What have you done to your XS today?

Nice paint job on thoses bikes and like the pipes on that tracker in pic#7 :thumbsup:[/QUOTE]

Isn't this a bike from a forum member? I seem to recall the paint job.
 
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Ok, I’m stuck. I thought I would replace the fork seals while I’m at all this polishing, and I was trying to use 5Twins suggestion and use a flattened piece of 1/4” rod to hold the damper in place to remove it while I loosened the hex bolt on the bottom of the fork. I thought I could muscle it since I
Don’t have an air impact gun or anything, and I bent the roll pin in the damper. I don’t have any tools to cut a socket with to make the fancy damper removal tool. Is there any way to get these forks apart with hand tools and muscle? I don’t even have a bench vice. Also, after looking at the thread on rebuilding forks, I’m a little confused. Do I have all the correct parts? Here’s everything in my forks-
 
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Do a forum search for loaner tools. There's a thread for 'em. Just can't remember where.
 
Ok, update- I got one fork apart; replaced the seal and re assembled it. Then I realized that someone had been in there at some point before because the damper spring was in the fork tube on top of the regular spring. So now I’ll have to take it apart AGAIN and install the damper spring in the correct orientation.
 
I was going to do a rectifier swap out. Take out the 2 full wave rectifiers (from the now gone Radio Shack) and install the 3 phase rectifier I got from ebay. I'm going to use the old plate but, with cuts along the outer side edges to increase the cooling (in theory). Instead the wife's car got the attention. It's brakes have been getting noisy. I started with the rear drums If I EVER get my hands on who designed them.....never mind.....I did start on replacing the shoes. Finished one side and then it got dark.
 
Ok, I’m getting confused with all the differences in forks. I read through Hughs fork rebuild thread several times, but the majority of it is on the later style forks. He mentions something about the top out spring- “NOTE, there is no top out spring on the early models, it is inside the upper fork tubes and snapped into place via a snap ring. There is not a need to remove it.)” I realized then last night that maybe someone had taken my forks apart at some point and put them back together wrong- When I opened my forks, both the long spring and the short spring were basically just stacked together. There was no snap ring holding the smaller spring anywhere. I unscrewed the top cap, and underneath was the spacer, short spring, little washer with the ring to fit into the big spring, and then the big spring. After reading through hughs rebuild/lowering thread, I took apart the fork again last night and reinstalled the damper with the spring around it like the later style forks, so the smaller spring is sandwiched between the damper and the bottom of the fork tubes. Is this correct? Also, any reason I shouldn’t use blue locktight when re tightening the damper bolts? I’m paranoid they will somehow work loose.
 
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Got tired of looking at her sit in the garage, got a 3 hour break in the rain, temps jumped up to 67 deg, so I put on the throttle boss I bought last week and went out for a ride - 75 miles and she's still purring. Roads were wet so she's a mess now. Going to wash her down and put her away. Supposed to start raining again late this afternoon and, except for tomorrow, every day for the next 2 weeks. By the way, the throttle boss really does make a difference and will be a real help when I do a long trip. First time I've used one.
 
I was going to do a rectifier swap out.
Instead the wife's car got the attention. It's brakes have been getting noisy. I started with the rear drums If I EVER get my hands on who designed them.....never mind.....I did start on replacing the shoes. Finished one side and then it got dark.

wasn't a Ford Focus was it ? .........those drum brakes got more springs than a mattress :laugh2:

Every time I get ready to do some work on the bike ,,,the Wifes car needs something. This time it was brake pipes and welding up the rear seat belt mounts m floors and wheel arches.
Didn't even get a thank you :(
 
Nope. Chevy Classic. Rear brake shoes are held in place and retracted with a formed wire spring. It took a while to get it in place and everything routed. Front disc brakes are WAY easier....
 
Haha! Last drum brake job I did was my latest 79 Continental. I had no idea what I was getting into! I remember wrestling with a spring for about 15 minutes and barely hooking it onto where it was supposed to go with the help of a friend. I’m fine if I never have to do another drum job.
 
Haha! Last drum brake job I did was my latest 79 Continental. I had no idea what I was getting into! I remember wrestling with a spring for about 15 minutes and barely hooking it onto where it was supposed to go with the help of a friend. I’m fine if I never have to do another drum job.
Just like everything if you have the right tools it makes the job easier. When I started to work on cars disk was not standard.
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If you don't have a break spring tool the springs can be a bitch..
 
Just like everything if you have the right tools it makes the job easier. When I started to work on cars disk was not standard.
View attachment 135021
If you don't have a break spring tool the springs can be a bitch..
Same here... 4 wheel drums on everything. With those brake pliers, I can do a drum damn near as fast as a disk.

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Just like everything if you have the right tools it makes the job easier. When I started to work on cars disk was not standard.
View attachment 135021
If you don't have a break spring tool the springs can be a bitch..

Yep, My dad always told me to use a big flathead screwdriver. Those springs were always a pita. Man was I surprised to learn there was tool made for that! Last drum brake job I did was the spring of 1975. I swore it would be my last and I'm a man of my word.
 
Same here... 4 wheel drums on everything. With those brake pliers, I can do a drum damn near as fast as a disk.

View attachment 135022
Fastes guy I ever work with could do all 4 drums in 2 hours. That included turning the drums ( we had a brake lathe) and rebuilding the wheel cylinders. If needed the shoes were arked. He had it down to a science. But he started working on cars in the 40s when brakes only lasted 20 to 30 thousand miles.
 
View attachment 135023 Ha! I DID have and use this tool, but if memory serves it actually didnt work as well as just pryong the spring into place with a screwdriver and pliers. I’ve never had to use it since.
Yours isn't Snap On. I should have said quality tools.:D
 
Ahhh four wheel drum brakes.....those were the days. It used to be so awesome when I would drive my 1960 Chevy pickup through a deep puddle of water and and completely lose my brakes. Or the time I hooked up a heavy trailer behind that truck and the first red light I came to, the trailer pushed me completely through the intersection.
Good times! :D
 
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