XJ1100J Fork trouble, advice needed

[Smash]

Hey guys, still fighting with this '82 XJ1100J. Fork seals were shot, the bike has 40K+ on it and wasn't all that well taken care of. Lower bolts on the forks were so stuck we had to get a friend to help get them out. Seems we have damaged the threads in the tube, as new bolts, crush washers, blue locktite and proper torque and they are still leaking off the bike.

I don't even care at this point if we have to seal the forks completely. Is there something we can use to stop the leaking? Money is very tight and we've already spent quite a bit trying to get this thing up and running. On top of this, discovered last week the final drive oil drain bolt housing is stripped and there was zero oil in it.

Are the forks interchangeable from other models? Parts for this have been hard to find.

Right now I would love to just part this out and get something else, but we wouldn't be able to get her on a bike for atleast another year.


Any thoughts/advice would be much appreciated. We had to step away from the project, she is about in tears and I want to torch the thing.

[natemoen]

Could try retreating it for a larger bolt.

Or you could empty the fork again clean all the oil out of the hole and threads and fill the hole with rtv (not literally but enough to take care of ant gaps) and then put the bolt in and let it cure for a dat and then refill the fork with oil.

Not a permanent fix but could probably get you though awhile.

[Smash]

That was quick, thanks for responding!

Didn't think tapping it out for a bigger bolt was an option, as the bolt not only goes through the fork housing but also secures the internals.

I had considered RTV. Will it hold up to the petroleum based oil and pressure? How long do you figure it would hold? Just need this bike for a year or two, until hopefully we can get her on a newer bike. We have a trip planned from here to NC the end of July, that is the biggest concern.

[bikerphil]

Hey guys, still fighting with this '82 XJ1100J. Fork seals were shot, the bike has 40K+ on it and wasn't all that well taken care of. Lower bolts on the forks were so stuck we had to get a friend to help get them out. Seems we have damaged the threads in the tube, as new bolts, crush washers, blue locktite and proper torque and they are still leaking off the bike.

The surface where the crush washer contacts the fork leg must be clean or you will have a leak. Maybe the hex bolts need to be tighter. Are the damper rods seated correctly with the slot in the bottom lined up with the index screw?

[Smash]

Did not know about lining up the dampener rods correctly, I will look into that thank you.

I have those lower bolts tightened to the correct torque.

[bikerphil]

Did not know about lining up the dampener rods correctly, I will look into that thank you.

I have those lower bolts tightened to the correct torque.

The XJ forks have adjustable rebound dampers. The slots in the damper rod must line up with those screws on the outside of the forks, or they won't be seated right.

[natemoen]

Bigger bolt may not be an option, don't remember what all is in there and don't know how the XJ forks are set up.

[Smash]

The XJ forks have adjustable rebound dampers. The slots in the damper rod must line up with those screws on the outside of the forks, or they won't be seated right.

Looking at the manual now, it has a picture of how things should line up, but the picture is so terrible I can't tell what they are talking about.

Might be time to take these forks into a shop to see if a "professional" can repair them, as I cannot tell from the manual how these are supposed to line up.

[natemoen]

I bet someone has pics or at least someone with an XJ can talk you through it.

[Smash]

That would be most appreciated. I'm not all that mechanically inclined, hence I need decent pictures. I'm very good at following directions if I know what I'm looking at.

[planedick]

XJ forks

Are quite different frofm XS forks and if you don't kinow what you're doing, it's best to seek professional help before you really mess them up. The alignment is the problem that makes it leak. There is a slot in the inner part that must be where the screw goes in from the outside. If it's not lined up that way it will leak and not work right. There are other things related to the dampening rod that also must be installed correctly.

[bikerphil]

This is a picture from the XJ service manual that might help. Screw #2 must line up with the slot on part #3. This picture is with fork assembly upside down. If they are not lined up, fork will not work properly and/or leak.

[Smash]

Ok I see what that picture is trying to say. I didn't touch the drain bolts since we had to put in new fork seals.

The dampening rod wants to "seat" only a certain way, was careful to twist the rod until it popped into its slot in the bottom of the fork.

Am I missing anything else?

[bikerphil]

Ok, seems like the slots are lined up right, only other thing left is the sealing area where the crush washer is. You said you used new bolts and washers, better take a look at them closer. The problem has to be with the bolt not mating with the brass washer correctly or the fork lower itself got damaged when removing the old bolt. Worse come worse, you could probably RTV it but you're gonna have to clean the surfaces to get any oil off of them first. Good luck!

[Smash]

Well, one of the bolts just snapped in the fork. Takes all I have to not destroy this thing. I've brought three xs650s back to life, including fork rebuilds, and this bike has fought me so bad every step of the way!