Just another fork seal replacement?....NAH!!

[Snaggletooth]

Just got my forks back together for my '84. Had a lil mishap year that damaged the seals so a rebuild was in order. Ended up buying a spare set of forks to rebuild as I was concerned about damage to one of the inner fork tubes. So that started the whole project.

 

As I had time over the winter to play with this I got into doing a good job of it. Stripped the clear coat off the lower tubes and bought some goodies to try my hand at polishing. Worked out pretty good for a much better finish but a long way from a professional job. Good enough. A lot better than where it started from.

 

And I had wanted to find a way to remove the anti-dives. I had disconnected them long ago but the buggers were still there. Wanted them gone. I had played around with making my own plates to close the ports but it was a PITA to get right. Then our one and only skydoc_17 offered up his SS Blockoff Plates. Thank you Earl. Now there are two less items to take a toothbrush to.

 

I finally got around to ordering the rest of the parts I needed from skydoc and got after it this week. Done deal, finished, over. Laying on the bench ready to mount back up as soon as it warms up a bit more.....maybe tomorrow.

 

The blockoff plates make for a much slicker look and cleans up the forks nicely.

 

I might mention that when I opened up my old forks (with the Progressive Springs) I found I had gained a bit of slack in the preload. I made new set of spacers to tighten that back up.

 

Don't even want to talk about all the things I found wrong on the inside of forks I bought off eBay. Yikes! What some people will do to a bike to try to make it work. Death wish I tell ya!! But I got what I needed from them.....both inner tubes were good so that alone was worth it.

 

So a few pics of the old and new.

 

Mike

[Yammer Dan]

You've been busy!!

[skydoc_17]

Hey Mike,

Very nice work there! The polished lower fork tubes take this rebuild to a whole level. I don't think you are giving yourself enough credit for the work you put into that polishing job, it looks great to me! Because I have the MKII VR, I forget how "Ugly" those Anti-Dive Valves are on the MKI bikes. I like what you said about, "one less thing to clean." When you look at the old and the new side by side, the change is drastic. Thanks for sharing this project, and the dramatic results with us.

Earl

[Bob Myers]

I too concur that you have done a great job. You may even consider doing the old forks too and offering them for sale on an exchange basis. You do nice work

[Snaggletooth]

Thanks guys, I appreciate the comments.

 

But in all fairness, projects like this would not happen without guys like Earl and Bob and all the others that provide or produce parts or tools for these bikes. And the guys that take time to set up many of the group buys that we enjoy the affects of. Or the guys that out of the goodness of their heart will send you a part simply because they know you needed it and they had an extra one.

 

That is one of the best things about this site. We end up discussing a common problem that we all wish we could change and someone comes up with a solution. Even better, they find or create a fix to share with the rest of us.

 

BTW Bob. Nice job on the seal and bushing driver you turned out. Very slick. And then offer it up as a club loaner? That's what I'm talking about.

 

The ideas, advice, services and suggestions from this club have beem priceless.

 

Thank you all.

 

Mike

[flb_78]

Im wondering if a set of lower fork tubes off another bike like a VMAX or a XS or even a VStar would work? That would COMPLETELY eliminate the anti-dives.

[Lassesand]

Is the antidive crap or just no looking good? It seems like mine don't work and I have a hard time bleeding my brakes. Perhaps removing the antidive will make the bleeding easier?

Thanks for the tip using film strips to clean out the seals! I seems to work!

[Snaggletooth]

The anti-dives work....to a point. Not much more than an on/valve that restricts the flow of oil through the fork.

 

The issue is that the OEM springs are junk. Too soft and they get worse with age so they bottom out real bad and dive when braking. The solution most of us go for is the Progressive springs. Once those are installed the anti-dives are really not needed. They do not bottom out and the dive affect is reduced dramatically.

 

At that point you can disconnect the anti-dives by removing the jumper brake line to them on the MKI or disconneting the wires on the electric MKII's.

 

Mike