Front Fork Rebuild - WANTED - ASSISTANCE IN HOUSTON!

[Scooterbob]

Getting ready to rebuild (oil seal kit) and change the oil on my front forks (1989).  I would love to be able to say that I can handle it without any problems, but I'm not that confident.  Is there anyone around Houston Texas that would be willing to educate me while I perform this task?  I cannot afford to be without my daily transportation for more than a scheduled weekend.  If I were to screw it up from doing something stupid, it would not be good.  Anyone? 

[SlowOldGuy]

Build the damper rod holder and seal driving tools first and it shouldn't be a problem.

I'm in Plano, not exactly close to Houston, but if you have a problem just chime in here.  Plenty of members have lots of experience with FJ forks.

DavidR.

[Scooterbob]

Build the damper rod holder and seal driving tools first and it shouldn't be a problem.

I'm in Plano, not exactly close to Houston, but if you have a problem just chime in here.  Plenty of members have lots of experience with FJ forks.

DavidR.

I can handle the tool building.  Just not comfortable doing it first time alone, since I have no experience in that area.  Hate the thought of taking/paying a dealer or repair shop.  Would love to learn how to do it myself, just a little leary of the whole thing.

[pdxfj]

It's a lot more simple than you think.

Couple of things to watch out for.

The bolt at the bottom of the fork holding the damper rod can be very difficult to get out.  An air impact gun is very helpful.

When re-installing the fork cap with the "D" shaped rod, it can be frustrating to re-install it correctly.  When everything is lined up, it will just fall into place.

It just seems more difficult than it actually is.  If you can change your own oil, you can rebuild the forks no problem. 

[yetti motorcycles]

its  not as hard as you think, but does take a bit of time and it is helpfull to have a second set of hands for unscrewing the lower bolt while holding the 36mm tool that goes into the upper stanchion and for pulling the stanchion apart from the lowers as this takes a good pop.

once the fork legs are removed the fork caps must be removed it helps to loosen these off before removing the forks from the fork clamps. slacken off the preload and then use a 27mm external headed socket to loosen the cap a turn or two before dropping the forks out of the top yolk.

I use a bottle jack to support the front of the bike by the oil sump. Once the forks are removed you can take the fok caps off being carfull that they do not spring out of the fork as you unscrew them. Once the caps are removed along with the spring tip the oil out (good to have a supply of rags around)  pump the forks up and down to get the reamaining oil out.

when the forks are empty use a 10mm allen key and a 27mm external socket with a couple of long extensions down the inside of the fork leg. I made the external socket by welding a bolt with a 27mm head into an old socket that I could fit a 1/2 drive socket into. I have seen a tool made from bar stock with a T handle to do the same thing. 

When you have loosened the allen screw prise the dust seal out very gently with a small screw driver and then remove the internal circlip with a pair of needle nose pliers. You can then pull the forks apart by placing the lower in a vice wrapped in a rag to protect the finish or get a mate to hold it and give it a good pop to seperate. This is when all the washers and bushes etc come out and you need to put these back in the same oreder that they come out in.

once apart you can remove the oil seal and inspect the fork bush this is the ring that sits below the oil seal and has a teflon coating if this is damaged or worn you will have brand new seals that still leak. inspect it to see if it is scored or if the coating has been worn away. If this is the case the bush will look copper colored and is unserviciable and needs replacing.

Now re-assemble in the reverse order by placing the stanchions into the lowers and carefully driving the top bush into place and then pushing the fork seal into place. The internal circlip should then fit into place if it does not the bush has not been driven far enough in. Replace the circlip and the dust seal, then insert the spring with the tighter coils at the top. You now need to fill the forks with oil and mesure the airgap before replacing the fork caps. As others have said when the D shaped rod fits it all drops into place.  Tighten the whole lot up and replace the forks making sure that you torque them up once the fork clamps have been tightened.


hope this helps.

[RichBaker]

Best way to get the damper rod bolt loose is to do it 1st, while the fork springs are in. Barring that, put the damper rod holding tool in and turn the ass'y over, so you have access to the bolt and can hold the tool in by resting it on the floor... assuming no helpers. I've used a broomstick to hold the damper rod before...

