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Offline rpyles

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Polishing rear shocks?
« on: May 13, 2005, 04:52:08 AM »
The 36 year-old shocks on my 750 are beginning to show their age. Partsfish indicates that I can disassemble these things to get in behind the springs to clean up the damper. Anyone ever tried this? Is this something that can be done without any special tools? Thanks for any ideas.  :D Richard
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Richard Pyles - 70 CB750 K0

Offline Jonesy

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Re: Polishing rear shocks?
« Reply #1 on: May 13, 2005, 05:01:26 AM »
I've done it and if you have a vice, helper and strong hands, you should have the tools you need. Carefully clamp the shock in the vice so it is pointing up (make sure you have guards on the vice so the jaws won't chew up your chrome) and dial the shock down to its lowest preload setting. Grasp the chrome spring guard with both hands and pull it down about a half-inch. Then have your assistant pull out the two retainers that lock the guard to the eye on the shock rod and the guard, spring and misc. washers will lift off the top. Then you can polish all the individual pieces. Assembly is the reverse of removal.
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Offline rpyles

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Re: Polishing rear shocks?
« Reply #2 on: May 13, 2005, 05:08:50 AM »
Thanks - I'll give it a try.
Richard
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Richard Pyles - 70 CB750 K0

Offline rpyles

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Re: Polishing rear shocks?
« Reply #3 on: May 13, 2005, 05:19:19 AM »
It's OK, I was going to have my wife remove them.  :D :D
R.P.
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Richard Pyles - 70 CB750 K0

Offline Jonesy

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Re: Polishing rear shocks?
« Reply #4 on: May 13, 2005, 05:27:10 AM »
...at least you'll have help! I did it myself!
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"Every time I start thinking the world is all bad, then I start seeing people out there having a good time on motorcycles; it makes me take another look." -Steve McQueen

Offline Terry in Australia

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Re: Polishing rear shocks?
« Reply #5 on: May 13, 2005, 06:23:43 AM »
If you have access to a welder you can make a simple shock compressor, which makes assembly/disassembly simple and safe. I can send you a pic of mine if you like? Once you've polished those OEM shocks, hang 'em up in your trophy case and put something decent on your bike. Cheers, Terry. 8)
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Offline rpyles

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Re: Polishing rear shocks?
« Reply #6 on: May 13, 2005, 06:31:20 AM »
G'day, Terry. Thanks for the offer, but I don't have a welder.  :-[
Richard
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Richard Pyles - 70 CB750 K0

Offline kghost

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Re: Polishing rear shocks?
« Reply #7 on: May 13, 2005, 08:53:34 AM »
You can use about 6 big zip ties. Put them through the spring and tighten them incrementally.
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Offline L.A. Nomad........

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Re: Polishing rear shocks?
« Reply #8 on: May 13, 2005, 11:22:51 AM »
Buy new shocks! You'll thank yourself later. Or rebuild them if you can!

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Offline rpyles

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Re: Polishing rear shocks?
« Reply #9 on: May 13, 2005, 11:39:11 AM »
Rebuild? What is there to replace?  ??? Richard
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Richard Pyles - 70 CB750 K0

Offline Terry in Australia

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Re: Polishing rear shocks?
« Reply #10 on: May 13, 2005, 04:29:22 PM »
Quote from: supersport_CB400F on May 13, 2005, 11:59:21 AM
I'm rebuilding my shocks "Koni", oil and seals only, not sure if you can do that with stock one's. Do What Terry in Oz say's and buy a decent set  ;)

The originals aren't rebuildable, and they were awful even when new anyway, but a lot of owners like to keep them as they're "Original". Buy a nice pair of Ikons (son of Koni) and keep your originals for when you want to show/sell your bike. Here's a crap pic of my Koni's in pieces SS, I'll get you a better pic this weekend when I (finally) rebuild them. Cheers, Terry. 8)
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I was feeling sorry for myself because I couldn't afford new bike boots, until I met a man with no legs.

