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Front forks! 81 xj650

Discussion in 'XJ Technical Chat' started by cg82, Feb 5, 2015.

  1. cg82

    cg82 Member

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    I am in the process of painting the lower section of my forks and doing a rebuild while they are apart. Question for you guys is how did you get the lower allen head bolt out? Mine is pretty seized in there. The haynes manual says there is a special tool and they made a homemade tool to do the job, did you guys have to do that and if so, pics of said tool? Thanks!
     
  2. moellear

    moellear Member

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    takes a 19mm hex.

    what I've done is find a several nuts (of the same size - 19mm) put them on a bolt aligned as closely as possible to one another. drop the bolt down the tube followed by several 3/8" drive extensions and then opened it up with a socket wrench, while holding a proper sized allen wrench on the rear-underside of the tube. may require 2 people if you aren't ambidextrous. hope this helps - typing what my mind thinks, can tend to make my mind look stupid lol

    I recall other people saying something about a spark plug socket, perhaps a spark plug is the same size (?) I don't remember
     
  3. Xjrider92117

    Xjrider92117 Active Member

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    I used a spark plug socket turned upside down. Worked great.
     
  4. bensalf

    bensalf Well-Known Member

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    here is the fork leg stripped down ,you need to get a long socket bar , and a sparkplug socket reversed on the end, to reach down into the fork leg, to hold the damper rod, whilst slackening the bottom alen bolt.
    [​IMG]
    heres the top of the damper rod , it has a 19mm inverted socket.
    [​IMG]
    you could also use a long 19mm bolt , heres one with a nut welded on the end
    [​IMG]
    heres the bolt inserted in the leg
    [​IMG]
    stu
     
    Stumplifter likes this.
  5. DaveStokes

    DaveStokes Member

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    Okay I read the other post in the How To section and these pics make so much more sense! Thanks for posting these! I now have a better understanding of the other post.
     
  6. cg82

    cg82 Member

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    excellent guys thanks a ton. that bottom bolt is so seized. gonna have to try to heat I think. anybody else have any suggestions? manual says they used loctite in install so its usually pretty tough.
     
  7. k-moe

    k-moe Pie, Bacon, Bourbon. Moderator Premium Member

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    The factory used a medium strength loctite, so heat should not be needed. Use a box end wrench (hooked over the end of your allen wrench) as a cheater bar. If that dosen't break it free then apply a good penetrating fluid (Kroil or PB Blaster) and let it have a good soak before trying again.

    Heat should be your last option.
     
  8. cg82

    cg82 Member

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    ok, finally got those damn things apart. Now i am trying to remove the dust seal and the oil seal but am having a hell of a time. the dust seal is pretty hard and the clip that holds the oil seal in was super corroded and came out in pieces. now i grabbed the dust seal with some pliers and pulled and the thing just broke into pieces. is there a metal ring in the dust seal or is that the top of the fork casing? just want to know what i should be trying to remove before i damage anything. any suggestions?
     
  9. bensalf

    bensalf Well-Known Member

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    the only "ring" that is part of the dust seal ,would be a spring ring which pinches on the rubber
    heres a new set of seals and snap ring, the coil spring is on the dust seal on the left,

    unfortunately its on the underside,
    [​IMG]
    these are the only rings ,apart from the flat washer that goes under the oil seal.you can see that here between the oil seal on the leg ,and the copper bush
    [​IMG]

    stu
     
    Last edited: Feb 8, 2015
  10. cg82

    cg82 Member

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    hey guys, i am almost at the reassembly stage and was planning some stuff out. whats the general concensus on tightening the steering crown ring nuts? I was looking at buying the socket but for the amount I will use it, just wondering what you guys have done?
     
  11. k-moe

    k-moe Pie, Bacon, Bourbon. Moderator Premium Member

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    I just use a brass drift. Go easy. The nuts do not need to be very tight.

    If you have a rotary cutting tool you can ust a nut as a template to mark a cheap socket and cut it to fit.
     
