Chuck

Whew! It took longer to tell about it than to do it. I suppose that is why I couldn't find anything like this on the net. A pro doesn't have time to waste documenting this stuff. It's play for me. I hope it helps the next guy (or girl) that finds this with a search.

This is a seal hook. It's pretty obvious how it works.. 2017-02-12_11-18-32 by Charles Stottlemyer, on Flickr You can see where I've pulled the seal a little of the way up on one side. Going around and levering it against the fork leg will pull it right out. Try not to beat up the end of the fork tube like the last guy that was here did. I know who it was, and I'm not surprised, honestly. 2017-02-12_11-18-48 by Charles Stottlemyer, on Flickr There is a simple stamped flat washer under the seal. The smooth side faces the seal, naturally. 2017-02-12_11-19-04 by Charles Stottlemyer, on Flickr Clean everything up in the solvent tank, and we're ready to reassemble with the new seals. But first. We need a seal driver. If you plan to do this, and don't have a lathe, just buy the proper tool. That way you can put the new seal on the inner tube and drive it in to the outer. It'll be doweled together. I decided to do it the quick and dirty way. Went into my "In my lifetime" area, and found some pvc pipe. 2017-02-12_11-19-23 by Charles Stottlemyer, on Flickr Sawed it off, cleaned it up, chucked it up, and made a seal driver. 1.830" ID and 2.155" OD. 2017-02-12_11-19-39 by Charles Stottlemyer, on Flickr Added a little chamfer 2017-02-12_11-19-52 by Charles Stottlemyer, on Flickr So it won't mark the seal lip. Now, we're ready to install the seal. Don't forget that flat washer that goes underneath it. Ohlin's sez "9 Remove the outer tube, clean the seals and check for damage, if the seals are damaged remove and replace. If the seals are OK, then apply Ohlins grease" To me it sounds ok to just install the seal and assemble the forks. After all, you have to take the forks apart to service them.. why would you have to use the 2 piece seal driver to install the seals in assembly? I'm betting a hundred dollars (seals and oil) that you don't.

Then, you can remove the spring.. you can grab it with your new coat hanger "special tool" 2017-02-12_11-15-33 by Charles Stottlemyer, on Flickr When you remove the fork from the soft jaws, remember the fork is now ready to come apart. Don't let it do that.. Now, you can empty the oil, keeping your finger over part of the piston shaft where the needle valve and spring will eventually find their way out. You can see them here. When they come out, some more oil will come, so be ready to catch it in your "graduated cylinder." 2017-02-12_11-16-01 by Charles Stottlemyer, on Flickr Here's what they look like.. 2017-02-12_11-16-21 by Charles Stottlemyer, on Flickr Looks like it'll take a half liter.. or a little more if you include all if it that I didn't get into the measuring cup. Some more oil will come out when you remove the inner tube from the outer. Do that now. 2017-02-12_11-17-01 by Charles Stottlemyer, on Flickr Put the outer tube back in the soft jaws.. Remove the dust cap. A small screwdriver tapped in around the edge will bring it up a little, then a larger screwdriver will lever it up. Be gentle. 2017-02-12_11-17-22 by Charles Stottlemyer, on Flickr Once that is out, you'll see a snap ring. Fortunately, it's not the "Snap Ring From Hell" that I found on the Aero engine conversion. 2017-02-12_11-17-45 by Charles Stottlemyer, on Flickr It's round, so I just used a small scriber to work in behind it and lever it out. About anything sharp should do it. 2017-02-12_11-18-01 by Charles Stottlemyer, on Flickr

Pull everything up 2017-02-12_11-12-50 by Charles Stottlemyer, on Flickr and "remove the preload tube." To do that, pull the preload tube down against spring pressure and slide a 17mm open end wrench on the jam nut. 2017-02-12_11-13-14 by Charles Stottlemyer, on Flickr Turning the ratchet will unlock the jam nut, and you can spin off the assembly. 2017-02-12_11-14-07 by Charles Stottlemyer, on Flickr Now, you can remove the preload tube. You'll notice the damper rod has slowly sunk into the bowels of the shock. Not to worry. Grab the top and slowly pull it up. 2017-02-12_11-14-28 by Charles Stottlemyer, on Flickr If you don't pull it up slowly, it'll shoot oil out. Remove the nut and the long tube inside the piston shaft. 2017-02-12_11-14-52 by Charles Stottlemyer, on Flickr What this tube does is push on a spring loaded needle valve when you turn the rebound adjusting screw on the top of the fork. Need I say that if you dump the oil out, that spring and needle valve will eventually fall out into the oil,and maybe get lost? Next, there is a stamped gizmo.. it's not named on the parts blow up.. that you can fish out with a piece of welding rod or coat hanger with a 90 degree bend on the end.. 2017-02-12_11-15-17 by Charles Stottlemyer, on Flickr Now is the time to measure the air gap. On my fork, the oil just comes to the top of the spring. That is right at 4.6 inches. Converting that to metric, it's 116.84mm. Hmmm. The manual says 105mm. I'll probably go with that.

