Fork Rebuild

[sleadhed]

OK has any one here rebuilt their front forks??

How did you get the "Damper rod" loose and out of the fork tube.

The service manual shows a holder and T handle tools to remove. I have my forks off and am installing new progressive springs and seals. The oil I drained out was black and ugly.

I want to completely clean and inspect all components.

[steamer]

Be careful. It is very easy to strip the head of that bolt. It is best to use a impact wrench. I stripped mine. I got very lucky and did get it out with a impact wrench.

[sleadhed]

Be careful. It is very easy to strip the head of that bolt. It is best to use a impact wrench. I stripped mine. I got very lucky and did get it out with a impact wrench.

 

What bolt are you referring to?

[MiCarl]

There is a socket head cap screw in the bottom of the fork that holds the damping rod in place. That's the bolt he refers to.

 

Problem is when you turn the cap screw the damping rod tends to turn inside the fork. Often times an impact wrench can essentially hammer the cap screw loose. Tip for the next person: this tends to work best while the fork is still on the bike with the spring installed.

 

Yamaha is fairly unique in they put a 12 point cut out in the top of their damping rods rather than having them smooth like most other forks. You can engage a tool into the damping rod to hold it while you extract the screw.

 

That head is exactly like a socket you use to turn a bolt or nut. I've got a tool at the shop which is a piece of threaded rod with a nut welded on each end. I engage one end in the damping rod and hold the other with a wrench. One of the nuts is ground under size so it fits two different size damping rods. I don't recall either size.

 

Without making a tool like that there is another trick you can use. Get hold of a bolt where the head fits that socket in the damping rod. Put two nuts on the bolt and jam them as tight against each other as you can. Drop the bolt down into the damping rod and hold the nut with a socket and a couple extensions.

 

I know this is clear as mud, but hopefully Dingy will pull a picture from his library to show the socket in the end of that damping rod.

[Snaggletooth]

Made my damper tool with a section of 5/8" all thread double nutted on each end. The Allen on the bottom is 10mm. Once up can get the grip on the damper its all good to go. Inspect those wave washers at the bottom bolt for the oil lock assembly. Replace if damaged.

 

From my Droid wherever I may happen to be at any given moment.

[sleadhed]

So I guess i should have left the cap screws out after I drained the fork oil.

I put them back in before removing top caps, springs and triple trees.

[Rick Butler]

Carl,

 

FYI, 2nd gen Ventures do not have these 12 point cuts in the top of the dampening rod....they are smooth.

 

However, the bottom of the dampening rod has a taper that sits in a tapered depression in the lower tube. So all you really need to do is hit it hard with a quick burst from a pneumatic impact and it will break loose without spinning.

 

Hope this helps,

 

Rick

 

 

There is a socket head cap screw in the bottom of the fork that holds the damping rod in place. That's the bolt he refers to.

 

Problem is when you turn the cap screw the damping rod tends to turn inside the fork. Often times an impact wrench can essentially hammer the cap screw loose. Tip for the next person: this tends to work best while the fork is still on the bike with the spring installed.

 

Yamaha is fairly unique in they put a 12 point cut out in the top of their damping rods rather than having them smooth like most other forks. You can engage a tool into the damping rod to hold it while you extract the screw.

 

That head is exactly like a socket you use to turn a bolt or nut. I've got a tool at the shop which is a piece of threaded rod with a nut welded on each end. I engage one end in the damping rod and hold the other with a wrench. One of the nuts is ground under size so it fits two different size damping rods. I don't recall either size.

 

Without making a tool like that there is another trick you can use. Get hold of a bolt where the head fits that socket in the damping rod. Put two nuts on the bolt and jam them as tight against each other as you can. Drop the bolt down into the damping rod and hold the nut with a socket and a couple extensions.

 

I know this is clear as mud, but hopefully Dingy will pull a picture from his library to show the socket in the end of that damping rod.

[MiCarl]

So I guess i should have left the cap screws out after I drained the fork oil.

I put them back in before removing top caps, springs and triple trees.

 

If you had them out once they should come easy this time. You might stick the springs back in to help hold them from spinning.

 

 

Carl,

 

FYI, 2nd gen Ventures do not have these 12 point cuts in the top of the dampening rod....they are smooth.

 

However, the bottom of the dampening rod has a taper that sits in a tapered depression in the lower tube. So all you really need to do is hit it hard with a quick burst from a pneumatic impact and it will break loose without spinning.

 

Hope this helps,

 

Rick

 

Thanks Rick. Shows how many 2nd gens I've done....................

[sleadhed]

Yeah

Rick is the man

[BlueSky]

I assume it is much like my Kawasaki. I used an impact on the bottom bolt the first time and got it out. Second time, the inner cylinder was spinning too much for the impact to work. I was working away from home so I bought an electric impact wrench from Lowes. So, I put a wooden broom handle down the tube contacting the cylinder and it held it enough that the impact worked.