I guess I'm done now

[cywelchjr]

Your fork seals are at the top of the lower leg. To replace them you have to remove the lower leg from each side of the fork.

Put your bike up on jacks or a box or something. Remove the front wheel. Remove the fender and the front bark calipers. Your fork is held together by a single bolt that goes up into the fork bottom under the axle. Loosen that bolt and you can remove the lower leg with the fork still on the bike.

Alternately, pull the wheel, pull the front fork legs by loosening the triple tree bolt, and then remove the bolt that hold the fork bottom on. It is a socket head, 8mm I think I remember.

Patrick

I thought you had to remove the spring to be able to take that lose? That sounds like I could do that pretty easily.

[rpgoerlich]

Most of the fork seals I've done that way. If you use an impact it will come all the way out most times. The exception would be where the damper tube spins with the bolt. Then I had to take off the top, remove the spring and hold the damper tube with a reverse 19mm on a long extension while taking out the bolt.

The next problem would be putting the oil back in . Takes a while but you can inject it into through the shrader valve with the core removed.

[skippy344]

WOW, you guys are creative! I guess we have to be, to keep these old, awesome, bikes going, huh?

Hey Richard, sorry I never got back to you on that CDI. I have two, one on the shelf and one spare on the bike. ;o). But hang onto it, I had a guy from the XJBikes site that refreshed the TCI for SWMBOs 650 and he'd like to take a crack at our CDIs.

[Geezer]

If you have an air impact wrench and a jack under the engine, you can do a fork seal job without pulling the upper tubes.

Remove the front wheel, breaks fender and such, spin out the bolts in the bottom of the tubes, replace the seals.

Goop up the allen head bolts with a little silicone sealer and put them in the bottom of the lower tubes, hold the bolts in with your finger while you pour in the full proper amount of fork oil, use the air wrench to spin the allen head bolts back in. Reassemble as usual from here.

Geezer

[xs11lover]

I just replaced the seals on my 79 special. I let the air out, removed the forks for polish and seals. Took the bolt out at the bottom, all the way at the bottom. The lowers slid right off. I soaked the lowers in some really hot water for some time...popped the seals out...replaced them...put the forks back together....flipped them upside down and filled them with the right amount of fork oil. Put the bolt back on and put it all back together. I never messed with the top at all. I don't know, maybe that only works on a special???

[Larrym]

Loose Cannon

Loosen that bolt and you can remove the lower leg with the fork still on the bike.

Patrick

And I thought that I was the only one who's done that. (Not on any of my XS's tho..)

You Sir, display an open disregard for established and well documented official factory authorized repair procedures.

Good to have you on our side!!

[Incubus]

Years ago I used to work at a well known national package delivery company. My supervisor often would pull me off regular duty and assign me to something else, usually more difficult. I figured he just didn't like me. One day, as he was assigning me to a special job, I finally spoke up and asked him, "Why me? Why do I always get the most complicated jobs?"

He looked me up and down and said, "Because you are my laziest guy. I figure you will always find the easiest way to get the job done."

Yeah, he was right.

Patrick

[Larrym]

Not enough hands

Patrick,

I figured as much..

So what was your trick to keep the spring/lower assembly compressed as you re-installed the bolt?

Not fair to have a helper here! What if you had to do it single handed???

[Incubus]

I did it singlehandedly. I tried to get my wife to help, but she pulled out the "patrick's allowed to have a hobby under the following conditions" contract and, sure enough, spousal assistance was specifically excluded.

Guess I should have read it more thoroughly before I opened a vein for the blood to sign it.

The spring itself will keep the lower assembly stable when you start the bolt in the bottom. I usually let the spring provide the tension to both pull the bottom bolt and put it back. Broomsticks and other heroic measures are reserved for recalcitrant bolts that have their own agendas.

You only really have to take off the fork caps if you are going to do something with the spring. If not, it is unnecessary.

