forks (revisited); prep for swap of tubes

Hi All....

well, i posted about a week or so ago (re: bent forks on a KZ400)...

I've landed a pair of KZ440 forks (they are on their way) and am prepping the original KZ400 forks for a
"tube swap" (as a few of you mentioned)...

i want to do this (if i can), since i have already cleaned/repainted the lower tubes of the first set (and it is the top/inner tubes that are bent)...

so...

all is going well (with the removal), accept!

- i've gotten the caps off
- the springs out
- oil drained

and it is time to try and remove the inner tubes...

the book shows some funny tool to help keep the bottom
tube from rotating as you try and use an allen wrench to loosen the bottom bolt (that i can only assume keeps the inner tube IN!)...

so, i did not have that funny tool (and to be honest, did not think it would work even if i had it!) but i did rig a system to keep the outer tube from rotating...

a coulple of bolts, a length of chain, etc... etc...
and the outer tube was QUITE SECURE to the bike jack that the whole thing is on...

ok...

took a little elbow grease....

but i DID get that bottom allen bolt to move!
and it rotates loose buy hand now....

here are the funny things/probs...

1) that little allen bolt does not want to DROP down out of its "home"... keeps rotating around and around... (note: some drips of oil are coming down/around the bolt, so i know that it is loose and not just stripped)...

2) the book says "...loosen the bolt... then pull out the inner tube....

humm.....

yeah... ok... sure...

NOTHING IS HAPPENING!

i pull, pull...

(yes, i have removed those funny clips that hold the oil ring in place... though the book does not mention doing that until AFTER the inner tube is removed)...

any advice??

thanks...

- prime

upon closer inspection....

i screwed up!!

took a flash light (with son holding it!) and i
rotated the bolt with the allen wrench...

it appears as though there is a secondary "cylinder"
down in there that is:

1) attached to that bolt...

and

2) is rotating with it...

i guess i DO need that funny "tool"
(fork cylinder holder)



have any of you "rigged" something that works??

- prime

Damper holder, AKA broom/mop handle with the end carved into a pyramid shape.

Although since you already have it loose it won't take much to hold it now.

Yep, that will do it! I used a long 1" hardwood dowel, with the end kinda squared off into a chopped-top pyramid. I put the dowel into the tube, then inverted the whole assembly and pushed the other end of the dowel against the floor (to keep pressure on the inside fitting) as I used an allen socket to turn the bolt on the bottom of the lower outer tube, since you have it loose, all you need is a slight amount of resistance to keep the inside fitting from spinning.

When you reassemble, do the same thing, except remember to use a little liquid thread locker on the threads to keep the assembly from, well, disassembling.

WONDERFUL!!!

thanks....

i thought i needed somekind of
metal bolt thing attached to a
metal rod!

now that old broom stick that
has been sitting in the garage really
DOES have a purpose!



thanks...

i'll report back tomorrow...

let ya know how it worked out....

- prime

----

hi all...

my dad had an old saying....

"...give the hardes job to the laziest man,
and he'll find the easiest way to do it..."

i live my LIFE by that code!

i used...

- one long metal pipe
- one small "superball"
- 2 strips of duct tape

figured all i needed was a way to "grip" the
bottom tube...

super ball worked like a charm!

no cutting...

no noth'n!



waiting on my replacement forks now...

- prime