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Trying to replace seals, but I have the spinning 8mm bolt of death at the bottom ruining all my plans. They are both loose dripping oil and not stripped. I took the fork cap off so I could try and hold the damper but it still spins down below like it is a two piece kind of deal. Can't retighten either. I feel like I am missing something major. I have the Manuel. So frustrating. Any thoughts? 2000 cbr f4.
It would seem that there are two parts, an Oil lock (11) and the Damper (10) itself which should lock together. I can only think that the damper itself has been damaged and it spinning in the tube.
If as you say you cannot hold the damper to release the bolt then the only other option would be to try and drill it out. Or its looking for a replacement.
Seems very odd tho as the normal problem is destroying the head of the bolt. https://www.motorcyclespareparts.eu/...ts/51430mbw003 https://www.motorcyclespareparts.eu/...f-8-front-fork
Other folks should be along and see if they have any other pearls of wisdom to offer
I double checked and the bolt is turning and not stripped. When I turn the bolt the damper rod turns but when I grab it, it stops turning the rod and keeps turning down low at that other part which I think is called the oil stop. I put the spring back in and I tried to make a homemade shock compressor out of wood and 3 all thread rods. It worked good until it got pretty tight and the wood cracked. I tried the bolt several times during the process but just spinning. I stuck a pipe over the damper on top of the round part down in there and could feel it turning with the bolt and scraping the pipe.
I replaced my seals about four years ago. I had a heck of a time seperating the tube and the slider but I don't remember any troubles with the 8mm bolt at the bottom. I was noticing in the manuel step 11 says to loosen and REINSTALL the 8mm bolt and then goes on to describe seperating the tube from the slider as though the bolt is in. Can I take the two pieces apart with the spinning 8mm bolt still in the bottom or is that an oversight in the manuel? I think my only chance to get the bolt out is to put it back together and find a way to compress it so there is enough pressure at the bottom of the Fork Damper and whatever it seats on to hold it while the bolt comes out. I sort of tried that but I'll need a more sophisticated set up. I could really use some input. I have tried a few things to compress it and once it sprung out of the straps I had going almost taking out some teeth. Check out the pix above for clymer instruction #11.
So I compressed the shock as far as it would go, but I'm still just spinning. I'll post a pix of the set up I used to compress it. I feel like I need to be able to some how grab and hold it down below the small shaft and below that washer looking thing with the holes on it. In other words grip it where the the rebound spring is. But how to get past that other spring seat with something is the question. It's like I need something that would slip by that spring seat and then expand. Also I thinking about when I replaced the seals before that I may have or maybe not used the red thread locker when I put it back together. I don't remember but I just trying to think of all the possibilites. Both left and right have the same problem. Are you all sure I can't take seperate the two parts with that bolt in? What part specifically would prevent that? Looking at the diagrahm it looks like the fork tube could come out and leave the damper behind. Any thoughts or help would be appreciated. I'm taking the train to work now which is making things harder.
Front fork disassembly