Patrick

[cywelchjr]

I did it singlehandedly. I tried to get my wife to help, but she pulled out the "patrick's allowed to have a hobby under the following conditions" contract and, sure enough, spousal assistance was specifically excluded.

Guess I should have read it more thoroughly before I opened a vein for the blood to sign it.

The spring itself will keep the lower assembly stable when you start the bolt in the bottom. I usually let the spring provide the tension to both pull the bottom bolt and put it back. Broomsticks and other heroic measures are reserved for recalcitrant bolts that have their own agendas.

You only really have to take off the fork caps if you are going to do something with the spring. If not, it is unnecessary.

Patrick

Unless as it turns out with mine that the cartridge is turning with the bolt. So, back to square one, the stupid cap still won't budge, and I've been soaking it with pb blaster for over 2 days now. I've just about given up on this stupid fork. And of course the fork with the troubles is the one with the leaking seal, the other who's seal is not leaking the cap moves easily.

So, being really really frustrate, and about ready to pour gas on the thing and light it, I went on ebay and did a search for xs1100 forks and guess what? I found a set with no bids and only 2 hours left on the auction with a 69.95 min bid. So I bid on them. So 99.78 later with shipping I should have a set of good forks here by the end of the week. When I talked to my folks about now needing to figure out how to pay the electric bill (that's where the money for the forks came from) they handed me a check for the price of the forks and said "happy birthday". So, now I have plenty time to get these thing apart, and I can go through them thorouly and get them ready for when the forks I've got coming start to leak, and they I can swap them. So, I'm still going to figure out how to get these things rebuilt, but I won'g be stuck like this again. I need lots more spare parts. I figure at least 2 spare engines, final drive (engines have middle drives) spare tank and such. Just a few more parts and I could build another bike from the spares.

So, I guess the Brutus is going to make the Cali Rally after all.

[Incubus]

OK, it is a lot harder to remove a spinning retention bolt with the forks on the bike, but you can remove it with the fork cap still stuck.

Get a wide tie down, like two inches wide. Strap it around the fork, top to bottom, so that when you ratchet it down it compresses the fork leg. Poke a hole to get an 8mm allen wrench through the tie down. Ratchet it down and compress the leg as much as you can. This should put enough pressure on the bolt to hold it in place while you turn it out.

Now, for the advanced "this thing is really stuck" additional step, get a cheap 8mm allen wrench. Cut off the L so you have a 8mm rod. Put that rod into the fork leg bolt. Put the other end into an 8mm socket. Put the socket on a pneumatic impact driver to spin the stuck bolt out. This steps is really only needed if the bolt it recessed beyond the reach of your regular all head sockets.

Like I said, you only really need to remove the fork cap to change out the spring.

Patrick

[cywelchjr]

OK, it is a lot harder to remove a spinning retention bolt with the forks on the bike, but you can remove it with the fork cap still stuck.

Get a wide tie down, like two inches wide. Strap it around the fork, top to bottom, so that when you ratchet it down it compresses the fork leg. Poke a hole to get an 8mm allen wrench through the tie down. Ratchet it down and compress the leg as much as you can. This should put enough pressure on the bolt to hold it in place while you turn it out.

Now, for the advanced "this thing is really stuck" additional step, get a cheap 8mm allen wrench. Cut off the L so you have a 8mm rod. Put that rod into the fork leg bolt. Put the other end into an 8mm socket. Put the socket on a pneumatic impact driver to spin the stuck bolt out. This steps is really only needed if the bolt it recessed beyond the reach of your regular all head sockets.

Like I said, you only really need to remove the fork cap to change out the spring.

Patrick

Well, I'll have to get a wide tiedown when I get to working on this fork. For now the weather is going to be bad for the next few days anyways, so nowhere to work on it. But the good news it that it should be clear and dry when the replacement forks get here. I figure about 20 minutes to swap the forks and get it assembled and then the test ride. In the meantime getting around will be a bit inconvenient, but I can live with it for a few days if I have to.

