tube.. now i cant seperate the tube from the slider? it brings up on something, i tried tapping it and slidin it in and out like the manual says but that dont seem to be working. all i got left to take out is the rebound spring in the bottom of the slider and thats it, other than the oil seal, stop ring, bushing and that. what can i do?

[BigGreenMachine]

Alright guys, he has the allen screw out of the forks and is ready to seperate the slider (chrome tube) from the fork tube (base the slide fits in) but it won't come apart.

Whats holding them together now that the allen screw is removed?

James

[edog]

You have to pull the chrome tube hard a couple times to get the seals to pull out. The copper slider runs into the back of the seal.


Did you take out the snap ring above the seal?

[edog]

Yea the rest of the bolt will remain but it is long enough to do something with. I've done three or four that I've had to drill out and so far on all of them the remainder of the bolt spun out with your fingers (I guess none were D.C's :lol: ). You can still get the bolt from Honda.

Ross..

The key to separating the fork bodies from the chrome sliders...is to pull on the slider while the body is in a vise. Then un thread the allen bolt while pulling on the chrome slider.

[BigGreenMachine]

Gotcha. So use the chrome tube to pull out the seals. Thanks edog.

[NewfieBish]

You have to pull the chrome tube hard a couple times to get the seals to pull out. The copper slider runs into the back of the seal.


Did you take out the snap ring above the seal?

yeah took out the snap ring, i had a few tries at haulin on it but it still seems to be bringin up solid.. id say it'll take some pull to get the chrome outta the body.. ill have to get the woman i guess! haha

[Red Rider]

The key to separating the fork bodies from the chrome sliders...is to pull on the slider while the body is in a vise.You don't just pull on the chrome slider, you have to extend it rapidly, multiple times, slamming the internal bushings into the oil seal, like a slide-hammer.

[NewfieBish]

You don't just pull on the chrome slider, you have to extend it rapidly, multiple times, slamming the internal bushings into the oil seal, like a slide-hammer.

so medium force, rapid extension , so it smacks half hard but really fast numerous times?

[NewfieBish]

the oil seals in mine must be stuck in good all the same

[Red Rider]

Maximum force & rapid extension, as many times as it takes to hammer out the seal. It sounds like it's rough on the components, but they won't be damaged.

[NewfieBish]

ok so i got both of the tubes out of the bottom sliders. the second slider came out but it took alot of pounding. when it came out, the seal and slider bushing was still stuck in the bottom slider. i cant get the seal out! has anyone had this problem??

[Red Rider]

the second slider came out but it took alot of pounding. when it came out, the seal and slider bushing was still stuck in the bottom slider. i cant get the seal out! has anyone had this problem??I've definitely never had, nor heard of, that problem before. With the chrome slider removed, I would think it would be pretty easy to pry the old seal out, but no luck huh? I'm sorry this is being such a PITA for you. I wish I had some more wisdom for you, but I'm completely out.

[NewfieBish]

I've definitely never had, nor heard of, that problem before. With the chrome slider removed, I would think it would be pretty easy to pry the old seal out, but no luck huh? I'm sorry this is being such a PITA for you. I wish I had some more wisdom for you, but I'm completely out.

see the thing is; trikes themselves arent rare around newfoundland, however mostly all 200M's, 200S's or Big Reds. 250R's are very rare though. ive been looking at alot of the trikes in the area i live, and 90 percent of the time, the front forks are completely seized up! this is because as long as the fork has spring action, not necessarily oil in it, but just spring, people think "that works sure" and they keep drivin the bike till the bushings give out and everything is f*cked. id say my 250R was pretty close to being this. one fork seemed pretty good, however this one im working on now, its crazy! the seal never worked at all, the tube! the tube is corroded so bad i dont even know if a new oil seal will keep the oil in. ill try it anyways, if i gets it apart that is! haha. :rolleyes:

[Dirtcrasher]

I'd find myself a new used tube or set of forks myself - I know shipping is a huge issue....

Thread a screw into the seal and pry it out. There are a dozen ways to get it out, just use common sense and don't ruin the forks any worse than they are. Good luck!

[BigGreenMachine]

The chrome is all rusted hey? Thats no good even with new seals skipper.

Time to find a used set of forks.

I had to buy used forks from the states that weren't pitted and swap my the good parts to my 85's forks.

Shipping isn't an issue if you know what your at. I just had a complete 85 Tecate frame come through USPS for around $60 I think. Not bad at all!

Sounds like all you need are good chrome sliders. Those seals will come out, just have some patience and don't mess up the fork tubes getting them out. Dremel those little sum-obatches.

Ship it USPS Airmail Parcel Post or USPS Priority Mail International.

[NewfieBish]

yeah right on! im actually out dremelin' some at it now, it'll come. that's all you can do!

[NewfieBish]

so a little question about that piston thingy; the rebound spring. does the rebound spring go on over the shaft of that piston, or does the spring go in the bottom of the fork slider than the piston assembly on top? also, the back up ring, does that go between the snap ring and the oil seal? or where? i gotta thank you guys for the help too by the way! ill have to get some pics of it when i get them done!

[edog]

You don't just pull on the chrome slider, you have to extend it rapidly, multiple times, slamming the internal bushings into the oil seal, like a slide-hammer.

Thats what I meant.

[Red Rider]

so a little question about that piston thingy; the rebound spring. does the rebound spring go on over the shaft of that piston, or does the spring go in the bottom of the fork slider than the piston assembly on top?The rebound spring slides over the damping rod all the way up to the "piston thingy."


...also, the back up ring, does that go between the snap ring and the oil seal? or where?The backup ring goes in first, then the oil seal, and finally the snap ring.

[edog]

The rebound spring slides over the damping rod all the way up to the "piston thingy."

The backup ring goes in first, then the oil seal, and finally the snap ring.

The oils seal must go in with the spring facing down.