Subject: Re: more stuck parts
Author: Ron Komoroski
Date: May 19, 2003, 6:52 PM
Post ID: 1713057585
Ray,
Disassembly of the loop fork leg takes a special tool. The chrome piece
screws onto the lower leg w/ a very fine thread, AND there is a large "O"
ring in there. On the inside, the chrome piece has a lip that sticks up, w/4
slots 90 deg. apart. The tool is basically a piece of thick wall pipe w/ an
ID dimension just big enough to slip down over the chrome upper fork leg.
The bottom of the piece of pipe is cut away to leave 4 teeth protruding that
fit into the slots in the chrome part. The actual factory tool has handles
welded at the top of the pipe so that it can be turned.....hopefully
unscrewing the chrome part from the lower fork leg. I made my own tool from
a piece of Galvanized steel pipe. It is 8" long, 1.65" OD, 1.36" ID & about
.150" wall thickness. The ID was too small, so I used up 3 sets of stones on
a brake cylinder hone grinding it out to 1.380" so it would slip down over
the fork leg. (a lathe w/a boring bar would have been easier, but I don't
have access to one). I uses a hacksaw, air grinder, & files on one end to
cut wide slots, leaving 4 teeth about .185" wide. I didn't try to weld on
handles, my welding isn't so good, I didn't want to worry about the fumes
(welding galvanized metal), & I didn't want to risk overheating an area
inside the pipe & causing it to warp.
OK, first try, clamp the lower leg in the vice as you describe (and is
pictured in the shop manual), put in the tool & try to turn it w/2 pipe
wrenches. MUCH energy & many expletives expended, only to round off the
teeth on my tool. blankety-blank-blank-blankety-BLANK-blank-blank!!!!!! I
couldn't provide enough down force to keep the teeth in the slots. OK (next
day) try again, regrind the teeth only make them longer this time (.3").
THINK about the problem......A-ha... Clamp the pipewrench handle in the vice
w/the jaws to the side facing up. put the tool in fork leg engaging the
slots. Put the axle in the bottom of the leg, clamp in place w/ the pinch
bolt.Hold the fork leg/tool assembly so that the exposed portion of the tool
rests in the jaws of the pipe wrench (fork leg horizontal), tighten down the
pipe wrench jaws. then slip a 3' piece of pipe (a "cheater bar") over the
axle, maintaining pressure to keep the teeth engaged.....slooowly apply
turning force w/the cheater, and......it unscrews easy as pie!
I hope you can borrow the tool somewhere!
Ron Komoroski