emulators on a 79

[Larry Zimmer]

Good stuff! Thanks, Nils.

[wyly]

I was going to just try the racetech springs first and see how those worked out but then there would be a 2nd shipping charge which could've been applied to the emulators...so I ordered the complete kit, it should be here next week...the mrs wasn't pleased I told her it was for safety and I'd "save money" installing it myself and all is good

[Larry Zimmer]

Great 'marketing', my friend. I believe you will benefit/enjoy. If you have a simple drill press, drilling the damper rods is no problem.

[wyly]

I don't have a drill press , a cheap one is about $200 and I doubt I'll ever use it again...if I can't do it with my regular drill I'll take it to a machine shop...

[swarrans]

TBH I don't know how anyone exists without a drill press (once they've had one that is). Forget buying a new one - an ancient second hand one is not only a much better built and engineered device but usually can be picked up for scrap value (in the UK at least)

Simon

[wyly]

TBH I don't know how anyone exists without a drill press (once they've had one that is). Forget buying a new one - an ancient second hand one is not only a much better built and engineered device but usually can be picked up for scrap value (in the UK at least)

Simon

I've got a number of drills of different sizes just never had a need for a drill press, always found a way to work without it...I found a used press on the local buy and sell listings for $60 and another for $90 so I could buy those save the cost of going to a machine shop and end up owning a press as a bonus....

I'll still try do it with a hand held drill first... as well even though I've got a decent sized garage/shop I already have too many power tools and insufficient room for what I have, a drill press is just another tool that I don't have room for.

[wyly]

2 hrs to remove and disassemble forks...tomorrow I'll go to a machine shop and get a price on drilling the six holes, if it costs more than $50 I'll buy a used drill press and do it myself...

in the meantime it'll probably take me another 4 hrs to decipher the race tech instructions...

[Larry Zimmer]

Just a quick thought looking back: be certain they, or you, remove any burrs, break-out flash, and drilling swarf before you reassemble. Don't need any 'crap' floating around in your forks.

[wyly]

yup understood.

I thought I was done with disassembly but forgot I still had to take out seals...following the shop manual using a screwdriver is failing, I have the lower tube secure in a vice but I'm not getting any movement on the seal, I'm not sure how much pressure to put on the screwdriver...scratching the inner tube is a concern...

[daves79x]

Sometimes they really stick. Get a huge screwdriver, put the leg on the floor, pad one side of the top to pry on, then put all your weight into prying and it will come out.

Dave

[Larry Zimmer]

Would it help to heat the top of the tube, around the seal, with a heat gun or hair dryer?

[wyly]

wd40, really long tire irons/spoons, some light tapping with a hammer on the tire iron got them out...

honda shop manual suggested the screwdriver as well which seemed risky to me, I envisioned it going horrible wrong and gouging the seal surface...the tire iron/spoon was longer than any of my screwdrivers, rounded corners and a spoon shape to better grab the seal...

only one used drill press on the local buy and sell $150, too much for something I may never use again..

[wyly]

Would it help to heat the top of the tube, around the seal, with a heat gun or hair dryer?

Nils suggested a torch in a PM but yeah I have a heat gun that I could've used as well...that never occurred to me at the time

[Rick Pope]

Try the heat gun. You'll be amazed. I once was helping my brother change bushings in a fork. He'd been prying and hammering some time before I arrived. We stood the slider upside down on the bench, and started applying the heat gun. After a few minutes we heard the bushing drop to the bench.

[wyly]

I was going over the Race Tech install guide below.

"Set the fork spring preload by making the correct length spacers. This is done before installing the fork fluid.
a. Drop the Emulator down the tube. It sits on top of the adapter spacer & damping rod with the Emulator Valve
Spring facing up and is held in place with the main fork spring. Refer to figure 1. Visually check to make sure
the Emulator is sitting squarely on top of the damping rod.
b. Extend the fork tube all the way. Insert the fork springs into the fork tube on top of the Emulator. Install a fork
spring spacer washer. Place the fork spring spacer tube in next, then another washer.
c. Set the fork cap on the washer and determine the preload by measuring from the top of the fork tube to the
sealing lip on the fork cap (see figure 1). This is a direct measurement of fork spring preload. Shorten the
spring spacer tube to achieve the proper preload. "

the last point C makes no sense to me , the static drawings race tech reference to are meaningless to a noob like myself, a video would make more sense....

I haven't been able to find a youtube video of the procedure if anyone knows of one it would be helpful...

there are three colored springs came with the emulator what color should I be using, my weight being 200lb