168 replies to this topic

[tdm850rider]

welcome Tom S thats a fine looking MKI and the best colour to boot (which incidentally you seem to be doing in yer picture!!)

I have to agree on the best colour. Welcome Tom.

[Jez]

agree with Sumo.
PK i would only use Genuine yam fork seals arrrrrrrr arrrrrrrrr arrrrrrrrr, reason being i once fitted spurious ones to an LC on a sat, the following wed i had to change em again with genuine yam wans.............. while yer at it are ya gonna rub doon the pitted/rusty chrome bits and have em rechromed or go down the araldite route????

YES!! WOOHOO!! I knew there was another out there like me. I once used P38 car body filler and rubbed it down with 1200 grade 'wet or dry'. Oh how my mates laughed. Lasted for years though.

[Stink-Foot]

Question 2:
Can I use this method to change the seal without damaging the bushes?

I guess it's possible but not easy. I tried to pry the old seal out that way first but after a while decided to take the forks apart. It's really easy to scratch the fork tubes that way. The old seal was stuck pretty hard, soaking it with penetrating oil might help.

Question 3: Special tools, I think I can fabricate what I need, but not sure what they really look like. The rod holder/puller just looks like a thin spanner. Should be easy to make. Made my own seal driver for the Buell fork. Made other tools too.
Anyone have any good pix of fork parts/ special tools?

Here's a picture of the damper assembly. The top of it where the special tool is needed isn't too well visible though. The special tool should clear the damper rod and fit around the top of the damper tube to keep it from spinning. The "nut" at the top of the tube isn't actually a hex head but flat only on two sides. I'm sorry I don't remember the size of it.

I've taken my forks apart a few times and never needed any special tools. The allen bolt at the bottom comes out if You loosen it before taking the fork caps and springs out. Compress the fork as much as You can while opening the bolt so the spring puts pressure on the damper tube and keeps it from spinning. The bolt is secured with Loctite and You might need to give it a little whack and even a bit of heat to get it off.

There's a thread about istalling Race Tech stuff with some photos. I'm afraid it isn't very helpful for You though.

[Tom S]

Thanks Stinky. I was hoping you would chime in on this. Looks like you are the one that's been doing most of the forking around here lately.
Just got done reading about your gold valve install. Like you said though, not quite what I needed.
That is real good info on getting them apart and the tool. Great! That's what I need. Thanks again man!
I ordered those parts, # 14 & 16, in the pic I posted. May have in a week. : (
Yeah, looks like it would be a real bitch to pry those seals out. They are recessed down in there just a bit too much. Even if you did get them out there would be a good chance of getting debris down in there that you may not find or be able to clean out.
I thought of a possible way to get those seals out by using air pressure. This may be a crazy idea. I can not think of anything inside that could be damaged by this. But then again, I have not been in there.

Do you have any thoughts on that? Anybody? Just have to figure out how to apply the pressure. Or are the forks vented somewhere like the old ones that had easy to change seals? I don't see any place that they vent.
A fabricated fitting that threads into the bottom bolt hole? Then apply a good blast of air from the air compressor?
What about this little screw on the side of the bottom of the fork? Did not yet see it mentioned in the manual yet.
Take it out and use an air gun to give a good blast? That would be easy. Probably to easy to actually work.
What is that little screw? (in the pic)

Not sure I want to pull it without knowing what it is. Just looks like a drain plug.
If this was an old style forker I would say it is for draining the oil. Not sure on this one.

Emm, -- Wicky, the hedges & forests can just keep growing. I ain't gonna mess with them, I like it that way. I just want to ride.
But them seals is gonna get beat!

Edited by Tom S, 20 July 2006 - 09:29 am.

[dapleb]

What is that little screw? (in the pic)
Just looks like a drain plug. If this was an old style forker I would say it is for draining the oil. Not sure on this one.

Indeed. Only on the real old boikes.

[Tom S]

Oh, yeah-- just for the info if anyone wants it:
Part # 14, 'slide, metal' is part # 3VD-23125-01. $8.40
Part # 16, 'piston, metal' is part# 3VD-23135-00. $7.95

Indeed. Only on the real old boikes.

Well Dap, I am a real old "bloke". (61)

[wicklamulla]

Tom S i wouldn't bodder with air pressure, i'd feel better stripping the forks completely and washing them out b4 renewing the seals, bushes, oil, etc at least that way you are servicing the forks completely & correctly. ps make sure you use genuine yamaha spare parts.

now tell us about that car in the pic ???

[Tom S]

Hey Dapleb, how do I get to the old forum/ site?