[markmartin]

Hey Bob,
Assuming that you have built the 27mm damper rod holder,  I found that it was easy to get the bottom damper rod bolt out by leaving the fork tubes in the triple clamps,and extending the 'damper rod holder' down the tube to the damper rod, and  while an assistant holds that wrench, you can get the damper rod bolt off with a 10mm (?) hex head wrench on the bottom of the fork slider.  You can then (forcefully) remove the slider from the fork tube. --then take the fork tube off the bike for rebuild / reassembly.

I think it would help to check out http://www.fjowners.com/index.php?topic=1911.0 in the files section.  This write up includes installing emulators, however aside from you not having to cut your damper adjuster rods, drill out damper rods, and sliding the emulators in, it pretty much goes through rebuilding the forks and putting them back together, (you will have to ensure that the "D" shaped rod goes back into the damper adjuster correctly as pdxfj mentioned earlier.  The rods are cut off when installing emulators so there is no talk of lining up the D shaped rod to the D shaped slot in the top of the damper rod in the write up.)   This is starting to sound harder that it is.    Check out the article, I think you'll see that it is very doable. 

Mark

[SlowOldGuy]

The only thing I see missing in all this advice is to remember to remove the Damper Rod Locating Screw on the backside and at the bottom of the slider.  It's a special phillips head screw that looks like the oil drain screw on the side of the slider.  If you don't remove this bolt prior to torqueing ont he damper rod and the damper rod twists when you're breaking the 10mm allen head bolt loose, teh locating screw will bend and become useless.

DavidR.

[yetti motorcycles]

well spotted slow old guy missed that bit.

[Scooterbob]

It's a lot more simple than you think.

It just seems more difficult than it actually is.  If you can change your own oil, you can rebuild the forks no problem. 

All this explanation sounds nothing like changing the oil.  I am probably an overqualified mechanic when it comes to a car, but on motorcycles I am at a loss. 

Excellent write up on "how to" that was attached by markmartin.  Hopefully that will get me where I need to go.

One more question.  Randy offers two different kits to do the forks.  One comes with the bushings and one without.  Is the only way to tell if the bushing is needed or not is wait until I have the forks apart?

[Mark Olson]

change the bushings when you have it apart, so yes order the kit with them in it.

very easy to do when it is all apart .

the first time you change the seals will take you some time to do.

the second time will be quicker.

the third time you will be mega-quick.

I recommend installing race-tech emulators while you have it apart , cause you are just gonna do it later anyway.

If you just bite the bullet and do it now you will save yourself a lot of this   

[Scooterbob]

change the bushings when you have it apart, so yes order the kit with them in it.

I recommend installing race-tech emulators while you have it apart , cause you are just gonna do it later anyway.

If you just bite the bullet and do it now you will save yourself a lot of this   

If money was pulled from a magic tree in my back yard, I would agree with you totally.  Unfortunately I don't have funds like that.  I need to go the least expensive way possible, but do not want to do the same job twice by being a cheap-ass.  I will probably end up going with the bushing kit, but emulators are out of the budget.  Thanks for the recommendation though.  I will I could......

[Mark Olson]

at least you will have fresh forks and it will feel better than it is now.

good luck on the  seals

[courtsdaddy]

I am also working on my 89, I took them apart last night with some help from a few guys.  So far not that bad of a job just smells like shit when you open them.lol  Anyways I will watch for your post and see if I can help you with anything.  If you would like I can give you my number and you can call if you get stuck. This is also my first time doing this job and so far pretty easy.  Didnt want to take it to a shop so I can save money to do the rear wheel conversion
Good luck

[Scooterbob]

I am also working on my 89, I took them apart last night with some help from a few guys.  So far not that bad of a job just smells like shit when you open them.lol  Anyways I will watch for your post and see if I can help you with anything.  If you would like I can give you my number and you can call if you get stuck. This is also my first time doing this job and so far pretty easy.  Didnt want to take it to a shop so I can save money to do the rear wheel conversion
Good luck

Not much fear of taking it all apart.  Putting it all back together and having it functional is where I'm not too sure.  I'm planning to upgrade my spring weight to 1.05 kg, so that will also add to my confusion.  I know I will eventually figure it out though.  PM me your phone info, and I will safe it for an emergency back-up plan.    Thanks