Here we go. Upright.. check. soft jaws.. check. Notice I get my supplies from the same place as Wiley Coyote.. 2017-02-12_11-12-02 by Charles Stottlemyer, on Flickr Back out the blue nut all the way. Count the turns. This controls spring preload, and if you don't count the turns, you'll have to go through setting the sag again. 2017-02-12_11-12-18 by Charles Stottlemyer, on Flickr I'd already loosened the top nut assembly when it was on the bike, but it wouldn't have been necessary. You'll feel a click when the damper rod comes loose from the top assy. "Do not damage the O-ring (well, duh) and do not drop the flat key into the fork leg." (I have no idea about what they are saying, there.) 2017-02-12_11-12-36 by Charles Stottlemyer, on Flickr

As an Airframe and Powerplant mechanic, I'm licensed to fix anything the flies.. from a free balloon to a triple 7. (!) Naturally, the FAA doesn't expect a guy to instinctively *know* everything about all. What they *do* expect, though, is for a guy to be able to find the micro fiche.. uh, well it's on CD now.. from the manufacturer and follow the instructions. Ok. I downloaded the manual for the Ohlins Road and Track 43 fork, and here are the instructions for changing out the seals: Changing seals Put the fork legs upright for 15 minutes. 1 Grip the fork leg in a vice. Use soft jaws. 2 Unload the spring preload completely by turning the adjustment screw counterclockwise. Use a 12 mm or a 17 mm wrench. Make a note of the number of turns. 3 Carefully remove the top nut assy. CAUTION! Do not damage the O-ring and do not drop the flat key into the fork leg. 4 Remove the preload tube. 5 Slide the outer fork leg up until the top bushing is just above the inner leg. (Approx. 140 mm from complete bottom position. This is to make sure there is no oil above the top bushing). 6 Slide the outer tube completely down. (Fork seal touching fork bottom). 7 Push the piston rod down completly. NOTE! When measuring the oil level, always have the spring installed. Measure the oil level using the top of the outer tube as the zero mark. Note the measurement. 8 Remove the spring and tip the oil in a clean container. 9 Remove the outer tube, clean the seals and check for damage, if the seals are damaged remove and replace. If the seals are OK, then apply �hlins grease (green grease 148-01). Sweetie's calling me for lunch.. back in a few.

Or an antique airplane. A little oil is like a little blood. Looks like crap, but isn't much of a *problem.* I think you got a little carried away before really troubleshooting where it is coming from. You mentioned the baby powder (or spray athlete's foot powder trick. Seriously.. you should have done that before getting this far. It will be harder to find out where it is coming from, now. At least do the sniff test so we know whether it is engine or transmission oil. Report back. Hey Chuck when I was working on Pratt R2000's we lived by the addage you only need to worry when it's not leaking oil, that means its run out Ciao The engine (90 hp Lambert 5 cylinder radial) for the Monocoupe I'm restoring was overhauled, test run, oil drained, and pickled in the late 90s. There's no oil in it, but it's still marking it's spot underneath it.

You're probably right, Scud. Just the same, I have depth mics and know how to use them. It only take a few seconds to get them closer than Luigi originally assembled them. Makes me feel good. That's just the way I am.

Good plan.

Or an antique airplane. A little oil is like a little blood. Looks like crap, but isn't much of a *problem.* I think you got a little carried away before really troubleshooting where it is coming from. You mentioned the baby powder (or spray athlete's foot powder trick. Seriously.. you should have done that before getting this far. It will be harder to find out where it is coming from, now. At least do the sniff test so we know whether it is engine or transmission oil. Report back.

Back in the day, I had a Bultaco Matador. I had a set of vise grips clamped on the frame. You could always find a rock.

The pictures are so small, my old eyes don't see much. You *may* be overly worried, though..

So, I went to an Ape forum, and answers were all over the place, too. Spring in, out, damper rod up, down, 90mm, 110mm.. This shouldn't be that hard.. Fortunately, one of mine has never leaked, and the forks have worked beautifully. I'll pull the cap tomorrow, measure it with the spring in and the damper down. Whatever it is.. that will be what I use. I'll report back tomorrow. It's supposed to rain. I really enjoyed playing out side today..it's rare to have 60f, sunny, and no wind to speak of in February. Thought about going for a ride, but there's still salt on the roads. Nah.

Ok, I have the "front fork specifications card" in front of me. It say.. 105mm. I've seen the number 90 bandied about on the interwebs. I still haven't found anything much here. Will someone that knows tell me which is right? Is it with the spring and spacer installed? From the fluid level to the top of the outer tube with it bottomed out? I'd like to do this once..

Ok, ok Scud. Put down the rubber hose..don't hit me again.. I'll do it. The last time I rode the Mighty Scura last fall, I actually unhooked the steering damper to see if it was causing the very slight "weird" feeling from the front end. It wasn't, so I looked at the shagged tires, and decided it was probably them. It may be, but I really should have a look. Thanks for the reminder. Fork off, indeed.