[wicklamulla]

Hey Dapleb, how do I get to the old forum/ site?

im no Dapleb but im curvacious and good lookin' loikes he is..............


http://www.carpe-tdm...forum/index.php

[dapleb]

Well Dap, I am a real old "bloke". (61)

Thats not really old....now jandreas...he's REALLY old.....hope he doesn't read this and kick my @rse.

Cheers
dapleb
p.s that tyre could do with a bit of air?

[tdm850rider]

Thats not really old....now jandreas...he's REALLY old.....hope he doesn't read this and kick my @rse.

Cheers
dapleb
p.s that tyre could do with a bit of air?

Burt Monroe was what? 79 when he was still running records at Bonneville?

[Tom S]

Wick, I agree & will be doing a good clean up of all parts. But thought it might be worth a try & maybe a fast way to get the seals bashed, er, I mean out & not screw up the bushings. If that did work it might save someone time & trouble & a couple bucks. Not have to wait for parts, bla, bla--.

The car? The Roadster. I should not get started on that. It is my baby/wife. Lots of blood, sweat & tears into it. Bought it as a running car in Calif in 1976. It is a better car now. Street Rod, if I raced it, I would call it a Hot Rod. Original steel '31 Ford body on a '32 frame, '32 grille. I made the aluminium hood (bonnet to you), & trick hinges that I have never seen on anything else. I did lots of stuff, aluminium ( I like the Brit spelling of aluminum, cause I can spell it) floor pan-, on & on, etc., but kept the basic, timeless style of the old Rods. NO BILLET or store bought fancy high $$ goodies. I learned a lot by working on that thing. Became almost a master metal polisher. Peeps still bring me stuff to polish.
Worked & worked. Those things are never finished. Needs better brakes & steering. Can handle pretty good for a car of it's type however.
Has a '63 406 ci engine. All factory stock. 3 carbs, cast iron headers. 405 advertised hp. 4 speed. '58 Ford 9" rear diff (strong).
'37 Ford oval tube front axle. They only made those one year. Axle has been dropped, rare to see on those.
I used to say it was a big 4 wheeled motorcycle because of the power & the fact that it is an open wheeled car, no fenders. Can't think of the Brit term for fenders just now. ?? Great to be able to drive an open wheel car on the street! : )
Since I got back into bikes 10 years ago (started riding at 13, mostly dirt, quit the street about 73-74) the poor Roadster is lucky to get out to an annual event here once a year. It is a neat & now rare ride. I could go on & on. But a pic is worth a 1000 words, so here is a few K.
Oh, it aint that clean, not a show car, needs body & paint work. Trick is to take pix of black cars & bikes in the shade or on cloudy days. Wish my Tedium was black. The 'right' color. Red is good, but #2 for me.
That Roadster is quicker & faster than any bike I own. Not real low geared either.
But can be scary. Needs the brakes, steering improved. Roll cage would not hurt either. At about 135 it is still pulling, but-----!!

Just got it in '76


Driving form SF Bay area to Seattle to ship home. Uh -oh! Am I busted? Cop said, "Nice car". Whew--


Home at last, March '76. Damn snow! Yeah, real practical car for Alaska, HA!


Now days.




'Bonnet' lifts right off. Ran it for years without one. Hinges were harder to make/make work than the hood.







With old GF


Somebody took this pic. Makes it look like a looong time ago, 'cept for the wheels.
(EDIT: REMOVED PIC SO NO L-R SCROLLING NEEDED, I HOPE.
HATE THAT)

Whole herd of toys. 3 of 5 run. Roadster, Buell #1 TDM, (down for forkin seal) Stinkin KTM Duke sort of runs. Sitting in living room now. Buell #2, I broke something on 1st ride, ain't fixed it yet. Lazy mechanic, -- me.


This waits in the wings for that lazy mech that spends way to much time on the net. 29 Ford Model A coupe, 35 Ford wire wheels, 49-53 Ford Flathead V8. People say it's "cute".

Also stored elsewhere is a '67 Jag XKE Coupe, Black. Needs new engine. I need to start unloading stuff. Not rich.
I just want to ride now.
Ok Wicky, happy? This ought to blow out the margins on the page, sorry. But I like to show the Roadster. It has a lot of "me" into it as does Buell #1. It is my fav to ride. But the TDM is a do it all bike & I do not know what I could replace it with. Maybe some day a used Buell Uly. Maybe not.
Man, it is 2:35 am here. What time there? I am a night owl. Just a weird guy I guess.

Edited by Tom S, 20 June 2006 - 10:46 am.

[tdm850rider]

Damn nice looking car.

[wicklamulla]

wow that car looks cool Tom, i saw somrthing similar over here in the UK a few weeks ago but i dunno if it was as old as you or yer car !!!! man you sure got long hair in that first pic !! do they call them cars "chicken chasers" ??? you love yer toys sure enuf.

