trouble with fork teardown on 88 cr250

[colorado_rider_450]

     

Hey guys, I began pulling my front forks apart today on my 88 cr250 to replace the fork seals. When I got to the point of removing the center bolt...


it just spins the fork piston and piston rod inside the fork tube and does not thread out...


Anybody have any tricks or ideas on how to get around this? I have tried holding the piston rod but the fork piston just spins around it. Help!!!

[1989kawasaki]

i always break it loose with the top cap still on. you might need to use an impact to get yours out though.

[351mustanger]

There is a tool called a "cartridge holding tool". You can make one if you are crafty, or buy one. Sometimes you can get them apart with an impact and the cap on like stated above. I would suggest trying that on the other fork. Then you can see what you need to fabricate to hold the cartridge for assembly. When using the method above for disassembly, don't stop with the impact. Keep going until it is completely unthreaded. If you stop before, you will be in the same boat.

[spike]

I use an electric impact wrench and pull up on the dampning rod, you cant just run the impact, but you have to keep stoping and starting it, as you pull up on the dampning rod it puts pressure on the threads at the bottom and comes loose unless the threads are bad

[colorado_rider_450]

I have tried the impact and holding up on the piston rod to apply pressure to the threads. It definitely came loose (I can turn it by hand) but will not thread all the way out. I will try with the fork cap on next.

---------- Post added at 11:05 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:11 AM ----------

Fork cap reinstallation was a no-go. Can I remove the fork tube first to get better access to the internals to hold them better?

[351mustanger]

Try clamping the lower tube in a vice (clamping onto the mounting bosses) and pull on the upper fork leg (hard) while using the impact to loosen the compression bolt. If that doesn't work, try reinstalling the spring and cap, then try compressing the fork while loosening the bolt with the impact. If those methods don't work, you will need a holder for the damping rod.


You can't take the upper tube off until you get the compression bolt out.

[colorado_rider_450]

Originally Posted by 351mustanger

try reinstalling the spring and cap, then try compressing the fork while loosening the bolt with the impact.

Thanks, using that method I was able to run the bolt back in tight, then blast it out with a hard hit from the impact.

Thanks for the help everyone!

[351mustanger]

Awesome! That bolt is the most difficult part of that type of fork. When installing, you should be able to hold the lower tube in a vice and pull on the upper tube while tightening the compression bolt.

[colorado_rider_450]

Yeah I'm used to the usd forks on my 03. I think this is the first time these forks have been apart in 25 years. The oil was black. No bueno!