Front end dismantle

Hi all
my front fork tubes (stantions i think thier called) are pitted and the fork fluid is leaking so bad that its driping down and even covered the front brake caliper. I have found a company that can roll them to check they are straight and grind them down then industrial hard chrome them back to as new it will take about a 4 week turnround.
My question is can i get the tubes/front end off without taking lots of bodywork off? it looks like i can take the front wheel/fender off and realese the pinch bolts and drop down the tubes without taking a lot of plastic body work off.
Also how would i support the bike with the front end off? I have a trolley jack would this be enough it will be outside as i have no garage space left.
Any tips most welcombe

Yes, the Fork Tube upper pinch bolts can be accessed & removed w/o removing the front fairing body work. They are torqued very tight so it is best to break them loose while the scoot is still on the ground and someone is steadying the handlebars. While I forget the size of the bolt heads (probably 13MM) you may well require a breaker bar & socket, or a box wrench with some type of extension, for leverage, to break them loose.

It is also advisable to have a Service Manual on hand or, at least, check with a Service Manual before attempting the job.

It's a pretty straight forward job, not rocket science.

Pitted fork tubes sounds serious. Have you checked the price of new tubes rather than trust a shop to refurbish them?

Bedlow wrote:

industrial hard chrome them back to as new

Does the "industrial hard chrome" prevent the pitting next time??

You may wish to log onto/register at GoldwingFacts.com, then do a google search for "forks pitted epoxy" and you will find lots of posts on how to fill-in pitted front forks. I have copied some of the information below to whet your appetite on this potential cure. I can not vouch for any of the information other than to say that the website noted - and some of the posters - are a great resource for Goldwing maintenance and repair. The fixes noted seem fairly easy, relatively inexpensive, quick, and maybe worth a try prior to going the route that you are planning - assuming the pits are NOT CRATERS - don't know if these suggested fixes have merit for your need.

REST OF THIS EMAIL IS EXCERPTS FROM GOLDWINGFACTS. COM POSTS:

82 1100I I picked up a set of Straight Forks from a buddies Donner . it had been sitting exposed to elements in a shed for Um-teen years. and the right fork tube had rust pits. I used a small fine file to make em smooth. looks ok but I can run my hand on the forks and feel the pits. most of them are away from lower tube 4" or so but a couple are down low..I am worried about them taking out seals. I installed the progressive springs and am putting everything back together. I am hoping the progressive springs keep tubes higher. they sure are beefier. and WAY easier to put bake together.
Is there a good way to fill them in ? solder , JB weld, Something?
thanks'
LB
p.s. oh and i put the fork cap in a vise and held on to the forks to remove the cap...easy squeezy ! Prevented looking for cap and springs in the bushes. Plus any bodily Harm. I also spen a lot of time polishing lower forks with buffing wheel on air die grinder..look nicer than chrome....

Unless the pits are closer to craters you can use a filler. JB Weld, Marine Tex or one of the various epoxy fillers with metal fibers all will do the job. Just clean and degrease the fork tubes above the seal with the weight off the front wheel. Wipe on the goop, a thin coat will do and once it's cured use a piece of wet/dry sandpaper around 800 or finer grit to hand buff the stuff off. You should be able to get a good smooth surface that won't tear up the fork seal and won't bring oil out past the seal in the pits. If it's only pits and not a really corroded fork tube the seal and upper bushing won't wear away the filler.

I used clear nail polish on mine. Don't know why I thought it had to be clear, but it worked great. Washed it all down with acetone, spread the polish on and then polished it down with the 1000 grit then finished it off with steel wool. No problem in the last 2000 miles.

I have filled mine about 6 months ago and they still are fine.
after smoothing the area as you have done with a file lightly I sprayed and rubbed down with fine grade wet and dry pads, the pits with expoxy clear spray. It's the clear coat used in spray finishing tanks and side panels.
It took me about 6 coats and building up to achieve a finish that I could no longer feel the dents.
Just checked it the other day for no real reason and all are still in place. The new seals have no signs of damage.
Give it a go it took about 4 hours and about £20.00.
I got the idea from Exavid. so no credit taken here.


I have just refurbished my fork tubes which were pitted. I used epoxy spray to fill and wet and dry fine grade paper to get a clean smooth finish. About 2 hours work but cheaper.

Sorry folks I have to disagree with the junk bit.
I have now have forks in use that have been repaired about 6 months ago and are still not leaking.
Exavid gave me a tip that with some careful work using wet and dry and what I call epoxy clear coat spray you can fill the pits in the travel area.
I removed both tubes and with the side of a small metal file took the raised edges off. No pressure just lightly passed it over.
I then used a course grade wet and dry pad and took off the main damage. I then spray filled and smoothed about five times building up a layer of epoxy into the pitted areas using my finger to check it was smooth.
It took a few hours work and the finish is not A1 show but it works and still works now.
I can recommend this as rechroming or junking are both expensive.

Hi everyone many thanks for your info.
Very interesting to see how to do a DIY job however mine are very bad.
Here in the UK we have an anual MOT test on cars/bikes and if it doesnt pass your machine/car will not be allowed on the road, they can be a bit anul about things.
So I think im going to go down the route of getting them done professionally these guys here in the UK charge £156 which is a collect and return service
Here is their website
http://www.pittedforks.co.uk/
With that trolley jack idea if I just put wood between jack and plastic is there a danger that it could still crack?
PS I was on my way home from work tonight on my Suzuki svf 650 gladius when a guy on a Silverwing shot passed me at what must have ben over 80MPH.

Thanks bigbird
im going to start the project this weekend

bigbird wrote:

Bedlow wrote:

With that trolley jack idea if I just put wood between jack and plastic is there a danger that it could still crack?

I haven't had a problem over 2 years with jacking mine a half dozen times.

I have a water hose reel that fits the job perfectly!!!!!! It wedges nicely under the bike raising the front wheel off the ground.

Waspie
Thats a good idea, i have one in my garden, maybe its got a bit more flex than a trolley jack!
watch this space im going to give it a try!

Bigbird
Thanks more things to consider!
Maybe if i let the back tyre air pressure down and get the wife (im not going to tell you her weight) to sit far back on the scooter this could help
What do you guys think!!!!!

bigbird wrote:

The front end is too heavy to lift and jam the hose reel under there IMHO.

Methinks you need some Weetabix Terry!!!

I lift the front end up grabbing just under the light and sliding the hose reel under the bike using my foot.

I'm not renowned for my Arnold Schwarzenegger strength but it ain't that difficult!!!

Waspie
How many weetabix should i need
and do they have to be stacked up in a particular fashion under the scooter:)

Bedlow wrote:

Waspie
How many weetabix should i need
and do they have to be stacked up in a particular fashion under the scooter:)

Waspie

PORTLAND UK

Do you live on an island on the jurrasic coast in the UK?
If so how do you get to the mainland on your scooter?

x

bigbird wrote:

If you already have a floor jack, just use it with a board, and if you're still concerned, put an old blanket over the board against the underbelly. I promise, it won't crack the tupperware. It's all about spreading the weight from the jack head to as large an area as possible.

I use same as Terry, but I substitute a garden knee cushion instead of the blanket. The plastic on the bottom will thank you for it. You might also want to chock the back wheel...just in case.