Suzuki Savage LS650 front fork special tool? (hex size?)

[giro]

Gidday, about to remove one of my leaky front forks (yeah, I know - "well ya dont have 'em on the efin back do ya!!")
Inside the doings, way down at the bottom, is "da damper", & said damper has a female hex bolt head recess.
I have to make a loooooong thin 'spanner' (aka steel rod) & weld a portion of allen key on the end. (or an old bolt)
Does anyone actually know what the size is??
I'll post ya a moro for relief on this one.

[Katman]

You could always try going to a tool shop and buying a 6mm allen key socket.

[Robert Taylor]

You could always try going to a tool shop and buying a 6mm allen key socket.

Also the lockbolt is likely to be loctited or at least quite tight so a powerful 1/2 inch drive airgun to spin / jerk it loose quickly will be ideal.

[giro]

You could always try going to a tool shop and buying a 6mm allen key socket.

Inside deep down in there its 6mm?? How do ya know? have you been in there??




OK I'll buy a 6 miller socket.

[giro]

Also the lockbolt is likely to be loctited or at least quite tight so a powerful 1/2 inch drive airgun to spin / jerk it loose quickly will be ideal.

No powerful air round here bar the wifes early morning excursions into self-propulsion fantasies.

Perhaps I use my tiny soldering flame to warm it up first.
(The bolt I mean.)

[ducatilover]

Is it really necessary to remove the damper unit?

[Katman]

Inside deep down in there its 6mm?? How do ya know? have you been in there??
OK I'll buy a 6 miller socket.

6mm or 8mm. One or the other.

Is it really necessary to remove the damper unit?

If you want to do the job properly it is.

[giro]

You could always try going to a tool shop and buying a 6mm allen key socket.

Hi Katman- I've had a few panicky moments here thinking I will never achieve what I set out do it.

I think now that I have the fork & slider apart, that you must be referring to the small hex bolt right at the very base. ( I put the bottom assmbly in the vice with wood & got that out ok. )

The damper doesnt just fall out when I tip up the top fork tube. L ooking with a torch down the top, there is a rather large (about 30mm dia) 12 sided 'hex' something or other to undo. (?) Then perhaps the damper will fall out with its spring? I think that's the thijng I have to make.

Is it really necessary to remove the damper unit?
If you want to do the job properly it is.

Does it pay to do this so you can clean it & make sure holes are clean &clear ?

[Katman]

If you have the bolt out of the bottom there should be nothing to stop the damper tube coming out.

Turn the fork tube upside down and tap it down onto a block of wood.

[giro]

If you have the bolt out of the bottom there should be nothing to stop the damper tube coming out.

Turn the fork tube upside down and tap it down onto a block of wood.

Thanks a lot, I'm very grateful. It worked a treat. Tomorrow will be a good day....

[giro]

.....well, a pretty good day. Hope you guys are still there.

I decided to do both forks dust & oil seals to make things match properly. Undid the cap nut of the 2nd fork tube & no spring tension. The main spring does match the length of the other though.
Have do do a compression test somehow tomorrow too check they are reasonably even.

The washer at the top of the main spring was missing so made another.

The damper spring was missing altogether! (short panic period) Went to the auto box of bits & found 2 valve springs off a 202 holden which have the same guage wire & are the same spring diameter but instead of being 37mm long are 45mm.
I sit & try & visualize how the damper spring operates & come to the conclusion it is a safety spring to prevent damage to the 'piston ring' end of the damper when the forks extend fartherest out in a hurry. Please tell me if I have got this right or not (???)

So maybe the 202 springs will be ok?

[Robert Taylor]

.....well, a pretty good day. Hope you guys are still there.

I decided to do both forks dust & oil seals to make things match properly. Undid the cap nut of the 2nd fork tube & no spring tension. The main spring does match the length of the other though.
Have do do a compression test somehow tomorrow too check they are reasonably even.

The washer at the top of the main spring was missing so made another.

The damper spring was missing altogether! (short panic period) Went to the auto box of bits & found 2 valve springs off a 202 holden which have the same guage wire & are the same spring diameter but instead of being 37mm long are 45mm.
I sit & try & visualize how the damper spring operates & come to the conclusion it is a safety spring to prevent damage to the 'piston ring' end of the damper when the forks extend fartherest out in a hurry. Please tell me if I have got this right or not (???)

So maybe the 202 springs will be ok?

It is there to prevent sudden topping out on full extension, so pacifies the very last part of re extension. Also as the main springs are preloaded further it counteracts that preload to lessen initial force that may be too much.
Its highly unlikely that anyone including the distributor will have top out springs in stock because aside from loss ( clearly an idiot has been inside the forks prior ) they are never sold.
Hard to make a comment on your Kingswood valve springs without cross comparing but if they feel similiar go for it, providing you can shorten and reset them as squarely as possible

[Robert Taylor]

It is there to prevent sudden topping out on full extension, so pacifies the very last part of re extension. Also as the main springs are preloaded further it counteracts that preload to lessen initial force that may be too much.
Its highly unlikely that anyone including the distributor will have top out springs in stock because aside from loss ( clearly an idiot has been inside the forks prior ) they are never sold.
Hard to make a comment on your Kingswood valve springs without cross comparing but if they feel similiar go for it, providing you can shorten and reset them as squarely as possible

Further to this there was no preload ( spring tension ) on the other fork because of the missing top out spring. Clearly with many people working with this sort of stuff ( missing spring ) it would be best they have their hands chopped off so they cant do more damage! I hope it wasnt an aircraft engineer........................

[giro]

but if they feel similiar go for it, providing you can shorten and reset them as squarely as possible[/QUOTE]

shorten and reset? Can't I safely use them as is? I dont give my bike a hard time at all.
Yeah! Fancy leaving stuff out like that!

[Robert Taylor]

but if they feel similiar go for it, providing you can shorten and reset them as squarely as possible

shorten and reset? Can't I safely use them as is? I dont give my bike a hard time at all.
Yeah! Fancy leaving stuff out like that![/QUOTE]

Actually yes ( sight unseen!) that will likely work okay.