Topic: 76 550 Fork Maintanance...

[Lumbee]

...bout to pull my forks for general cleanup, and what looks to be leaky fork seals.  Is the seals all I need for this job...looks like they are a few options on Ebay for around $10.  Also, what type of oil should do I put in them?  And lastly anything else I should look for while I'm doing this job?

...thanx in advance...

[bryanj]

As long as the chrome surface on the steel tubes is OK and the "boots" are OK all you will need is seals. Undo the allen screw in the bottom FIRST.
As to oil use a specific fork oil, probably 20w is about right.

[puppytrax]

I plan on lightly flat-filing the brass washers for the drain screw and the socket head cap screws in the lowers. Just to take any scratches off. I've already chased all the threads for the caps. My top nuts turn freely by hand, or I'd do some chasing on them too...

Since the top nuts I plan on using are hollow, I'm thinking maybe I should drill & tap them for a plug (or a Shrader valve; Hondaman has written on this in his musings at the main site)...makes it easier to fill, or pressurize...   

[Lumbee]

...what a mess!!!  I have to put fork disassebly up there with the oil change for messy jobs.  Anywho, one of the forks came apart OK, the other, the hex bolt at the bottom just seems to be spinning, but not loosening.  How do I get this bugger out...do I have to jam something up in there to stop what ever is on the other end from moving?

Also, the circle clip thing that holds the fork seal in place...I guess I need the special pliers to get that out...any other po-boy options for getting it out?

[puppytrax]

...the hex bolt at the bottom just seems to be spinning, but not loosening.  How do I get this bugger out...

Impact wrench.

Also, the circle clip thing that holds the fork seal in place...I guess I need the special pliers to get that out...any other po-boy options for getting it out?

I used a sharp pointed punch plus a thin bladed screwdriver...and a cotter pin puller...pull one eye toward the middle; slip the thin bladed screwdriver under it; then work your way around, pulling toward the center all the time...it'll come out...   

[Lumbee]

...impact wrench won't get it, the bolt does spin, but its not backing out, I'm assuming because what ever its attached to is also spinning...

[Mark M]

To get the bottom nut out you will probably need to stop the damper from spinning inside. I use some 15mm pipe held in a vice - the end is crimped in on 4 sides to make a kind of blunt square spike to wedge the fork tube over.
 
I know you are way past this point but for anyone else watching. When you are stripping forks it is always best to make that bottom bolt the first thing you disturb then you have your best chance of everything else keeping still, after you disturb the top bolt you loosten everything up. It's a bit of good avice that I normally remember shortly after it all went wrong, again.

If the spring clip is hard to move it's probably rusted in place and some WD40 overnight will help loosten it. The sping clip is fairly lightweight and should be easily moved with a steel pick/small screwdriver.  

[Fish]

Lumbee,

Hey bro.  I came across this same problem when I did mine.  What worked for me was to take the fork completely off of the bike.  With the fork bolt on, I planted it upside down on the ground and then leaned on it with all my weight to compress the spring as much as I could.  As I leaned on it, I turned the hex bolt and the pressure of the compressed spring was enough to prevent the damper unit from turning.  Hope this helps.

- Chad

[puppytrax]

Here's an idea...take the cap off; remove the spring...get a piece of 1" x 3' doweling from the hardware store; stick it down the tube (extend the tube fully)...cut the doweling about 5/8" short, so that you can screw the top nut on and press the dowel against the end of the fork damper...tighten it, and try the impact wrench again... 

[Lumbee]

...my bad on not removig the hex screw first...that was in the first post brianJ wrote    ...I'll see if I can get something wedged down in there.

...on another note I'm cleaning up the rear wheel too.  The sproket/cush drive doesn't seem to be budging...I can't get it off the wheel for anything.  Am I missing something?

[crazypj]

As to oil use a specific fork oil, probably 20w is about right.

Unless you have heavy duty springs and modify damper rod holes 20W is too thick and forks stop working if you hit a series of bumps/ripples. they pack down and can't return until road smooths out. use 10 to 15 weight
PJ

[78 k550]

I have had a few spin on me. I just grab the fork from above and compress it as far as I can with my arms and have someone else spin the allen bolt in the bottom of the fork.

Paul

[DJ_AX]

I just changed my fork seals with no probs.

Check out this page to give you an idea of what's going on in there...
http://oldmanhonda.com/MC/Rforks.html

and then check out this page for the broomstick trick... worked like a charm for me...
http://www.salocal.com/sohc/tech/frkng/frkng.htm

[puppytrax]

Check out this page to give you an idea of what's going on in there...
http://oldmanhonda.com/MC/Rforks.html

I don't know if I'd regard that site as gospel...

8. If the fork seal is still in place, work it out with a pair of needlenose pliers.

Maybe you can work the circlip out with a pair of needlenose pliars (I've done it)...but the seal??