100 front forks

[stickman]

how do I get the front fork out of the lower fork leg, I read the manual and it says I need a special tool. Can someone help me out.
Bob

[disc_valve]

  There is no need for a special tool to dismantle or reassemble any Bridgestone fork. The oil seal holder at the top of the lower leg simply unscrews and the leg will lift straight out. The seal may, however, be pretty tight after 40 -odd years.

If your bike is a 100 Sport (pressed steel frame) you will find the seal holder is made from chrome steel. You can grip the seal holder in a vice (but not too tight or you can distort it). Then I put a front wheel spindle through the hole in the bottom leg and tap it in the appropriate direction to unscrew the leg from the seal holder. The thread is a conventional right had thread, but very fine pitch. If the holder turns in the vice, tweak the vice a bit tighter and try again. the seal holder should come unscrewed with a little patience.

If your bike is a tubular framed model, the forks are different, but come apart in the same manner. On these forks, however, the seal holder is made from soft aluminium and it is easy to crush and distort if you go too mad with the vice. If you are careful, though, the fork should still come apart without problem.

If you get no luck with this method, try your local bike mechanic. There are tools for stripping modern forks which clamp around the seal holder with a tommy bar handle to give better purchase. For the numebr of times you are gioing to strip forks, it.s probably not worth an individual buying one of these tools, though.

Grahan

[stickman]

Thanks alot for your help, I will try to get them out tonight.
Bob

[disc_valve]

Hi, Bob,

A couple of further thoughts - when you're gripping the seal holderin the vice, make sure to fit some soft jaws (or a pad of scrap aluminium) to the jaws, otherwise you'll scratch the surface of the seal holder.

Also, when using the front wheel spindle to unscrew the lower leg, make sure to screw the spindle into the leg or tighten the pinch bolt (depending on which leg you're working on) to avoid any chance of damaging anything.

Hope you got things apart OK,

Graham

 

[stickman]

I tried one fork last night and had no luck at all, I even tried to put a hose clamp around it. I must be doing something wrong.
Bob

[reed]

Bob
In the past i have had to use heat to remove a lower leg  and i always put new fork seals in anyway.
If you don't want to do it yourself just pop it in the post and i will do it for you.
Thanks.
Steve.

[stickman]

Thanks Steve    send me your address and I will get the shipped out soon.
Bob

[OldSwartout]

A couple of further thoughts - when you're gripping the seal holderin the vice, make sure to fit some soft jaws (or a pad of scrap aluminium) to the jaws, otherwise you'll scratch the surface of the seal holder.
 

I did some forks by cutting a v-notch in the sides of two six-inch pieces of 2x4, laying in a thin piece of aluminum, then using the 2x4 pieces to clamp the leg in a press.