Loosening Allen bolt at end of fork lower?

[MarkD]

Hi again all, and thanks in advance for suggestions. I am trying to remove the allen bolt at the bottom of my '79 F fork lowers. It is turning, but not loosening. (I am replacing the fork seals.) The fork cap is on, but I have tried it with the cap off, to see if there was a reachable nut to grab onto from the top to grab while turning the allen. I have looked and looked on the threads for advice, and it seems to apply to Specials. I have tried to use the e-manual I have used before (Scribd) , and even tried to load the link to a couple of manuals on Catatonic's page and some others, too, with no luck. Thanks for your help.

[BA80]

The easiest way is with an impact wrench. Sometimes they will come right out. Sometimes you need to stick something down in the tube to hold the guts from turning. A piece of wooden broom handle seems to be the most popular tool.

I have an old 3/8 drive socket that I pressed the treaded end of a bolt into so the head sticks out. I believe it's a 17mm head on the bolt and it works perfectly on my special forks with a long extension. A standard might use a different size.

You really need to take the cap off the tube, remove the spring and pour out the oil to do that.

There will be a lot of crud down in the bottom of the lower that needs to be cleaned out also.

Here's a pictoral that Crazy Steve posted that might help.

http://www.xs11.com/forum/showthread.php?t=37399

[DGXSER]

HERE is a thread where this is discussed. Bikerphil shows a tool he has made to serve the purpose.

[MarkD]

Well, drove a broom handle home in top of fork, and held it from turning w/ vice grips. Tried to loosen allen bolt. Nothing. The double bolted rod on Phil's page is confusing, not sure if that's a useable thing for this job or not. Ready to try to remove fork seal w/out taking lower apart, but don't really want to scratch the crap out of everything. Also tried to download another manual for Yamaha's instructions, and it didn't work (a free file). My buddy has a manual, I mat see if I can borrow his (Clymer's).

[bikerphil]

That bolt in the picture is in the damping rod, the part you are trying to keep from spinning. If you get your ratchet, a long extention, and a 19MM socket, you can feed it into the fork tube and hold the rod from spinning while removing the 8MM allen bolt from the bottom of the fork leg.

The one on the right in the pic is from Standard forks, it has the recess for the tool, the left one is from the special, you would be using a broomstick to hold those.

[BA80]

Mark, if you don't get it loose I have a set of forks in the garage that are taken apart. I'll go out tomorrow and take some pics so you can see exactly what your dealing with.

OK?

[MarkD]

OK, did some more research on the site, and (I hope) I see things correctly now. For the Standard forks, I can make a tool by using a threaded rod, and 2 19mm bolts, cinched at the end by counter-tightening them upon each other. The pic from BPhil shows one. So I slip this 20 or so inch long tool down the upper tube, let it seat ( in the receptacle that that is the top of the damper tube/rod that I really can't see too well, but must have a socket style top, as in another of BPhil's pics), and commence to loosen the allen bolt while holding the tool and keeping the damper rod from rotating. This is a run-on sentence, I know. Does this sound correct? I work tomorrow, so I will get to this Saturday and report. Thanks BPhil and BA et al.

[bikerphil]

You got it right bro, good luck!

[MarkD]

Whew! I'll report soon. Thanks!

[CaptonZap]

For those of you who do not have access to a source of supply for metric bolts and all-thread , a 1/2 inch dia piece of all-thread and two nuts, which have 3/4 inch flats on them, can do the job. BTDT

CZ

[BA80]

This is what I made and it works perfectly.

[MarkD]

Cool. I will tackle the damper rod this weekend. As part of my after report, I will post a before / after pic or 2 of the refinish job on the lowers. They are a bit corroded and pitted.

[MarkD]

O.K. Done and done. Used threaded rod tool and held damper rod, and removed allen bolts at ends of lowers. Out are the old seals, ans I will install new seals after I refinish Lowers. I will use 600, 1200, 2000 grit, then use a clear Duplicolor DE 1636 engine enamel to finish them. Thanks for the tips on this process guys. Pics to follow at some point.

[skids]

Once you shine the lowers to that extent, you reduce surface area and all it takes is occasional polishing with mothers milk or the like. I only shine then up annually, but this is Denver which is really a non corrosive environment.