fork question

[steamer]

Ok, I pulled the forks. I have not pulled them apart yet. waiting on new seals and spring kit. I did notice some very faint, very had to see scratches just above the dust cover.is this normal? Can they be polished out? Or just leave well enough alone?

[dynodon]

scratches on the working (where the seals ride) portion of the tubes is NEVER OK. Especially if you can feel it with your fingernail. A seal will pretty much always leak if the tube is scratched from what I hear.

 

I know some mechanics that successfully buff the tubes with emery cloth, but that probably won't work if you can feel the scratch.

 

I don't claim to be the last word on this so hopefully someone here will chime in with actual experience on the subject, but I didn't see a reply, so I offer the above as what I have heard, and my common sense!

[RockinRobin]

can't feel them. almost can't see them. very light

[allwx]

Sounds like normal rubbing of the seal on the tube. It will leave a mark after awhile.

[steamer]

Sounds like normal rubbing of the seal on the tube. It will leave a mark after awhile.

Thats what I'm thinking, both tubes have the same marks. You can't see them with out the right lignting. Now the new problem. I stripped the hex bolt head on the bolt at the bottom of one of the forks. I guess I will try the hydrulic method, using a jack and filling the tube with oil and forcing the seal out with pressure. Looks good on utube.

[allwx]

Good luck on it. I did my forks last summer, what a sum***** that was! I did it by removing the forks and taking the fork spring retainer cap off from the top. Getting things apart is easy, but getting that cap back on against the spring is a chore. I wasn't able to do it with mere hand pressure against the cap.

 

You must be referring to the bolt at the bottom of the fork, hidden by the axle. If that is stripped you may have to disassemble the fork anyways.

[steamer]

Good luck on it. I did my forks last summer, what a sum***** that was! I did it by removing the forks and taking the fork spring retainer cap off from the top. Getting things apart is easy, but getting that cap back on against the spring is a chore. I wasn't able to do it with mere hand pressure against the cap.

 

You must be referring to the bolt at the bottom of the fork, hidden by the axle. If that is stripped you may have to disassemble the fork anyways.

 

I got the forks off the bike,I just can't diassemble the tube with out getting that bolt out. I'm going to try a SAE allen wrench that is just a little over sized with a impact wrench this time.

[Guest]

I bought a set of 6" long allen sockets for that bolt in particular. Found them on Ebay. You will strip the head with an SAE wrench. If you already have the inner spring removed you can reach in there with a long 1/2 extension, wedge it down in there and, while clamped in a vise, loosen that lower bolt. While you may need an impact driver, I didnt. Just some patience and it will loosen. A third hand will help. You can spray some lubricant up under there to free some of the crud that may have accumulated under there

[Snaggletooth]

The forks I bought off eBay for my brake conversion had some nasty looking marks on the inners just above the seals. I could not feel anything and running some of my daughter panthose (sshh, don't tell her) over them I found no snags.

 

I worked the inners with 1200 and then 1500 grit and wet sanded them with WD40 and they cleaned up very nicely. All marks are gone and look like new again. I'm hoping for the best when I get them on.

 

Mike

[steamer]

Got the bolt out. Used a 1/4" straight allen wrench with inpact wrench. Had to drive the allen wrench on with a hammer, came right out. Waiting on all new internal parts to come in, then i can reassemble the forks. Should have everthing back together by the weekend. I hope.