Urgently need fork assembly info

[Figor]

I’m using a Clymer manual and looking at the exploded view on page 135 of the forks they have the item #4 back up ring shown under the seal. When I took it apart it was on top of the seal. It got hung up in the groove when I was tryin to remove it and bent.

So my question is just to verify it goes under the seal (pretty sure clymer has it right but just checking).

Also I’ll have to straighten it. Of course it won’t be perfectly flat so does anyone think that will be an issue?

I’m only going this route because I have this bike hanging from a shop crane outside and rain is coming. I really need to get it back together and can’t wait a week or two for the part to arrive.

Thanks.

[Figor]

It a 81 btw. I just left it out. It’s not on the print. I guess someone just had it in there to protect the seal from the snap ring because it was in between them and it’s clearly not there in print. Tbh I doubt I could have fit it in. There was barely room for the snap ring. I had to use a punch and a hammer to seat it in the groove.

[Figor]

Not sure what’s going on with the sideways pics. Weird. Anyway. On to the brakes. Got to figure out why they keep seizing up overnight. Seems to be atmospheric.

[Oldewing]

Check the return hole in the bottom of the master cylinder, VERY small, but if fluid can't get back, you will always have drag.

[Figor]

I checked that first. Ran wire through it. Still seized overnight. I pulled the calipers apart today. One of the boots had pulled itself away. Piston bores were pretty crystallized. Cleaned them up. Got them back together but need to pick up some dot4 tonight. I don’t live near a town. They seem to be moving much more freely by hand. I’ll have to order piston and seals. There were a few places the chrome was pitted and flaking off the pistons. Hopefully that’s all it is.

I receive a Amazon chinese master cylinder assembly I was going to try but the sight glass is cracked so I’ll be sending that back.

[Fred Camper]

Back to the fork, advice to me when I did mine is that is no longer required and 4 can be left out of the stack.

[Figor]

Thanks. All back together. Forks aired up. Brakes bled. No leaks on either yet. Calipers are releasing but they did that before and would seize overnight so we will see how it goes.

Got a pair of SC Project exhaust cans today. I’ll be welding up some 90’s to locate them where I want them. They are chinese knock offs but I was pleasantly surprised at the appearance. It was better then I expected for a $30 can. We’ll see how they hold up to big engine. I think they are intended for a smaller bike but I figured one per each cylinder bank shouldn’t be too much bigger.

[Figor]

Brakes are seized again. Ugh.

[Shadowjack]

Some forks had a backer ring in the seal assembly that the FSM says to leave out on rebuild.

[Sidecar Bob]

Is the master cylinder's return port blocked? It is a tiny through hole at the bottom of a larger hole that doesn't go all the way through and if it is blocked you might not even notice that it is there. You need something smooth and very thin to clear it out
(I use a sewing needle).

BTW Re sideways pics: That sometimes happens when people take pics on a phone while its long axis is vertical and the forum software rotates the image to fit the space.
Because our eyes are side by side a normal human's field of vision is wider than it is high so pictures & especially videos taken with phones that are oriented vertically so that the image is higher than it is wide always seem unnatural. That's why TV, computer and movie screens (and the message areas on forums) are wider than they are high.

[Figor]

I got the exhaust finished up today and the master cylinder on. Took it for a five mile shake down and so far so good. Going for a longer ride later. Taking an 8mm wrench just to be on the safe side.

The new master cylinder doesn’t quite grab as much as the oem but that is probably a good thing as I use the front brake 80% of the time. I’m also used to abs and really squeezing the lever without having to worry about lock up. I did have an instance when I first rode this bike where I got on the front brake hard and locked it up at about 65 mph. Leaving a ten foot skid mark. Only the good lord kept me upright.

[Figor]

Having trouble adding pics. Hope this one works.

Ok it worked. Pay no attention to the bird crap. Just a by product of parking in the shade. Lol.

[Figor]

So I rode about 20 miles. Front brakes are still free. I ride on a lot of rough country roads and tbh the city roads are even worse.
The bike seems to absorb the bumps fairly well. The front end is po-go-ing some. I think I might try some heavier oil in the forks.
I put about 16 psi of air in when I did the seals. I’ll have to verify that it stayed there. Maybe there’s an air leak.
Oddly the front fender is wearing against the tire on the very tip of the front. I kept smelling something burning and discovered that.
Front end dive is reduced considerably since new seals but still have some.perhaps heavier fork oil will help this as well.

I’ve got some tuning to do. I’m getting a lot of popping on decel with the new exhaust.

So anyway, I’m ready to start piling some miles on this thing. I’m starting to feel much better about it now that it’s rolling down the road.

A guy a work has already named it. He keeps calling it a “Chicken Wing”. He, of course, rides a Harley. I’ll see about making some chicken wing placards for the tank.

[pidjones]

Poping on decel can be the new pipes letting more air backflow. Unavoidable. Fender hitting tire can sometimes be corrected by just loosening, raising, and retightening the mounting bolts. Sometimes there are two overlapping holes, also.

[Shadowjack]

I've never seen a factory air fork that calls for more than about 6 psi, WITH the correct amount of oil, and the proper springs. If you're running that much, it should feel solid. Changing the viscosity changes the rate at which the lower moves up and down (thicker results in stiffer action). Changing the amount progressively changes the rate at which it gets harder as it strokes (more oil makes it stiffen up more near the bottom).