  12. cg82

    cg82 Member

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    im not familiar with brass drifts, just use a punch to tighten?
     
  13. cg82

    cg82 Member

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    k so i think i got it. question, the dust over, i can still spin it by hand, but when i grab the lower and twist and turn i cant feel any movement in the column. i tightened the lower nut hand tight, gave it a little tap to tighten it, spun down top nut, tap tap, then loosened lower nut, tightening it against top nut. thoughts?
     
  14. k-moe

    k-moe Pie, Bacon, Bourbon. Moderator Premium Member

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    The lower nut is what sets the preload on the head bearings. The upper nut locks the lower nut into place. Tighten the lower nut so the forks can stit straight ahead, but tip to the opposite side when you lightly press on a bar end. Then you tighten the upper nut to lock the lower nut into place.
     
  15. Polock

    Polock Well-Known Member

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    i always tighten the lower nut as tight as i can get it with Channel Locks then a tap it with a screwdriver and hammer, loosen it and adjust as k-moe said.
    that's supposed to seat the bearing in the frame. don't really know if it does but that's what i do.
    your supposed to check the adjustment after 100 miles too.
     
  16. hogfiddles

    hogfiddles XJ-Wizard, Host-Central NY Carb Clinic Moderator Premium Member

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    I set it to where there is a light drag whe turning the assembly by hand W/O the handle bars attached. Once everything is set, and the bars are back on, the assembly turn smoothly and freely with the added weight of the bars installed.
     
  17. cg82

    cg82 Member

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    hmmm, i wonder if i have it too loose then. i definatly did not make it as tight as i could. read that it barely needs to be tight
     
  18. Polock

    Polock Well-Known Member

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    read that again, i doesn't have to be very tight
     
  19. cg82

    cg82 Member

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    ok. thanks for the help guys. next question!! metal slider bushings. chacal's parts says they are discontinued. mine doesnt feel bad but worth trying to track down some?? the only thing i can see is one, per fork, in the lower right below the seal. correct?
     
  20. cg82

    cg82 Member

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    anything guys?
     
  21. FtUp

    FtUp Well-Known Member

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    if len has them listed as discontinued, there is little chance you will find new ones anywhere.

    FU
     
    Last edited: Mar 1, 2015
  22. Polock

    Polock Well-Known Member

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    when i did mine i noticed they were worn more on one side than the other. I just flipped them over
     
  23. bensalf

    bensalf Well-Known Member

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    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    ok. thanks for the help guys. next question!! metal slider bushings. chacal's parts says they are discontinued. mine doesnt feel bad but worth trying to track down some?? the only thing i can see is one, per fork, in the lower right below the seal. correct?
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    no ,there should be 2 bushings on each fork tube,
    one just below the oil seal ,the other ,shown here , on the bottom of the tube. the bottom one has a split in it ,so you can spring it apart and slip it off the bottom of the tube.
    <a href="http://s1377.photobucket.com/user/whittingham1/media/P1140011_zpsz7ydh0hy.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1377.photobucket.com/albums/ah58/whittingham1/P1140011_zpsz7ydh0hy.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo P1140011_zpsz7ydh0hy.jpg"/></a>
    stu
     
  24. cg82

    cg82 Member

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    im not sure i have one of those. hmmm can i get a closer pic?
     
  25. bensalf

    bensalf Well-Known Member

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    i'm not sure i have one of those. hmmm can i get a closer pic?
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    its the same pic as on page one, 3rd one down, it's a little clearer on that one
     
  26. cg82

    cg82 Member

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    hmm im pretty damn sure that i don't have those second bushing in my forks. is this possible?
     
  27. bensalf

    bensalf Well-Known Member

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    hmm im pretty damn sure that i don't have those second bushing in my forks. is this possible?
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    I think you might be right, I've just checked the fishe, and the bushings are not shown, er, not even the top one.
    http://www.partsfish.com/oemparts/a/yam/50042030f8700209bc786da7/front-fork
    stu
     

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