Fork tube wont come out

[cedmund00]

Greetings,

I am in the process of changing my fork seals (1993 1200)and I hit a stopping point. I have removed the dust cover and snap ring above the fork seal and I cannot get the fork tube out of the housing. The retainer screw on the bottom of the housing is loose but will not come out. Is this normal? Who knows how to fix this.

Thanks, I am drinking beers while I await a reply.

[SkyFive]

Did you remove the circlip beneath the fork seal? the retaining bolt (not the screw) in the very bottom of the fork tube?

[racerman_27410]

the damper rod is spinning inside the tube.


you need a tool to stick down inside the forks to hold the damper rod while you remove the damper rod bolt from the bottom of the forks

i usually try and take the bolts out while the springs are installed since the spring pressure helps hold the damper rod in place..... you could try re installing the springs in lieu of the tool or you could try and make a tool using an old broomstick handle.....check the files section here for other damper rod holding tool possibilities if that doesnt work.

KOokaloo!

[ddlewis]

The retainer screw on the bottom of the housing is loose but will not come out. Is this normal? Who knows how to fix this.

Thanks, I am drinking beers while I await a reply.

If I understand you, sounds like the damper rod is spinning inside the tube as you are turning bolt.  best bet is air wrench if you have one.  otherwise you need the "holder tool" to keep it from turning (a hex bolt that fits the ID of the top of the rod with a socket and a couple long extensions).  think I still have one around here somewhere raforth gave me many moons ago.

[ddlewis]

damn it frank, I finally know an answer and you steal my thunder!

[Travis398]

I believe the rear axle nut is the right size  

[ddlewis]

can't believe that not only did I still have the tool - but I actually found it.  I bet Dave R. sent this thing to me 7 if not 8 years ago. 

The head of the bolt is 27mm and it's just hammered into a cheap socket.  Yours if you want it.

[cedmund00]

As usual you all come to the rescue. I think I will try hitting it with the air tools at my buddies tomorrow.

Thanks again.

[megsy]

Be careful, the little philips head screw at the bottom,  is the locator for the tube, its not very strong & you can damage it & the tube easily.
I used the axle nut on a bolt with the castle slots up & drilled the bolt & pined it using a split pin, that way when finished you
can still use the axle nut again, I used the air gun on the bolt with tool in place on a long socket bar.
re assembly I did it with the tool & socket bar in a vice with shock upside down so it all sat in place before tightening.
If your bike has the long adjuster rod in the middle I only fits in one way.

[SlowOldGuy]

Be careful, the little philips head screw at the bottom,  is the locator for the tube, its not very strong & you can damage it & the tube easily.

The "damper rod locating screw" was not on the '91+ forks.  This generation did not have the adjustable damping mechanism.

DavidR.

[Yamifj1200]

damn it frank, I finally know an answer and you steal my thunder!

Yea Dan, he does that!!!! lol

Eric M

[fb747]

Changed the seals on my 89 this afternoon. couldn't find n e thing to fashion a tool from so ended up bashing (ensuring i didn't divot the sliders) a thin flat head screw driver into the old seals and prying them out, then tapping the new ones in with a punch. Just topped up the fluid by undoing one of the screws in the bottom and squirting fluid in and then compressing the fork... then repeat and so on.
I know, i know it's quite a "backyard" effort but i was miles from home and had to get it done so i could get home.
In the end it worked sufficiently, 100% over beforehand as the front end was starting to bottom out!
I would have loved to do it properly and give everything a good clean out but shit hapens i guess, should have consulted this site before jumping on the tools.

[Arnie]

Biggest problem I can think of here is that you have no idea how much fluid you have in the forks.  Well, that and the fact that some/most of it is the old, stinky, worn out fluid that is contaminated and way past its due date.  I'd make, buy, borrow, or steal the tools you need to at least change the fluid in the forks and get the level right.

Arnie

Changed the seals on my 89 this afternoon. couldn't find n e thing to fashion a tool from so ended up bashing (ensuring i didn't divot the sliders) a thin flat head screw driver into the old seals and prying them out, then tapping the new ones in with a punch. Just topped up the fluid by undoing one of the screws in the bottom and squirting fluid in and then compressing the fork... then repeat and so on.
I know, i know it's quite a "backyard" effort but i was miles from home and had to get it done so i could get home.
In the end it worked sufficiently, 100% over beforehand as the front end was starting to bottom out!
I would have loved to do it properly and give everything a good clean out but shit hapens i guess, should have consulted this site before jumping on the tools.

[fb747]

Agreed arnie I'm a fellow victorian so i also like to do things properly 

It was the only solution i could come up with when i had the forks out to get the new seals in as the old ones were spewing fluid everywhere.
Now all i have to do is fashion me a tool n purge my newly sealed forks of dirty stinky old oil and replenish.

Just to clarify it's 424 ml  

[Copterdriver]

Just to clarify it's 424 ml  

I was researching online for tools to rebuild my forks and ran across your post. According to my Yamaha manual it should be 424 cm3 (cubic centimeters) or 14.3 US ounces of 10wt fork oil or SAE 10W30 SE motor oil.

Mike