250SX Fork Rebuild

[Frankencelery]

In the IT world we call it "scope creep", the tendency for a project to grow far beyond it's original specifications. I was just trying to do my front brakes on my 250SX. I had to jump off a 19-story building onto my breaker bar to get the front axle bolt out, and then found that I need wheel bearings. Ok, those are cheap and pretty easy, so I can live with that.

So I'm sitting there looking at the hub and holding onto the right fork, and my hand comes away all oily. So I've got a leaking fork seal, and the boots are ripped anyway so maybe I should redo the forks while I've got things apart.

Sigh.

So I have a couple questions about that. First, are there any vendors that sell fork seals or rebuild kits or whatever? Same for fork boots. There's a vendor on Ebay that has some that are supposed to fit anything, but I find that hard to believe. I would like to get as close to original (black) as possible.

Also, is this a difficult job? I removed the cap and the clamp bolts on the right side, but the fork tube didn't move. S'pose I need a manual....

[DeePa]

go to service honda and find out the part number for the rebuild kits...they are like 20-25 bucks.

atc forks are very easy to rebuild

mike

[ATCWRENCH]

heres a good write up 350X'nNY and I did. this is for most honda forks. origianally explained for the 83R forks

Quote:
Originally Posted by ATCWRENCH
1.) set one fork tube in a vise with either soft jaws or a shop rag double over so you dont damage the fork. get the right size socket and break the cap loose, finish spinning it off slow cuz of spring pressure. once you get the cap off take the fork out of the vise, take it to a well lit work area and push down on the top half of the fork, the springs will start to show and pull them out slowly to let all the old fork oil drain off back into the fork. once thats done get an old coffee can or something of that nature and turn the fork up side down and pump the fork to get all the fluid out. at this point it may not hurt to put the spring assembly back into the fork and put the cap on with little tension as you will need most likely 1.) a T-40 torqs bit(star bit) to get the bolt out of the very bottom of the fork. once that is out you can take the caps back off and remove the springs again. after that is done you should be able to pull the two pieces apart. from here you will need a small flat blade screw driver to get the swipers out. see if you can get the screw driver under the outside edge of the swiper so you can pop it up and it should come out with very little trouble, if does not come out easy use a small propane torch and heat the fork tube up a little and use a shop rag, set the shop rag doubled over on one side of the tube and use it as a lever point to pry on the other side of the swiper to get it out. once that is out then you can use the snap ring pliers and get the snap ring out, when thats out use the shop rag again and pry the seal out of the fork tube. 2.) from here its all about cleaning, clean untill ya think you got it clean, and clean some more. no dirt grit or grim anywhere. from here it should be smooth sailing, 3.) start by placing a little bit of automatic transmission fluid on the seal race, put it in and 4.)use the old seal as a driver if it wasnt to badly damaged in the removal, when that is in take the chrome fork tube with the valve rod in it, put it in the fork slider and push it all the way done. with it all the way down grab the bolt that was in the bottom and put a little bit of low strength thread locker on it and thread it in the bottom, only screw it in far enough to where the head hits bottom dont torque it yet. at this point you can put the swiper back on and it should slide over the fork tube and in to place with just finger pressure. from there fill your forks with 5.) atf fliud of recommended amount. after that put your springs back in, put that cap back on and 6.) put the forks back in the vise with either soft jaws or a shop rag doubled over. after they are in the vise you can torque the caps back down at about 14-18 foot pounds of torque, not a whole lot. put it back in the triple clamps and you should be done with one and and its the same way for both tubes. 7.)


1.) What I do is just loosen the top 2 bolts on the triple tree. then you don't have to worry about a vice marring them. The bottom 2 bolts on the triple tree will keep the fork from spinning. Just use the wrench to "break them free" Also, use the 6mm hex head to loosen up/break free the bolt at the bottom of the fork too. (BEFORE you remove the front axle!) Usually an Allen wrench won't do it.... buy a good 6mm allen that's on a ½" drive socket. I break both of these free before I take the forks out of the triple trees. Not sure about the specific model, but I know my 350X and my 82R had 6mm hex heads.

2.) Flush out with Kerosene for the first go around..... after that use CHLORINATED Brake Cleaner.

3.) Another trick to get the seals over the fork tube w/o cutting or gouging them is to cut the corner off a plastic bag, then put that over the end of the fork tube. Then push down on it. Should slide on, and prevent gouging.

4.) They make special seal drivwers for this. When we havent had the correct ones around, a make fix has been using PVC pipe you can then slide a larger pipe down onto to force the seal in.

5.) Or specialized Fork Oil form your dealer. They make varying weight oil for different riding styles and conditions. Higher Weight oil gives a stiffer/more dampened shock. I use the heighest weight, cause I weigh a higher weight! hahaaha

6.) Hand tighten the top cap to the fork. There are enough threads to hold it secure until you put the fork back into your triple tree. Put your forks back into the triple tree. There is a line around the top of your fork tube. This should be flush with the top of your triple tree. Only tighten down the lower 2 bolts, this will act as a vice, while you tighten the top cap on your fork. (Make sure the top 2 bolts on the triple tree are NOT tight when you are tightening or loosening the fork cap!!)

7.) Once the forks are back into the triples, make sure you snug up the hex bolt on the bottom of your forks down by the axle!

Other Misc Items...
While you are at it, you might as well buy Progressive Fork springs and replace those 20 year old springs in there! Or at least measure the lengths of your springs to see if they are still "in tolerance" to your manual.

Also, check the brass bushing on the bottom of your fork tubes for wear. If you can see its worn, replace that too. Inspect the inside of your lower fork tube after you clean it out. should be a mirror surface. Any dents from the outside you can see "warp" this surface will prematurely wear your fork bushings!!

If you buy Honda OEM seals, they come with new dust seals. Been told by a few to stay away from aftermarket seals and buy the OEM Honda ones.

[Frankencelery]

Thanks for the info! I'll probably get back to it today and give it a try.