[Tom S]

Burt Monroe was what? 79 when he was still running records at Bonneville?

I was at Bonniville in '79 & 81. Met & talked to lots of the/my 'Hot Rod Heroes' that I had read about since I was 12 years old. It was great!
Took tons of slide pix. It is awesome! I never use that word, but for me it was a long time dream to just go there. Met many guys & really worked/helped on a couple cars with some guys too. One was the neatest, cleanest belly tank Lakester that I had ever seen. They made the 200 MPH club! I brought them the news at the far end of the run.
They gave me, or I earned, that blue Boniville Participant decal that is peeling of on the lower left windshield of the Roadster.
The other was a '32 Roadster that was run by the guy, Gary Hartsock (just cal him HotSocks) & his partner that first got my '31 on the street. Made it a point to to track him down & meet him in Calif just beforehand.

I was in hog heaven at Bonniville.
Met Al Teage, (sp) and George Bentley, both legends on the salt. Talked with both at length. 'Specially 'Ol Bentley. We talked for a long long time, about Boni history & stuff while the cars & bikes waited in the long line to run. I knew lots of it from the magazines. He even mentioned an old Boni '29 Roadster that he knew came up here somehow. I had seen the car on a trailer gong down the road. Remembered the car number too. Never could track it down. Dammit.
George is gone now.

In '79 I ask about Bert. They had to make him quit. He was getting off course & wandering all around the salt. Just lost.
Seen the movie? Took to long to get to the Bonnie stuff.
Some of it was way cool, authentic. The Redhead streamliner taking off was the greatest!!! Brought tears to my eyes!
Also heard first hand some other nasty stuff about 'Ol Bert just recently. I guess he was not a nice man. Still, he did make a mark.
Maybe I should just have kept that to myself.

BUT-
What about Rollie Free & the Vincents? Vincents--ewww,-- drool---. Do a search for Rollie Free.


This car sadly was destroyed in '79. Had a long history. One time had 4 or those 406 Ford mills for power. At this time was powered by a turbine. Power to the wheels though. Jet, rocket powered cars do not count at Speed Week.
Took this pic, the sun rays were cool. Ermie Immerso Streamliner. He is now gone too. Wish I had sent him the pic of his beautiful car. Always meant to.
Poor scan--


Wicky, "chicken chasers"?! No. WTF?

Thanks 8fiddy. It's a keeper.

HEY!!-- Hey!
What about my FORKIN FORK PROBLEM?!
This is out of hand. Sorry, my fault for the hijack.

Forks dammit! Where are the forkers?!
Fork, I like that word. But mine ain't fixed yet!
Fork.

[wicklamulla]

jaysus thats the batmobile above !!

[Tom S]

jaysus thats the batmobile above !!

NOT!
Batmobile sucks arse.
This one hauled ass better than most for a long time & looked beauty & right doing it. It was right.
FORKS!

[Stink-Foot]

I thought of a possible way to get those seals out by using air pressure. This may be a crazy idea. I can not think of anything inside that could be damaged by this. But then again, I have not been in there.

Popping them out with air pressure crossed my mind too. I just thought I'd remove the dust seal and circlip and land a few wheelies really hard.. Could ruin the head bearings though.

Then again if the seal leaks enough for oil to pass through surely air would escape through the leak too? In my experience the seals stick pretty hard to their housing in the bottom fork leg and don't come out easily even when taking the forks apart.

What about this little screw on the side of the bottom of the fork? Did not yet see it mentioned in the manual yet.

I must admit I have no idea what that screw is there for. Could be a drain plug I guess. I recommend draining and flushing the forks properly anyway. There's no way all the crap would come out of hole that small. The forks are bitch to drain, once You're sure You've got all the oil out there's still a litre ready to spill out on Your shoes at the worst possible moment.

Let us know if You find an easier way to get them out. I know I often try to do things the easy and quick way and end up using much more time and effort than doing a thorough job the first time around .


Your Roadster looks wonderful. Isn't the BB engine pretty heavy for it though?

I've dreamed off building a retro rod in 50's style for years. Fitting a flat head in some late 20's coupe perhaps. Didn't they start making Ardun OHV heads again? Maybe one day if I win the lottery or pull a succesful bank job...

[dapleb]

BUT-
What about Rollie Free & the Vincents? Vincents--ewww,-- drool---. Do a search for Rollie Free.

I aggrozzle  vinny.jpg   118.65KB   63 downloads

[dandywarhol]

I aggrozzle  vinny.jpg   118.65KB   63 downloads

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