[fredintoon]

- - - I figure about 20 minutes to swap the forks and get it assembled and then the test ride. In the meantime getting around will be a bit inconvenient, but I can live with it for a few days if I have to.

Hi Cy,
dunno about that 20 minute thing; it'd take me longer than that just to remove the front wheel. And that's after I found my wrenches.
I'll tell you again how to take the air caps off, which you really should do because there's 30 years-worth of crud in there needs cleaning out. (And on the replacement forks too, I'd bet.)
Here's what a crowfoot socket looks like:-
http://www.drillspot.com/contractors...cket-wrenches/
Don't faint when you see the prices, that's for the really big ones. The one you need should be less than $15.
OK, looks to be this one:-
http://www.drillspot.com/products/12...rowfoot_Wrench
The open end fits round the thing that has to turn.
The two flats on the air cap measure ~20mm apart so you get a 20mm crowfoot, you might have to grind out just a little.
If all you can find is a 3/4" crowfoot (19.05mm) you will need to grind it out a little more.
The square hole is for a socket drive.
If your caps are stuck real bad you'll need an air or an electric impact wrench to turn it.
Take the top 'tree clamp bolts right out.
Keep the bottom 'tree clamp bolts tight.
Shove the crowfoot and driver on there and pull the trigger.

[cywelchjr]

Hi Cy,
dunno about that 20 minute thing; it'd take me longer than that just to remove the front wheel. And that's after I found my wrenches.
I'll tell you again how to take the air caps off, which you really should do because there's 30 years-worth of crud in there needs cleaning out. (And on the replacement forks too, I'd bet.)
Here's what a crowfoot socket looks like:-
http://www.drillspot.com/contractors...cket-wrenches/
Don't faint when you see the prices, that's for the really big ones. The one you need should be less than $15.
OK, looks to be this one:-
http://www.drillspot.com/products/12...rowfoot_Wrench
The open end fits round the thing that has to turn.
The two flats on the air cap measure ~20mm apart so you get a 20mm crowfoot, you might have to grind out just a little.
If all you can find is a 3/4" crowfoot (19.05mm) you will need to grind it out a little more.
The square hole is for a socket drive.
If your caps are stuck real bad you'll need an air or an electric impact wrench to turn it.
Take the top 'tree clamp bolts right out.
Keep the bottom 'tree clamp bolts tight.
Shove the crowfoot and driver on there and pull the trigger.

I'll be doing that in some fashion or other, but for now the priority is to get it back on the road. As for the time to swap, I guess I'm just fast?

I figure on putting the new forks on the bike, then I'll work on breaking down and doing a thorough cleaning and all on the existing forks and when I get them all done (both functionally and cosmetically) I'll swap them back on and then start on the replacement set. Then I'll have two good sets of forks ready to go, and that way when/if I pick up a second bike (and I like standards so I'm not really looking for a special) I'll have a fully serviced set to go right on. I might even experiment with some emulators and having a second set to do that with may keep the downtime to a minimum, which is important with having a single bike that is my primary transportation.

[DGXSER]

If it were me, I'd soak the daylights our of that cap threads with PB Blaster for a few days, then pull the top triple tree off the bike, giving you plenty of room to get at the bloody cap.

Tool of choice, is up to you, for me, I'd take a pipe wrench with some duct tape wrapped around the teeth to protect the finish, put it on those flats and if need be put a pipe on the end of the wrench handle. When I was young and even cheeper than I am now (hard to believe I know), I had a VW bug. The rear wheel is held on by a single nut on the axle and it is tightend to 300 ft-lbs or so. I used to put the car in gear with cement block for wheel chocks to hold the car still, put the pipe wrench on the nut, and a ten foot piece of 2" pipe over the handle and get on the end of the pipe and turn the bolt. Worked, and saved my back ALOT of pain.