1200 front fork rebuild

[CYBORG]

Hateful job, but every now and then. All went well..... but now it's time to install the springs. I've don't it before, several times. But I was younger then. Anyone have many tricks that make it easy for one person?

[dontwantapickle]

It can be a bear compressing the springs and getting the caps back on for sure!

This guys video shows pretty much what I do, except I've always clamped the tubes back
in the triple tree to hold them as I have never had a vise to do it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjYUF5aUtpg

[CYBORG]

Looks like the answer. Thanks for the info

[Whiskerfish]

Nice trick!!

[Shadowjack]

I took the fairing off (not really that much work), carefully lined up the caps with the springs out to where the threads just started and marked them, then using a T-handle with extension to keep the pressure straight, I could put my full weight on it. Still a struggle.

[Rat]

Have you tried tricking someone younger into helping ??

Gord(hope Ascot's not reading this)Jones

[CYBORG]

You forget where I live. And who I live with.

[GalDemSuga]

Have you tried tricking someone younger into helping ??

Gord(hope Ascot's not reading this)Jones

My entire life to this point, everything I've done, I've never had help. All the car/truck/bike rebuilds, its just me. I have sons and they are no use. Its either too hot or too hard.

[CYBORG]

Have you tried tricking someone younger into helping ??

Gord(hope Ascot's not reading this)Jones

My entire life to this point, everything I've done, I've never had help. All the car/truck/bike rebuilds, its just me. I have sons and they are no use. Its either too hot or too hard.

Right there with you brother

[Sidecar Bob]

You ought to try it when you've added preload spacers to eliminate the need for air pressure (& compensate for the weight of the sidecar too). I had to clamp the stanchion in the wood jawed vise in the "clean" shop and mount a press over it to push the cap down and even then it took one of us to hold things in place while the other got the threads to engage.
That's why I figured out how to change the oil without taking them apart. Which reminds me they are due this summer....

[CYBORG]

i had the oil change problem as well in the past. I've installed it thru the drain before using a hand pump. However this time, now that I have rebuilt them, I'm going to drill and tap a hole in the cap for a 6 mm bolt so I can change it easier next time. The 1200 ha

[CYBORG]

i had the oil change problem as well in the past. I've installed it thru the drain before using a hand pump. However this time, now that I have rebuilt them, I'm going to drill and tap a hole in the cap for a 6 mm bolt so I can change it easier next time. The 1200 has a second spring that sits on top of the main spring and sticks out of the top of the fork about 6 or seven inches. REAL hard to compress.

[CYBORG]

Also I think I will expand on the two by four idea and build a reusable fixture. Cause there WILL be a next time

[Sidecar Bob]

You may find that M6 holes aren't big enough to fill them through. At least not easily.
I ended up with caps that don't have the crossover air hose and since I don't need air pressure I replaced the valves with 5/16 -18 screws (just about 8mm). That allowed me to set up a funnel for re-filling them without resorting to a syringe.
Pics & explanation here
https://www.ngwclub.com/forum/viewtopic ... 27#p752166

[rcmatt007]

I drilld a hole in a 2x4 for the socket extension and then a "helper" pressed down as I carefully threaded the cap