| Author | Message | ||
     Scs1 |
So, the reason I pulled my forks apart in the first place is because they lost their bump rebound dampening. They always were a bit squishy when compressing. When the rebound dampening went away it became springy and felt really weird. Adjustments did nothing. One fork leg was low on oil when i drained it, I forgot which one. The dampers dont seam to be messed up. Is there some way to test them? Buell manual says they are not servicable. Should these also be replaced? Is there a better option than the stock WP dampers? All of the bushing look pretty good (plenty of teflon left). Should I just replace them since it's all apart. Thanks,Nate | ||
| Rick_a |
Just freshen up the seals and fluid and it'll feel like new again. If you want a better fork, just put Gold Valves in 'em while you're at it. | ||
| Sparky |
For those who have gone the Gold Valve route on these forks, I've always had this question regarding Gold valves and the stock WP forks: One fork damping is for compression and the other is for rebound... What happens when you change to Gold valves? Do both forks assume compression and rebound damping functions somehow or do the stock functions assume enhanced capabilities separately as designed? | ||
| Rick_a |
They stay the same. The adjusters affect low speed damping only, which remains unchanged. | ||
| Sparky |
So would there be a smoother response to sharp hits like inadvertently hitting potholes or similar pavement irregularities with a Gold Valve mod? FYI, I had Gold Valves installed in a '87 Harley FXRT and the improvement over stock handling was remarkable. | ||
| Scs1 |
Sparky and Rick, thanks for the info. I just assembled the tubes(carefully, following every step in the manual) with new seals(found some at a local dealership) and the proper amount of fork oil (used the light/medium weight oil, and cycle push/pulled it). Everything went back together just fine. I fabricated some pretty slick tools and didn't damage any parts. But something still seams to be wrong with the rebound dampening.....there is none. When I compress the rebound leg it bounces right back up. Also I can hear air moving when it rebounds. The other leg has dampening when it compresses, not much when it rebounds, but no air sounds. Could this be bad valves/bushings in the rebound damper assembly? I'm going to put the forks on the bike and see how it feels. I dont think it's fixed though. | ||
| Rick_a |
Mine "gurgles" on the rebound side as well, even with the air bled out. I was a bit concerned over it the first time I did the forks. With the adjuster turned full hard increased resistance should be felt. The Gold Valves are a worth while investment, especially if you're already into the forks. I went with heavier fork springs and Gold Valves front and rear, as well as some minor chassis adjustments. This old tractor is still one of the best handling bikes I've ever rode. | ||
| Scs1 |
Ha, I love my old tractor too. With the forks installed the bike feels really good. Haven't ridden it yet but it seems to be operating properly. Thanks for the input. Someday I'll do the gold valves and progressive springs, right around the time I upgrade the rear shock to a Penske. For now, me thinks she's ok. More dumb questions to come. | ||
| Scs1 |
Wow what a difference. The bike feels great. Thanks for the tech support guys. I did 10 clicks on rebound and 15 compression. Factory was 12 and 20. Feels good so I'm gonna leave it alone for now. While she was down I replaced the front leaking rocker box gaskets. The rear isn't leaking at all and it looks like a lot of work. Cross that bridge later. It is running a bit rough, after new plugs, wires, and cleaned air filter. Maybe bad gas, maybe dirty carb, maybe that leak at the bottom of the rear jug. When the bike's hot small amounts oil bubble out. Enough to stain the metal at the bottom of the engine, between the cylinders. When starting,the bike pukes and smoke seaps out of the lower cylinder gasket area. | ||
| Jack_fe |
you may be in for a blown rear head gasket - seeping around bottom of jug can be a sign of "stretched" studs on rear cylinder due to extra heat it operates under. one full throttle blast is all it takes to finish it off, just talking from experience.... btw rear isn't as hard to get to as it looks Jack |
