Front Fork Disassembly

[hmert7]

I am restoring a 1962 CB77 and I need to remove the chrome fork seal housing. It looks like I need to remove the retaining rings, and the piston and damper valve. My question is how do you remove the 3 steel pins that secure the piston to the tube. See attached pictures. It looks like the pins can be driven through to the inside of the tube, but before I try that I would like to confirm if this is the proper procedure. Any ideas?
Thanks

[jleewebb]

If your 62 cb77 is like mine, the knock pins need to come out from the inside. Need to grind off the peening on outside, then knock them out from inside with maybe a long drift punch, or a right angle phillips head screwdriver, or maybe some other special tool. Good luck. --Lee

[hmert7]

Thanks Lee, are they difficult to drive out? Also, am I correct in that the piston needs to come off in order to remove the chrome sleeve?
Thanks
Mike

[rbaselt]

I drilled mine out, then when reassembling I tapped the holes, installed short screws with Loktite, cut off screw heads with a Dremel tool and recessed threaded portion slightly. When I took it apart a year later, everything was very much intact.

[jleewebb]

yes you may have to pound on them pretty hard. yes, piston does need to come off to get the sleeve off.

[e3steve]

Mike,

• 1. Drill 3mm (⅛") holes through the pins
  2. Tap each pin with an M4 (or your North American quaint olde imperial equivalent) thread
  3. Knock back the peening, away from the pins' surfaces, with the edge of a flat punch
  4. Insert the largest socket that will fit into the piston-end
  5. Wind a 4 x 25mm (or your Nor..... you get the picture!) hex-head machine screw, into each pin in turn, against the socket to withdraw them

Suggest you invest in an ISO*-metric tap & die set and drill index (1 - 10mm, in 0.5mm increments at least), if you haven't done so already; they'll be invaluable and the taps (M6 and larger, anyway) are useful for cleaning threads etc.. Also, Recoil or Helicoil rethreading kits are a good idea, as old alloys strip out in the blink of an eye!

*Note to Barack Obama: ISO = INTERNATIONAL Standards Organisation

[chico]

Merry Christmas stevie, now you know what to get me for christmas.