Triumphrat

gasketdave · 08-30-2007, 09:31 PM

Thanks for supplying a great fourm. This is my first post, although I have been enjoying the site from the sidelines. Sorry to start out with a problem, but I am trying to change the fork seals on my 67 Bonneville. Can anyone tell me how you remove the fork from the steering head with out the special tool to knock it out.
Thanks
Dave

Red1959 · 08-30-2007, 09:50 PM

If you're going to take the fork tube out from the trees, you will still need a special tool to bring thr tubes back up into the trees.If you have access to machinery, you can get an old for cap from a swap meet and turn doun the head of the cap to literally nothing. drill a hole in it. In the hole , insert threaded rod about a foot or so long and use nuts on both ends of the turned own cap to secure your old cap. It should look like a marshmellow on a stick. you can screw it in and work the fork down or pull it back up with that tool.
However, Someone help me here, While everything is together, loosin the fork seal first with an spanner wrench. You shouldn't have to take the tube out of the bike. At least every front end I have worked on, the lower part can be disassembled leaving the fork tube in the trees, nice and tight and not disturbed. Take the front wheel off and then unscrew the fork seal holder. Everything should be able to be taken apart.
At any rate, the tool can be home made, relatively cheap, as I have discribed.

gasketdave · 08-30-2007, 09:57 PM

Thank You for the advise. I was hoping to paint the covers that support the headlight while I was at the seals. Looks like that part of the job might be for another day

Tig66208 · 08-30-2007, 11:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Red1959

You shouldn't have to take the tube out of the bike. At least every front end I have worked on, the lower part can be disassembled leaving the fork tube in the trees, nice and tight and not disturbed. Take the front wheel off and then unscrew the fork seal holder. Everything should be able to be taken apart.

I don't think this is true with the year he is talking about, when looking at my shop manuals. For later years (late 71 and up) they went to the "slimline" fork which can be rebuilt without removing from the triple clamp - I'm actually doing this to my '71 Bonnie right now. But previously, I believe it was necessary.

On my '72 TR6R, I am actually completely removing them to blast and re-powdercoat the clamp. I don't have the special tool. What I did was build a bit of a jig out of 2x4s to support the clamp. I took one of the top nuts (which has been badly rounded off by someone removing wtih a channel-lock or monkey wrench) and threaded back into the tube. I then used a rubber mallet to talk it out. It helped the process to wedge a large flat blade screwdriver in the pinch point on the lower to let some pressure off.

Be sure to go about it cafefully - don't want to get the tube bound up in there.

I'm guessing that you (and I) will need special tool to get it back in. You can always try to make one.

GrandPaulZ · 08-31-2007, 12:02 AM

The '67 has the inner damper rod that needs to come apart, not like '68-70 that you can leave the stanchions in the yokes.

Lutz · 08-31-2007, 01:08 AM

Only the TT Special and the "C" models have the damper rod .

GrandPaulZ · 08-31-2007, 10:42 AM

Hmmmmmmm.... I guess I must have forks from a TT or C model on my '67 Bonnie. Quite likely, as it was a "bitsa" done by the previous owner.

gasketdave · 08-31-2007, 02:29 PM

I have a service manual, but I’m not sure if I understand the seal replacement. I have gotten as far as removing the wheel and the cap screws inside the bottom of the forks. If I use a spanner wrench and unscrew the caps can I get at the seals without removing the forks from the steering head ?
Thanks Dave

Mecchanica · 08-31-2007, 03:59 PM

The seals reside in the chrome sleeve nuts on top of the lower legs. They must be unscrewed from the steel lower leg with a pin or strap wrench. Put the axle caps back on the lower legs and put a bar through the holes, to simulate the axle....this keeps the legs from spinning while you unscrew the seal holders (dust excluders in Britspeak).
Once you unscrew the seal holders, and if you have removed the flanged bolts from the bottom of the fork, then the lower leg will slide off.
Now you can either remove the bottom nut and bushings, and slide the chrome seal holders off the bottom, or you can loosen the stem nut a bit and tap the top yoke upward to break the taper. Then loosen the pinch bolts in the bottom yoke and slide the tubes out. You can then remove the top covers and paint them, or whatever.
I'd have new seals, hard bronze bushes from Kibblewhite (the originals are oilite), new alloy washers for the bottom bolt, new boots, progressive springs available when you do the pull down.

gasketdave · 08-31-2007, 04:30 PM

Mecchanica
Thank You, That I can understand