So I said, "Hey mate, you haven't got any bike boots you don't need, do you?"

"Crazy is a very misunderstood term, it's a fine line that some of us can lean over and still keep our balance" (thanks RB550Four)

Offline rpyles

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Re: Polishing rear shocks?
« Reply #11 on: May 14, 2005, 09:58:56 AM »
You're right, Terry. I would like to keep them just because they are the originals. I just wish I had the original pipes back.  :'(
Richard
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Richard Pyles - 70 CB750 K0

Offline chrometank

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Re: Polishing rear shocks?
« Reply #12 on: May 14, 2005, 06:47:51 PM »
Hows this,When i was a young bloke i chopped up my four into fours to make a four into 1 ,dohhh.The stupidity of youth!!!
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jsaab2748

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Re: Polishing rear shocks?
« Reply #13 on: May 14, 2005, 07:58:15 PM »
Terry, if you're still following this thread, where does one get that neat wrench in the picture that you posted? I need to rebuild an old set of koni's, but need that wrench to get them apart. Sorry for the interruption  guys...
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cb750_chris

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Re: Polishing rear shocks?
« Reply #14 on: May 15, 2005, 12:41:58 PM »
You can't get more than the spring and cover off of these K0 shocks.  Once you accomplish that you can't clean all the rust out of them.  Due to the rod being threaded into the lower shock permanently it is impossible to re-finish the whole upper shock.  I cleaned mine up as well as I could and painted them black.  I also left my springs and covers in vinegar to get the rust off of them.  These came out as good as new.  Once assemled you cant see the rusty internals so they are good for now.  Honda never painted the internals in the first place with this in mind. 

You can get the spings off by hand with a helper as long as you turn the tension setting down to the lowest notch. 
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Offline Terry in Australia

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Re: Polishing rear shocks?
« Reply #15 on: May 15, 2005, 01:54:45 PM »
Quote from: jsaab2748 on May 14, 2005, 07:58:15 PM
Terry, if you're still following this thread, where does one get that neat wrench in the picture that you posted? I need to rebuild an old set of koni's, but need that wrench to get them apart. Sorry for the interruption  guys...

G'Day Mate, the adjustable peg spanner in the pic proved to be useless (those threaded colars are in TIGHT!) so I used the hammer and punch in the pic, but it messed up the holes in the collar on that shock pretty bad, so like Dave I built my own spanner which I traded to Dave Benge, but have now borrowed back to rebuild my shocks while he's sunning himself in the US of A. Here's a pic. Cheers, Terry.  ;D
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I was feeling sorry for myself because I couldn't afford new bike boots, until I met a man with no legs.

So I said, "Hey mate, you haven't got any bike boots you don't need, do you?"

"Crazy is a very misunderstood term, it's a fine line that some of us can lean over and still keep our balance" (thanks RB550Four)

jsaab2748

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Re: Polishing rear shocks?
« Reply #16 on: May 15, 2005, 02:15:19 PM »
Supersport and Terry, thanks for the pics of those tools, very helpful. I know what I gotta do now, just needed a little "push".
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Offline Terry in Australia

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Re: Polishing rear shocks?
« Reply #17 on: May 15, 2005, 06:30:00 PM »
The tool I made will undo the collars at both ends, and works really well, the handles are real long, but give heaps of leverage.

 If you have any problems with Ikon (They're not very good at replying to emails) let me know and I'll call them for you, they're only a couple of hundred miles up the road from me, in Albury, NSW, where CBen lives. Cheers, Terry. 8)
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I was feeling sorry for myself because I couldn't afford new bike boots, until I met a man with no legs.

So I said, "Hey mate, you haven't got any bike boots you don't need, do you?"

"Crazy is a very misunderstood term, it's a fine line that some of us can lean over and still keep our balance" (thanks RB550Four)

douglascoolgrey

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Re: Polishing rear shocks?
« Reply #18 on: May 15, 2005, 07:09:47 PM »
I thought for a second Terry was going to post a picture of Dave sunning himself. Thanks for NOT posting that!
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