Trouble with right fork.

[6adan]

I am having trouble getting the bolt and copper washer tight in the bottom of my right fork. I have it all back together but just can't get it tight. The rod inside is just spinning is what I am thinking. Anyone have a idea in how I can get in tight?

[hubcapsc]

There's stuff in the manual about that, I didn't have a problem
with it but blabbed about it in this post...

http://www.valkyrieforum.com/bbs/index.php/topic,108179.0.html

The manual is on line here if you don't have one:

http://valkyrienorway.com/download.html

-Mike

[RonW]

Typically a manual states to put everything back in the fork (springs, collar etc) and screw on the cap, than compress the fork upside down. The pressure against damper supposedly keeps the socket bolt from spinning. The damper is what the socket bolt screws into. Put a cardboard, cloth, etc. on the floor so the fork cap don't get scratched up.

I've been using an impact screwgun to install the *pesky bolt.* The torque value is an educated guess though.

The fork damper is the same thing as the fork piston on other bikes which uses a socket bolt on the bottom of the fork (pic below). In the right pic, since you're physically unable to grab the fork piston while screwing on the socket bolt, it's like trying to screw a cap on a jar without holding the jar stationary. Some fork pistons have a recess which a special tool fits into (bottom pic). The tool holds the fork piston from spinning when screwing on the socket bolt. The Valk forks don't have anything like that.

[6adan]

Thanks hubcaps for the manual. Thanks RonW I had already put it back together and that did not help. The aluminum part with the threads is spinning inside the steel tube. Is that normal? Seems like it should be locked so it dose not spin inside the tube.

[RonW]

The aluminum part with the threads is spinning inside the steel tube. Is that normal? Seems like it should be locked so it dose not spin inside the tube.

[edit] Try feel if the damper rod spins freely in the thicker part of the damper. Try again with the damper rod fully extended ......

If by the slimmest of chance it does not .....

..... screw the fork cap on the threaded end of the damper and try use it to keep the damper from spinning. Don't use the spring collar and the fork spring (inset graphic). You might use locknut 19 to keep fork cap from bottoming out.

[whoops]

[6adan]

Thanks again Ron. I tried that and no joy. I thank I will punch the steel tube into the aluminum just enough to hopefully keep it from spinning. Do you or anyone see where that would hurt anything?

[RonW]

I thank I will punch the steel tube into the aluminum just enough to hopefully keep it from spinning. Do you or anyone see where that would hurt anything?

The oil lock piece *might* get damaged? Is it plastic, I forget.

[6adan]

It is steel and I can punch the steel tube before it goes on. I have done a bunch of forks and never had this much trouble.

[MarkT]

Recently replaced the consumable parts in the forks while installing Progressive springs and VTXtreme 4° triple trees and polished the forks and aluminum attachments on Jade. I tack-welded the edge of the oil lock piece to the damper.  That stopped the spinning.  Hope it doesn't create a problem later. 

[6adan]

Thanks Mark I can't see how welding the oil lock cap would stop the spinning. The aluminum part on mine is slightly recessed in the steel tube. By the way the green and cream like yours is the color that got me interested in a Valkyrie and I love the name you gave it, I might borrow it sense we are so far apart. Do you thank punching the steel tube would hurt anything?

[MarkT]

The weld did stop it from spinning. I also used a flap blender wheel on an angle grinder to ensure no weld projected beyond it's radius. I think the whole damper added just enough friction so that the bolt would turn into the threads instead of the cap spinning and once it started to pull down there was enough friction on the cap face to hold it against the torque until tight.  IMHO this is another example of a Honda engineering SNAFU.  Though minor, and there are only a few I can point out.  Maybe the result of it being developed quickly and some parts are not well planned or soaked in beta testing.  I have also seen that they generally don't correct such errors in subsequent production.  Perhaps their pride doesn't allow them to acknowledge engineering errors as reported by field feedback?  Or maybe that's a decision from the bean counters - too insignificant to incur the cost of changing the production specs.

Not sure I get what/where you are talking about punching a tube.  Or what that would do.  So I have no opinion.

I really like the color, reminds me of English Racing Green. Honda calls it Pearl Sonoma Green.  Wherever that came from.

"Jade" has some interesting definitions.  From The Free Dictionary, besides being a green color (a light green color varying from bluish green to yellowish green), a semiprecious green gemstone, an old worn out and useless horse,  lose interest or become bored with something or somebody; "I'm so tired of your mother and her complaints about my food",  exhaust or get tired through overuse or great strain or stress; "We wore ourselves out on this hike", or a vulgar promiscuous woman who flouts propriety - aka a daytime hooker; synonyms baggage, hussy, slattern, slut, tart, tramp, wanton, wench, whore, adulteress, fornicatress, loose woman, strumpet, trollop.  Maybe sometimes this Valkyrie's prime days are behind her (Though that's facetious, I work hard on her so her best days are now.)  I thought the multiple meanings were useful, for indicating a familiarity / appeal or as a punishment when she misbehaves.

[6adan]

  Mark Thanks for the definitions. I thought it only referred to the gemstone. What I was talking about punching indentions into the steel tube to hold the aluminum insert. I hope that is clear. 

[MarkT]

I didn't see any aluminum parts around the damper tube or oil lock piece.  All were steel.

[6adan]

  That's odd mine is a 2000 and there is a insert in the bottom of the damper tube that is aluminum it is threaded for the pesky bolt (as RonW puts it) that goes in to hold the damper tube. I wonder if it was changed at some time?

[MarkT]

Mine is steel.  You can't weld aluminum to steel.  You can braze it however.  I welded it.  This is a 97 Tourer.

[6adan]

  I thank I got it fixed so it will not spin. I have a friend that is a machinist so I asked what he would do and he had some kind of Loctite that is used on steam turbans for power plants, he put a little of that on it and it should hold enough to get it tight. I guess I will find out when I put it back together. Thanks for all the help. 

[h13man]

1/2" air impact does the job. One quick burst. You can break them loose by hand but tough to tighten by hand, always. Worked the past 3x times doing forks on the Shadow, Vulcan, and Valk.

[6adan]

  Thanks h13man. I did try that and like you I have used that method many times on different bikes but it would just did not work on this one.