TOPIC:

Well the rear suspension is back together. Even with just new needle roller bearings and plenty of grease it feels a lot bettr. Now to turn my attention to the front end. Sure enough it is a bit notchy. Got it apart eventually. The top is abit stange with what seems like a caged ball bearing rather than taper roller and once cleaned of the little remaining grease it is very rough. Luckily Uncle Bob has them in stock. The taper roller for the bottom yoke will be OK with fresh grease. Just as well as I don't like getting them off. New fork oil seals also required to be on the safe side. Getting there slowly but I've got all winter before I need to treat it to a new battery and try for an MoT. It started quite easily hooked up to another battery so I'm hoping not to have to fiddle with the engine at all (though I'm tempted to put in the carbon reeds I acquired I'll try those out in the newer one).

Top steering head bearing removed and the new one put in far easier than I expected.

The bad news. On close examination both fork legs are worn or flaking so much that a re-chrome is essential. It would be a waste of time just putting in new seals.

The one is worn down below the nickel plate layer at the back near the seal.

Oh well, at least Revs can get them re-chromed for me , so long as the bottom parts will come off OK. John is hoping they screw off - anyone know?

the bottom ends are not screwed on.
The are just sticked together.
Fix the chromed tube somewhere and heat up the aluminium end with a hotair gun.
Then 'wrench' it off.
Remount the ends in the same way.
You should also have a look after the bushings.
The GFR fork looks very precious. But it's like cheap crap.
Mine was full of aluminium flakes. I had to replace all the bushings.

ciao Joachim

Thanks Joachim. I'll pass on th eremoval tip to John. Hope the internals are OK. He'll soon let me know if they need attention as he won't rebuild them unless he is happy with them. I hope you can get the bushes if they are needed

He did the seals on #2 and the bushes and fork legs were OK - but that bike hasn't got 40,000 Kms on the clock!

Pete,
The stanchions are retained in the lower mount by an Allen head bolt, remove this bolt through the hole at the bottom of the lower mount. As Joachim says the stanchion should be an easy fit in the mount but after 30 years and 40000 KMs it will put up a jolly good fight.

I have found the best way is to use a piece of scaffold pole that the stanchion just about passes through but the mount will not. The scaffold tube needs to be long enough to take the complete stanchion. Now heat up the lower mount, holding it with gloves place the stanchion into the scaffold pole which cannot move as it is on the floor on a tough block of wood, smash away. Keep smashing the mount against the scaffold pole, the fight only lasts a couple of rounds but they always come apart! I use a nylon ring around the scaffold pole lip to prevent damage to the fork mount.

Leigh

Thanks Leigh,

I've passed on the info to John. He is very well equipped with hydraulic press etc. and has helped me get very stuck things apart in the past. Just hoping the bushes are OK as Fowlers certainly list the part number as not available. John will let me know when he has them apart what he thinks needs doing before going ahead with the re-chroming.