Some Fork Help

I got the front forks off to change the oil seal. I am to the point where I need to take out the allen bolt at the bottom of the fork. I put the allen wrech on there and it didn't budge. Needless to say I stripped it. Am I screwed??? Plus I made the 19mm tool to go down into there and I could not get it to fit down there. What am I doing wrong?

 

You will need to get a hold of either and easy-out or a reverse twist drill bit to remove the stripped out head. Sounds like the PO did you a disservice with an impact gun (a commonly used means of removal and installation if you haven't the proper means to wedge the fork piston). Your piston may be a 17mm instead. The proper tool for this process is a pyramid shaped cone that covers a range of sizes. Try to get some smaller bolts and nuts. Good luck to you.

 

I think the Seca 750 and Seca 900 have similar dampers ... 22mm

 

My tool for forks is a long rod with a 19 on one end and a 22 on the other.

 

If your stuck , take it to a machine shop and get them to "mill" off the top of the allen head and the tube will pull out then you'll be able to remove the threaded bit after....

Or maybe cheeper for a whole leg/tube from wreckers?...

 

The cheap and painless way to do this is to drill the cap off the cap screw - start with a drill bit slightly larger than the hex key recess in the screw and only drill deep enough to remove the head. You can go up a few sizes on the drill bit but remember not to go more than about an 1/8th of an inch past the bottom of the hex key recess. These screws usually have a copper washer under the head for sealing against the fork tube, so if you see copper in your drilling chips stop immediately - you're there! Needless to say, you'll have to replace the cap screw.

Once the head is off the screw, you can clean the area with a brushload of varsol, then remove the stanchion as per normal - the rest of the screw will be easier to deal with after the stanchion is out.

 

Yah I will have to give that drilling a try and hopefully can get the rest of the scew out withough busting it off. First time taking the forks apart and thought I was doing good till got to that screw.

 

Get a good drift punch and give it one hard smack straight down on the head. That will break the bond between the aluminum and the steel.

 

I plan on trying to get that screw out on Saturday and was wonder what the size of it is so that I can get a couple ahead of time to replace them.

Thanks,

 

Not sure of the size, I bought new ones from yamaha.
Still have my old ones around somewhere, I'll see if I can get a measurement tonite.
Nothing wrong with my old ones if you need them, I just figured since I had them out it was a good time to replace them.

 

Well got the screws out and now trying to figure out how to get to the seal? Do you just yank til the sanction and lower tube come apart or what is the next step, or easy way to proceed from here?

 

You need to extend a "Fork Tool" down from the top and "Hold" the damper from turning while you unscrew the Cap Screw at the very bottom of the lower fork tube,

Examine the very bottom and you will see a circular opening and the head of the cap screw. Trying to unscrew the cap screw without holding the damper is tough ... even with an air impact gun.

 

remove top circlip and yank away [excuse me the americans]

 

After removing the stanction bolt, you will need to pry out the dust seals and remove the retaining clips. Once those are out, grasp the lower fork tube and the slider tube and yank them apart (no joke, yank). The old fork seals should be dislodged. Good luck!

 

Well ... here's my 2-cents on "Yanking-away." If the seals are " aged in place" ... they'll still be sitting there, looking at you. Plus, the damber and spring and internals might go flying.

I have always used a common nail ... which I grind to a rather sharp point and drive it through the shoulder of the seal. Then, using a medium diameter sheet-metal screw ... turn the screw into the shoulder of thhe seal. Grab the screw head with the lock-on's and ... then, yank ... or, pry (prize, for you Oz-dwellers) ... and not risk sending parts flying all over the work area.

Here's a nickel ... 3-cents change, please!

 

I'm sure your method is a better road to travel Rick. I'm just usually worked up by about that time and the ability to take out pent up agressions at that point is always rewarding. I'll have to give it a go.

 

AHHH!! ok now that that is out you can tell me how bad my fork is F'd up.

Got the clip out and washer and was yanking to get apart. Did a couple yanks and could see that the seal was coming out. was trying to slide the stanchion back in to give another yank and it wouldn't go, so i gave it a tap with the rubber mallot to get it down and now its stuck. i could get it to go back down by hitting it w/ the mallot but it won't slide out or turn. its just stuck. I got one fork done so was all happy about that now this happened. I am going to go watch tv and try and calm down now.

 

Work on getting the seal out. Take it out in "Bites" using needle-nosed pliers, needle-nosed vice grips ... or, a small pair of diagonals. It's already no good ... don't be gentle with it. Take it out of there bit-by-bit if you have too. Don't mar-up the upper tube. When you have it out ... "center-up" the upper tube. See if it will un-jam -- BY HAND! If it does; you should be able to get it to come out. If it don't ... you probably jammed the lower-end of the top tube between the inside diameter of the lower tube and the loosened-up damper assembly or fragments of the nylon slider.

I feel for you ... but, if you'd have looked at any workshop manual ... you'd have seen that the prescribed method of overhauling the fork is to:

Remove the lower damper retaining cap screw.
Invert the fork and collect the rod and the spring.
Slide the upper fork fully down and pry-out the seal.
Remove the upper tube without resistance of any kind.

Yanking risks unseating the nylon slide ring from it's retaining groove on the lower fork -- subjecting the slider to being fractured or jammed between the lower and upper tubes.

There is no mention of using a mallet to drive the upper tube down into the lower section.

Now, you are in a "Damage assessment ... and, mitigating the damage" scenario. With any luck ... nothing will be bent, scratched or broken.

You're due for a smile from Lady Luck!

 

Here's the one I put in my 750 and 900 ... 6 place. Allows for two optional protected circuits or holding 2 spares. None better. 9-Bucks!

http://wirewerksperformance.com/index.p ... ducts_id=1