It's time to start a winter Project. The Red Bike

The bushing is a split type. Locate the split and drive a small screwdriver or awl in next to it, between the bushing and the wall of the bored hole it's in. This will collapse the bushing into itself, releasing it's tension and grip in the shaft. Then it's easily plucked out with some needle nose pliers. The sharp pointed "pilot" end on a wood paddle or spade drill bit also works well.

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Yep! That’s what I did with the punch. @5twins is much better at explaining.
 
Well I finally extracted that clutch push rod bushing. Though I have no medical training I try to adhere to "first, do no harm". It took a crow bar on the vise gripped tap to pull the bushing. The new bushing went in jim dandy and the seal even easier.
Now with sprocket off I had the DID non O-ring chain soaking in diesel. Drywall mud pans
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are a neat tool for that job. Scrubbed with a stiff brush, cleaned in hot soapy water, rinsed in hot water and now drying out. Is it a good idea to fill that pan with oil and let the chain soak/absorb for a while before fitting it to the bike?
 
cleaned in hot soapy water, rinsed in hot water and now drying out. Is it a good idea to fill that pan with oil and let the chain soak/absorb for a while before fitting it to the bike?
Yes... if it was washed in hot water, a good oil bath will help displace any water left in the chain.
 
Just one little note - you have those little aluminum parts on the bottoms of the damper rods on upside down. The tapered part should fit onto the damper rod and face up. Also, to add a little "bling", replace the Phillips fork drain screws with stainless Allens. The size is M4 x 8.

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It appears that I'm not alone with the going through the front end endevor this winter. Though my dampers don't have those little aluminum thingies on them. I am curious about the white ring on the dampers and where they might be procured?
 
As far as I know, all the damper rods have that aluminum "cup" on the bottom, but if your forks are really gunked up inside, that part may have remained stuck in the bottom of the lower. If they are really gunked up inside, just rinsing them out with solvent ain't gonna cut it, you'll need to get in there and physically swab them out .....


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Get some 1/4" steel rod, bend a small eye in one end so you can thread a rag into it, dip it in solvent and swab away. You can clean all the crud out and get the insides of the lower clean as a whistle.
 
I think @5twins is suggesting that maybe they are still in the fork tubes. Mine were not too gunked up but one side did drain much dirtier than the other side. The aluminum caps on my dampers in pictures 6 pages back were just bolted on to do a basic wipe down and not lose parts to the jumble that sometimes accompany a project.
 
Not in the tubes, in the bottom of the lower legs.

Forks don't get hot in operation like the motor. That gunk sitting in the bottoms doesn't get churned up or mixed with the oil, so it doesn't come out when you drain them. That's why you need to clean it out manually. If you look down inside the lower with a flashlight, you can see the gunk build-up sitting in the bottom.
 
I rechecked the front rim (first I ever laced) and found one "dead" spoke using the screw driver handle method. I snugged it up and will re true over the next day or so.
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As far as I know, all the damper rods have that aluminum "cup" on the bottom, but if your forks are really gunked up inside, that part may have remained stuck in the bottom of the lower. If they are really gunked up inside, just rinsing them out with solvent ain't gonna cut it, you'll need to get in there and physically swab them out .....


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Get some 1/4" steel rod, bend a small eye in one end so you can thread a rag into it, dip it in solvent and swab away. You can clean all the crud out and get the insides of the lower clean as a whistle.
Yes sir, that's what I figured. My oil was black as coal and all 3 ounces poured out like gravy without the lumps. They were just stuck in the 40 year old sludge. I have a 3' screwdriver I wound the towel around it put a couple inches of solvent in the lowers shoved the agitator in and swabbed the decks. They're purdy now.:)
 
Those forks look great!

Those are purdy:smoke:
This forum rocks. Everything, and I mean everything, I have done here has been with the guidance of contributors to this forum and a few 650 Society members (who are on this forum anyway). We have a chance to perserve this old bike for future generations. Some go chop, some go stock, some go cafe or tracker, my tracker has morphed a little towards cafe. but this (Red Bike) is going towards retro Japanese street bike. I will stumble and fall along the way and some forum member may make good suggestions that I ignore until I realize the errors of my ways.
 
They're Beautiful, you're running a little ahead of me I'm still at this stage.
You are way more organized than I. congratulations. If you have any questions, ever, post them or PM me. And... tongue in cheek... those aluminum caps on the end of the damper rods are oriented correctly... What else are you doing to your bike? Pictures? Can you share in a new thread? (If not, don't worry we are a big family here)
 
This forum rocks. Everything, and I mean everything, I have done here has been with the guidance of contributors to this forum and a few 650 Society members (who are on this forum anyway). We have a chance to perserve this old bike for future generations. Some go chop, some go stock, some go cafe or tracker, my tracker has morphed a little towards cafe. but this (Red Bike) is going towards retro Japanese street bike. I will stumble and fall along the way and some forum member may make good suggestions that I ignore until I realize the errors of my ways.
Amen to that! I'm stepping back from the rat rod it served it's purpose to dial in the mechanical and electrical on a 40 year old rig. I really wanted to be sure I liked it, it's a bike I never considered because it wasn't fast enough or cool enough, it was a Japanese Triumph when Triumph was dying. But here I am 50 years later just loving it's character It's the perfect hop around town bike or ride 200 miles of back road on and when I ride with my Harley buddies I'm not climbing on the brakes all the time. Lot's of Love for this forum:heart:
 
An old friend stopped by today. How lucky am I? He is a "shop teacher" which title seems to diminish the profession, but really should elevate that profession. His job to guide youth in growth of knowledge is both enviable and unenviable. Covid destroyed his continuity with students and a year later he is only now getting kids "into it" if that is the phrase. Some of the kids are getting comfortable in the lab. Lab, his effort is CNC machining and getting kids up to speed there. I was able to offer up a few pieces to him to be "student projects". I may end up with a few custom pieces on the "Red Bike".
 
You are way more organized than I. congratulations. If you have any questions, ever, post them or PM me. And... tongue in cheek... those aluminum caps on the end of the damper rods are oriented correctly... What else are you doing to your bike? Pictures? Can you share in a new thread? (If not, don't worry we are a big family here)
I'm making an effort to share more. It's a 83 Heritage Special, Here's 3 pics. first one with bicycle seat is how I bought it last December. 2nd is where it was in October my youngest boys sabre in the background. And the third is roughly where I'm headed different color scheme but I want those lines.
 

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