greytop
XS650 New Member
My last full bike restoration was 40 years ago, so bear with me. I have a '77 XS 650 with many parts missing.
The front forks are totally seized and badly rusted. Not even sure it's worth getting them apart but I want to try. Been through the usual process to free them up. No joy and it's going to need a puller arrangement which I will cobble up.
The hardchrome on the fork tubes has gone in many places and the exposed steel is rusted. The forks had no oil in so I assume its the same inside the lower leg.
Can't see inside the lower legs but I assume the tube slides on bearing surfaces/bushes in the lower leg, top and bottom. Is this correct and what is the bushing material ? My old BSA's had phosphor bronze ones, top and bottom which were replaceable but the Yam parts manual I have lists nothing like that.
My concern is ,even if I get the forks apart, and have the tubes replaced, the inner surfaces in the lower legs will be so bad that they are scrap. Has anyone made new bushes or otherwise solved this problem??
The front forks are totally seized and badly rusted. Not even sure it's worth getting them apart but I want to try. Been through the usual process to free them up. No joy and it's going to need a puller arrangement which I will cobble up.
The hardchrome on the fork tubes has gone in many places and the exposed steel is rusted. The forks had no oil in so I assume its the same inside the lower leg.
Can't see inside the lower legs but I assume the tube slides on bearing surfaces/bushes in the lower leg, top and bottom. Is this correct and what is the bushing material ? My old BSA's had phosphor bronze ones, top and bottom which were replaceable but the Yam parts manual I have lists nothing like that.
My concern is ,even if I get the forks apart, and have the tubes replaced, the inner surfaces in the lower legs will be so bad that they are scrap. Has anyone made new bushes or otherwise solved this problem??