Chassis, Frame, Forks and Tires
Title: 1949
riser bushings
-Kuda (man of a 1000 questions)
'49 FL
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Post by Skip on Feb 21, 2006, 4:24pm
cut mine off with a dremel and a cutting wheel...put a screwdriver in the cut and they slid right off no problem...Skip
Post by Kuda on Feb 22, 2006, 1:42pm
Huh. A dremel? I'm trying to figure out how in the hell I can get my dremel tool up in there. The hole it only a little larger than the cut off wheel on the tool, plus I could only cut it horizontally, not vertically (inot inline with the riser, but around the middle). Can't see how that would help, but maybe I'm not getting it?
-Kuda
Post by Skip on Feb 22, 2006, 2:13pm
I have an extension on mine that is like a cable...held it in there at an angle and cut at an angle...I did use used wheels...even needed to waste some to make them a tad smaller...just as my dad would say...poor folks have poor ways! Sorry if it dosen't help...worked for me...Skip
Post by BigMike on Feb 22, 2006, 3:48pm
how about hosing it down with PB blast or liquid wrench of some sort and pressing them out with an arbor. If the size matches up with a standard, fine, if not, make one on a lathe. It shouldn't be too tough. If you don't have the tooling or lathe, try some heat, and a brass drift to loosen it. Don't go crazy with the torch, you are just trying to get the top tree to let go of the bushing, not heat it up to the point of causing warpage, cracks, or other problems.
Post by PanPal on Feb 22, 2006, 7:05pm
If the sleeve is stuck in a blind hole, you can pack the inside with grease and find a rod that fits real well inside the sleeve you want to remove. Hit the rod with a hammer, and the grease acts like a hydraulic press and pushes the sleeve out while the rod is smacked. If there is a through hole that has threads, you could try to plug it with a bolt.
You could also try to weld a bead inside the sleeve and as it cools, it may drop right out. A short bead is all that is needed most times.
Post by Kuda on Feb 27, 2006, 7:21pm
"held it in there at an angle and cut at an angle...I did use used wheels...even needed to waste some to make them a tad smaller..."
Ah! Now I've got it, and I think that's worth a try. I don't have a flexible extension on mine, but I think I rig up a ridged extension without too much trouble. Thanks!
-Kuda
Post by Kuda on Feb 27, 2006, 7:26pm
"how about hosing it down with PB blast or liquid wrench of some sort and pressing them out with an arbor."
Soaked 'em both overnight in liquid wrench, but it didn't help much...
"If the size matches up with a standard, fine, if not, make one on a lathe. It shouldn't be too tough. If you don't have the tooling or lathe, try some heat, and a brass drift to loosen it. Don't go crazy with the torch, you are just trying to get the top tree to let go of the bushing, not heat it up to the point of causing warpage, cracks, or other problems."
Don't have access to a lathe, but I'm trying to get the metal sleeve of the *riser* bushing out of the riser itself. The '49 to '60 (I think) used a bushing in a hollow riser, which bolted solidly to the upper triple tree. Starting in the '60's (I think) they went to a solid riser with bushings pressed into the upper triple tree. Those aren't hard to remove, usually. But the hollow riser bushings are rubber on the inside with a steel sleeve on the outside. The rubber pops right out, leaving the %^# steel sleeve inside...
-Kuda
Post by Kuda on Feb 27, 2006, 7:31pm
"If the sleeve is stuck in a blind hole, you can pack the inside with grease and find a rod that fits real well inside the sleeve you want to remove."
Yeah, that's a great trick! I used to use that to remove clutch pilot bushings on my old race car, used a non-standard sized roller pilot bushing. Unfortunately, it's not a blind hole. And while one end is treaded, it's the end that the bushing needs to come out of... Great ideas tho, thanks.
"You could also try to weld a bead inside the sleeve and as it cools, it may drop right out."
That's my last resort. I don't have a welder, and the only guy I trust to do a delicate weld like that (without destroying the riser) is too far away right now, have to mail it to him. But that's another great idea, so thanks again...
-Kuda Update: GOT IT!!
Post by Kuda on Mar 1, 2006, 2:01pm
Tried all the above suggestions (except the welding one), no dice. What finally got it was using a Sawall to cut through one side of the bushing, then wail the piss out of it with a brass drift and a BFH. Still took a lot of persuading, but both did finally come out. It's a tricky operation, cutting through *just* the bushing without cutting up the riser, but it can be done with a lot of care and patience... Thanks again for all your suggestions,
-Kuda
'49 FL