Jeeese, Scud.. I'm just getting over this blown disc in my back. I'm doing a little bit, then taking a break. I may or may not change out one of those fork seals yet today. Lubing the steering head bearings would remind me of work..but I should, of course.

A question. The manual says to use Ohlins grease when changing out the seals. When I asked the duck guy, the said they just used the oil for putting them together. Is this ok? I can wait and source some if I really *should* use the Ohlins grease..

Agreed. (1) Those things are way over engineered. There are people in those buckets. (2) The employees don't care. (3) The seals probably aren't made in ..uh.. Oh you know. I always put the safety bar in and let the pressure off the cylinder. If the seal would catastrophically fail.. not .likely IMHO..you won't see 550 lbs of Guzzi suddenly headed for the floor.

Years ago..

http://www.mgcycle.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=55&products_id=139

Looked up the suspension settings while I was in at lunch. This was what seemed to work on the Scura and Rosie the Rosso Corsa: set front shock compression +3 from full soft, rebound+6 from full soft. Rear suspension Rebound 24 clicks from full soft, compression 12 clicks from full soft. Give it a try.. I think you'll like it. This is after you get the sag right, of course..

Ok, let's pretend that someone (like me) that has never done this finds this thread with a search. I know most of you guys will give me the roll eye because it'll be very basic, but when I'm searching for a how to, I don't really mind. Back in the day, I had a Haynes manual for my duck, and it might say, "remove head." Uhh, ok. How do I do that? So, let's get started. First, I don't mind getting dirty.. but I hate staying dirty. I'm chief cook around here, and grease under the fingernails isn't an option. I also hate to wear nitrile gloves unless necessary. They make my hands sweat and get all wrinkley. For jobs like this, I have water soluble lotion. Apply it liberally, work it under your cuticles, around your nails, really rub it in. 2017-02-10_10-59-26 by Charles Stottlemyer, on Flickr Washes off with soap and water, and your sweetie won't get grossed out when you are tossing the salad with your hands. Loosen the two bolts on the clip on if you have these. That will take the pressure off the threads, and the little "Pittsburg..must be made in Ameri..what? oh? adjustable pin wrench will loosen the top cap with maybe just a tap or two from your copper hammer. 2017-02-10_11-00-00 by Charles Stottlemyer, on Flickr There's really no reason for them to be particularly tight, the cap is sealed with an O ring. Fortunately, they weren't. Now we can take the wheel off. 2017-02-10_10-59-45 by Charles Stottlemyer, on Flickr Pulling out the two bolts and giving the calipers a wiggle will move the pistons back enough for them to come free. Carefully loosen the two screws that lock the axle. Just loosen one a little, then the other. The first will be tight again. Repeat until they are both loose. Remember that when you reinstall them. Many Stelvio owners found to their chagrin that you can break things. 2017-02-10_10-59-06 by Charles Stottlemyer, on Flickr There is a stub allen wrench in your tool kit (Imagine that!) for removing the axle. 2017-02-10_10-58-49 by Charles Stottlemyer, on Flickr Note the spacer is on the left (port) side of the wheel.. 2017-02-10_10-58-32 by Charles Stottlemyer, on Flickr Pulling the axle will let the wheel drop down, and be removed with just a little finesse. That's why I have the 2X4s under the Pit Bull, it gives a little more height to get the wheel out. BTDT with the Centauro. Then, we can remove the 4 little screws that hold the fender on. Slide the fender forward then down, and it'll come right off. 2017-02-10_10-58-14 by Charles Stottlemyer, on Flickr Loosen the pinch bolts a little at a time on the bottom, and the one on the top triple if you haven't done it already, and the fork legs will come right out. 2017-02-10_10-57-46 by Charles Stottlemyer, on Flickr Suuuure they will. Especially if it's been sitting by the ocean for several years. Squirt some AeroQroil, or your favorite spooge on the triples, and bolt that tool we made yesterday on. That'll give some leverage, and a place to carefully tap with a big rubber hammer while turning the leg. A special tool, cleverly disguised as a Matco screwdriver tapped in to the lower triple will help. No need to be a cave man, just tap it in with your hand. You are only trying to open up that triple a couple of thousandths of an inch. Sure enough, the leg will come out. As it does, the clip on will want to fall. Tie it up with a zip tie. 2017-02-10_11-03-17 by Charles Stottlemyer, on Flickr Nothin to it. 2017-02-10_10-57-17 by Charles Stottlemyer, on Flickr Take off the other leg the same way. Total time? About an hour, including taking pictures. Tweeeeet! Lunch whistle, back later.

That *was* courteous of her. Nope. No doubt it'll go belly up as soon as I finish up the forks.

My understanding is the seals that don't leak have more stiction. (?) At any rate, I have these, and they are going in. Looking at it realistically, they could be the last ones. These lasted 8 years and 14K miles.

That's very elegant, Roy. In my dumbassosity, I put a separate relay for high and low beams on the Aero Lario..