XJ550 Maxim Fork Rebuild

Hello all,

My question involves taking apart the front forks of my 1981 XJ 550
I have tried to find the thread on here that explains how to make a tool that allows you to hold the inner dampening rod while you screw and unscrew the Allen bolt at the end of the slider case...so obviously that is where I am at -

I vaguely remember a DIY tool that involved using a spark plug socket backwards?

I have followed my Clymer manual to the T up to the point of removing this Allen bolt before pulling out the innards of the fork tube - and the bolt is just spinning along with the inner rod - oddly my manual does not list a tool or technique on how to confront this -

As always I really appreciate any and all help!!

 

Haha!

Figures I would find the post right after I made mine -

http://www.xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic ... forks.html

If anyone has any other suggestions - they are still much appreciated thank you!

 

Use a piece of dowel rod, a broom stick or whatever else you can find that will fit down there.
The fork tube is holding it 90% still, you just have to provide another 10% of force to keep it from turning.

 

There're quite a few things that Clymer seemingly forgot to include. You found the solution, just make sure the socket is one with a 19mm hex, all of my sparkplug sockets are different (???)

Stuff that's not in the Clymer book (or the factory book for that matter)

Tach drive oil seals: http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=19538.html

Wheel bearings: http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=35134.html

Good pictures of the insides of a Mikuni: http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=31061.html

 

This is what I used for my Concours.

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Thanks everyone for all the great advice!!!

I got one out so far with my own variation of the tool shown above - the next should be cake!


Although I have hit a snag with the lower fork slider oil seals - they seem to be stuck in there pretty good and are ripping out leaving chunks of rubber stuck in the seal grooves

anyone had this issue??

 

I used a broom handle down the tube. To get the oil seal out I used a seal removal tool I got for removing the tailshaft seal on a transmission.