Fork tube caps...

Getting around to fork seals... Have the forks off the bike. Whats the best way to compress the tube cap to get the damn clip out? Whoever designed that versus having it threaded so you could just screw it out? Stupid.

 

I disagree. I'd rather deal with a clip than risk damaging fine threads; though both have their challenges.

See that dimple in the middle of the fork cap? Grab a stout phillips-head screwdriver (NOT JIS; those are too expensive for this job), and a small slot-blade screwdriver (or dental pick, or awl)). Place the pointy end of the phillips driver into that divot. Press down. Use the end of the other screwdriver to pop the clip out by wedging it behind the clip near the gap, then prying toward the middle of the fork and moving the toolaround the circumfrence to walk the clip out of the groove. It's pretty easy once you figure out how.

Sometimes the caps are stuck due to corrosion, so leaving them sit overnight after spraying penetrating oil around the joint is advised.

 

The cap on my seca has no dimple.
Ive been messing with this bugger a few hrs now... what should be a simple job.

 

if you push on the whole fork, the spring gets tighter. put them back on the bike so the triple clamps support the chrome part

 

hmmm I see.... thank you, I will try that.

 

make one of these

 

lol that is frigging genius... Seriously.
Monkeying around like a moron with a screwdriver I managed to get one off... I'll hopefully get the other tomorrow. For now I need to step away before I break something.
Thanks again.

 

I was playing about with some old spare forks to try this disassembly. Got the fork in a vice and managed to get the clip out. Cap still wouldn't come out of the top - far too corroded - that was 6 months ago. Still not budged . I hope the 'real' forks will be easier as I do need to check/change teh oil.

 

yea, I know what you mean. The one side on mine looks good, the other side, pretty corroded. Hopefully comes out ok.

 

Speaking of fork tube caps...

Was at the carb clinic last weekend held by Hogfiddles. A rear brake replacement, front fork rebuild and carb tune was on the to-do list. I felt good being in his presence as well as the other attendees with the collective years of experience under the tent. I got worried though when he saw my fork tube caps and had a "hand to cheek" reaction to what they looked like. Extremely corroded! He said that he has seen caps that did not look as bad as mine that would not budge. Everyone took a look and had the same reaction to my sad looking caps.

If they wouldn't unscrew, and with no spare fork tubes on hand, I thought I might be heading home without the forks rebuilt.

With a bit of penetrating oil sprayed on, we let it sit a while, then Hogfiddles had the honors of trying to brake the caps free. Everyone stood around as he leaned into the breaker bar. You could hear a pin drop. Then... crack! The cap broke free and loosened. There was a bit of a cheer from the group.

Then turned to me and said, "You are sooooooooo lucky!"

Parts were supplied by Len at XJ4ever. A beautiful set of seals, springs and all the "fixins" you need to get the job done. I have pictures of the rebuild. Will be turning them over to Len soon. It's been a crazy week and have not been able to diddle with my camera for an offload yet.

 

Unfortunately that device only works well with bikes that have the fork tubes "aligned" with the handlebars mounts.......if I recall, XJ650 Maxim and XJ750 Seca models fall into the category, all others don't, as their fork tubes are offset too far ahead or behind the axis of the handlebar mounts, and you'd need a somewhat significant offset to get the end of the "bar" centered over the fork tubes.........

 

50/50 ATF/Acetone. Let it sit. Weeks if needed. They will break free.

 

success... pb blaster... acetone / atf, heat gun. "light hammering"
persistence

 

but of course the allen bolt on the bottom is the only size i don't have... 7mm corrrect?

also need to make tool to lock into damper...

 

Put the caps back on and you might not need to lock the damper rod in place. Otherwise a wooden broom handle works fine most of the time.

 

8 mm at least on my seca 550
I start be treating the caps drain screws, when i first get the bike on a weekly basis if I am not in a hurry
my forks came apart easy followed the fsm for the tubes by removing front tire first no weight on the fork tube
rag and hand on top of tube slight pressure on tube out came the cap not flying parts

I do not have the screw type cap on top.

 

I got the tool from chacal nice easy worth the money, got 2 more sets of forks to rebuild.

 

well great... the fork seals themselves are pretty much welded in place, and damaged the lower fork leg in attempting to get that off... FML...

 

Post up pics. Not all damage is fatal.

Did you pull the circlip from above the seals before trying to remove them?

Once the circlip is removed, and the damper rod bolt removed, you can just use the fork leg like a slide hammer and pop the seals out.

 

actually no fatal damage. The seals were clearly the originals and pretty well seized in there... thought I was destroying the lower leg but it was actually the rubber from the seal coming apart to the point the metal portion inside the seal was showing and being destroyed. Did eventually get them out.
Can't do the slide hammer technique with the design of the fork on the seca, once that bolt is undone the inner units slide straight out.

Either way, all appears to be well. Got seals out... new ones in and forks essentially back together,just need to put them and the front wheel back on.

 

Ya. I keep forgetting that the 650 Seca has a different bushing setup.