Katana 400 intervention begins

[James Deuce]

Work kept me busy most of the day on Saturday and the youngest 2nd birthday kept me busy on Sunday, so I never got to take F5Dave up on his kind offer.

Picked up the fork dust seals, air filter, and fork legs (yay) on Saturday.

On Sunday I installed the air filter and put the seat lug/tank mount back on. Lubed the choke cable.

The air filter has a much bigger diameter velocity stack on it, so I sense some jetting changes in the near future, especially if I get that exhaust system I'm after as well.

Only a couple of weeks to go and K'erst will be back on the road!

[James Deuce]

I forgot to mention Richard from TSS. He's been bang on the money with the OEM parts I've ordered through him. No need to try again as he gets it right first time.

Very satisfying to order something, go home and bolt it on and have it right.

[James Deuce]

The fork legs have been reassembled. Once again Richard from TSS has been right on the money and the dust seals and fork seals were perfect. The red fork oil that went in was significantly closer to fluid than the gray mud that came out.

Many thanks to nudemetalz for his expert guidance and jokes about buggering off and leaving me holding two fork legs with no fork caps on and full of oil.

Behold the shiny magnificence of reconditioned forks!

Right. Now for the steering head. I have to get the front subframe off so I can get in there with decent drift and bash those frigging bearing races out and I'm going to have to *gasp* probably take the stem down to someone with a press, or four burly lads with fingers like midget submarines.

[riffer]

Do let me know when you do find someone who can do that Jim.

I need to do mine too, and I was considering using a bearing puller to get it off but I'm none too sure if it would work, let alone get the bearing back on all right.

[James Deuce]

Located some rear shocks through OK!shon

A very kind KBer in Japan has offered to help with the procurement.

I'm getting black springs though.

[Pussy]

Hey, Jim, did you consider doing cartridge emulators while you've got everything stripped out? I can promise you it would make your forks VERY nice........

[James Deuce]

One is under the scrutiny of the "Financial Manager".

The fork reconditioning will be a significant improvement, I'm sure. Cartridge emulators can go in with the next fork oil change.

[El Dopa]

Located some rear shocks through OK!shon

A very kind KBer in Japan has offered to help with the procurement.

I'm getting black springs though.

Is this person willing to help out other KBers browsing Ok!Shon?

I have my eye on some Keihin flatsides....

[James Deuce]

Success!

In light of Paul in NZ's magnificent achievement, this isn't such a big deal.

However.

Upper steering head bearing race removed. New upper bearing ready to be inserted, once I acquire some grease.

The lower one is a different story.

Does anyone have a suitable idea for removing it? It is very difficult to get my, ahem, "drift" ('tis a large screwing stick) seated on top of the race so I can gently knock it out.

I really need a bent thing. With a curved thing.

[Paul in NZ]

I have a lump of steel with a notch in it that I use for removing the universal joint carrier bearing in Moto Guzzi swing arms - it might do the job. I can bring it into work or I can drop over with a slection of blunt objects one weekend?

[Paul in NZ]

Oh! Nother idea.. You could weld a bolt onto it and use a slide hammer?

[F5 Dave]

You really need a mig so you can lay a bead on the race to shrink it so it falls out. I might have one you can borrow.

[Paul in NZ]

You really need a mig so you can lay a bead on the race to shrink it so it falls out. I might have one you can borrow.

That would work....

[rogson]

Proper man-sized drift used with a man-sized whack does it piece of cake.
I picked-up a proper drift (has a hardened tip?) at my local second-hand tool shop for $10.

[F5 Dave]

Proper man-sized drift used with a man-sized whack does it piece of cake.
I picked-up a proper drift (has a hardened tip?) at my local second-hand tool shop for $10.

Fabulous, bet he hadn't thought of that. Problem is often for some nefarious reason there is a lip on the frame that hides the lip of the bearing from a clear shot. My KDX for example I extracted the bearing with a mig & then ground two punch grooves in the lip for the next poor bugger who came along & noticed you couldn't see the bearing from the top let alone drift it.