Thread: How to rebuild 1975 ct70 forks

Please help..How do I Seperate the bottom fork leg from the top so I can replace seals and rubber spring cover?

There's a phillips head screw in the bottom end of the fork leg that holds things together. The axle has to be out of the way to see it and get to it. Problem is, they can be real "muthas" to bust loose. If you don't have a hand impact driver (the kind you pound on with a hammer) now is the time to get one. You'll thank me later.

Good luck!
-kevin

Leave that screw alone, once you loosen it, it won't come all the way out and you won't get it tight again. It holds the metering(?) rod to the bottom and doesn't need to be removed to replace the seal.

To replace the gaiters (fork spring covers) just remove the top of the triple clamp, loosen the pinch bolts on the bottom triple, and slide the fork legs out. You can then slide off the top chrome rings, old covers, springs, and metal cups at the bottom. If you want to replace the fork seals, just take out the large C-clip that is under the bottom spring cup, and yank the inner fork tube up against the seal. (Think slide hammer) It takes a couple of whacks but it will work it's way out in no time. You can drain the oil out the top of the leg, and wrap an old rag around the top of the outer leg before you start, to minimize the mess of oil flinging everywhere.

--Mike

Originally Posted by Miniac

There's a phillips head screw in the bottom end of the fork leg that holds things together. The axle has to be out of the way to see it and get to it. Problem is, they can be real "muthas" to bust loose. If you don't have a hand impact driver (the kind you pound on with a hammer) now is the time to get one. You'll thank me later.

Good luck!
-kevin

DO NOT touch that screw. It has NOTHING to do with separating the lower fork tubes from the inners!

With regards to that lower screw...I third that, if it's not leaking, leave it alone!!

The slide hammer seal removal method works but can get messy. If you have a seal removal pick, use it. The results tend to be less traumatic.

Be sure to throughly clean the internals, including the metering holes on the inner legs. An incredible amount of hard-to-remove crap always seems to accumulate at the bottom of the lowers. Carefully scrub, rinse with solvent and repeat until to solvent comes out clean & frre of metallic particles.

Boy. I'm sure thankfull for your feedback! The Phillips screw is stripped out anyway, I'm glad I don't need to take the darn thing off. I love the CT70, but hate all of the Philip screws they put on them...Apparantly they didn't consider these things would last 35 years!

I can't seem to get the fork out of the top clamp now....I took out the top bolt...Do I need to do something with the lower clamp?

i have a better way to remove the fork seals.if the forks are off the bike.no picking the seal required.drain the oil,''top bolt out''remove the snap ring above the fork seals then fully compress and pull quick and they will come apart.just finished a rebuild on a pair.and yes leave that screw alone.its a good idea to leave the drain bolt alone too.update.. oops i missed mj franks post thats what i meant.slidehammer style.

mso,
Please accept my most humble apologies for the errant advice. I repent in sack cloth and ashes. My only defense for my misguided recommendation is that there are a set of '82 CR80 forks and a set of '88 XR100 forks disassembled and waiting for parts on the workbench even as we e-communicate, both of which do require the removal of the accursed screw in order to remove the fork tube and replace the seals. (And, of course, to clean out the decaying fish oil that Honda installed at the factory, which, in 20+ years, morphs into a malignant toxic goo that is virtually impossible to completely clean out. It's impervious to all cleaning solvents known to man!! . . . well, almost anyway. It sounds like racerx has experience with this vile stuff!)

And, to my brothers of the mini realm, mjfrank, Gyrhead, P.C., and the ever dependable racerx, I confess that my first response was offense that you would so vocally oppose my words of wisdom. But rather than take up the pen as a sword, I hastened to the nether reaches of the garage and fetched the '78 model CT70 forks patiently waiting there for my ministrations. I disassembled them with a fervor, and, behold!, you were indeed right and I was wr%$^, . . I was WRO8&@#, . . . (why is it so hard to say this??) I was WRONG. (Ouch, that hurt, but fortunately my pride heals quickly. Some would say too quickly. ) I offer my thanks to you for saving poor mso from the pestilence he would, no doubt, have endured had he followed my misguided (but well intentioned) instruction. In the future I will ponder deeply the far reaching implications of my posts and verify their veracity before glibly offering them for public consumption.

Now, perhaps, I can offer a penance for my sin. To all of you who have fork legs sitting in the corner somewhere, collecting dust because you can't tighten or loosen that blasted screw, here's the trick: Take the fork tube and slide it into the aluminum lower leg, all the way to the bottom. Flip the assembly over, place the tube on the ground or work bench, grab the lower leg, and push down, hard. The leg and tube will pinch the little bottoming cone (a cone with a flange which is what the reprobate screw is threaded into) tightly allowing you to remove or tighten the screw. Just as I verified my error with regard to my advice to msoracing, I went to the effort to re-verify this little trick on both fork legs before offering this bit of instruction. Now a set of CT70 forks have joined the CR80s and the XR100s on the work bench. It's getting kind of crowded there.

Say, . . . anybody know where I can score a good set of fork tubes? Mine are covered with rust, though the rest of the fork components look surprisingly good. DocATV wants $99.99 a pop, but $225 will buy the new and improved models from mytrailbuddy.com, so if I can't find a good deal used I'll just have to bite the bullet and get the new ones.

-kevin

p.s. While my little yarn was offered somewhat "tongue-in-cheek" please don't doubt the spirit of it. I'm truly glad that I didn't end up causing problems for someone, and that you gentlemen were quick to save mso from grief. I'll just have to get it right next time. Anyone want to know how to tear down some XR100 forks?

LOL.Miniac.Dont be so hard on yourself,its great that you give your imput. and you have plenty of info and experience to help,post some pics of your rides.

P.C., you're much to kind. My dear departed Momma always said, "Think first, speak second." I'll need to change it to, "Think first, type second."

I fear that there's not much to post right now, . . . plenty of rides, few of them minis. Actually, the current stable is:

'04 CRF50 - Bone stock, 'cept for the scratches
'99 Yamaha TTR250
'98 Honda XR400R
'96 Honda XR200R
'95 Triumph Trophy 900
'78 CT70 - in boxes
'72 QA50 - has a fresh top end and a new (used) rear fender
'71 CT70H Candy Emerald Green - Slowly being reassembled between other projects.
And last but not least 2 (count them) Frankenmini pit bikes, works in progress to join the CRF as grandkid play bikes.

OK, I need to get a photo of the QA up. It's unique, if nothing else.

My wife asked how many motorcycles are enough and I told her just one more. Every time she asks she gets that same answer.