Hello again! Fork seals...

[andy230]

Hello all,

Its been a while since I've posted here, but I've been lurking in the background.

The "Old Nails" are still running, just about, the racebike has had a bit of a hiatus, and I've been clearing out some stuff via the bay.

The old van died, so I decided to get a plastic car built in tamworth.  Any idea what it is??!  Like my bikes, its also crap, but like the bikes it also puts a massive smile on my face...

I've got the DR off the road to do major maintainance- C&S, all wheel bearings, brake rebuilds, fork seals etc.

I originally bought pattern fork seals and dust seals on Ebay.  I didn't like them, and noticed that I also needed some other parts for the forks, so this morning got genuine suzuki parts.... eeesh!!

2x seals, 2x dust seals and two conical washers which sit under the seals.  61 quid all told...!!!!!!  Ohmyfuggingod!

So when they come, I shall very carefully fit them.  However, can you advise on the seal fitment??  Am I right in thinking that  the "flat" (metal backed) part of the seal go to the slider, with the little spring bit facing up?  Like a U-section?? 

Sorry to ask such a daft question  but in trial-fitting the not-to-be-used pattern part, I had a bit of a "moment" and couldn't decide!!

cheers all, hope all is good with fellow-thumpeteers!

andy

[mini-thumper]

Am I right in thinking that  the "flat" (metal backed) part of the seal go to the slider, with the little spring bit facing up?  Like a U-section?? 

Hello Old Boy
Welcome back to the fold. How you have described fitting them above is how I've always done it, but I might have been wrong all these years. Make sure the space where the seal will sit is clear of crud and apply a little fork oil to ease the seals in. Make sure they are fitted squarely with uniform pressure applied around the outer edge - I use a suitably sizes socket. If you can find a suitably sizes tube to fit over the stantion the seal will be supported whist you tap them home. Good Luck!

Boyd

[SteveC#222]

The old van died, so I decided to get a plastic car built in tamworth.  Any idea what it is??!  Like my bikes, its also crap, but like the bikes it also puts a massive smile on my face...

[themoudie]

Aye Andy,

A 'Trotter' special eh? Very entertaining, beware of wear on the kingpin and ensure the gear lever doesn't come away in your hand! There is no need to ask why!

You should also be aware that when confronted by a 15 stone stag, neither fair well! Stag was dead (tasty), but the antlers came through the body work into the passenger compartment and body work was in multiple pieces. 

I think this URL below if you are not aware of it, will prove to be a distraction for you!

Pushrod-performance 

Cheery cheery, Bill.

[SteveC#222]

Spotted someone's Reliant 'Special' in a garden near my son's school....the numpty had removed the room to make his own cabriolet Robin!!!  ......I just hope it never made it onto the road!

[andy230]

Close, but if it had to be 3 wheels, I'd rather ride Carricks chariot!  Ho Ho!!

4 wheels on my wagon, Steve. But you are close.

Thanks for the info, and the links Bill.  Very tasty!

Pattern front sprocket needed a bit of modding to the retaining mechanism.  Grrr!  Pish!  But the price was very right from Wemoto.  However, the fork seals and dust seals were disappointing. I've cleaned up the forks for the seals...

Tomorow is another day, another spanner!  And I'm greasing my trunnions!!

cheers all

a

[themoudie]

Oh! I say 'Old Fruit' a Scimitar per chance, with the German V6 in it? Nearly bought one of those, but persuaded myself that the lack of an earth and de-laminating fibreglass wasn't what I needed at the time!

May wish you all the best with the chariot, if it is. Afore you get to Crieff from our place, there is a gentleman who has a 'Kitten' and the later smaller sporty GT thing sitting outside the house. Neither move much these days, but he used to be regular on the road with the Robin's more modern 3 wheeled saloon version. Again name escapes at this time of the morning!

Toodle pip, Bill.

[andy230]

ello ello!   

a Scimitar per chance, with the German V6 in it?

Spot on Bill. here she is:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/researchphotography/4105957465/in/photostream/

(couldn't work out how to get it in the message)

Almost the last one ever made.  4th last I think, 1986 vintage.  I got sick of old rotting vehicles, and the fact that I cant weld made ownership expensive.  This one has the GRP body and the last 200 or so had a galvanised chassis.  So hopefully that bodes well...

Nearly bought one of those, but persuaded myself that the lack of an earth and de-laminating fibreglass wasn't what I needed at the time!

Yes, the bodywork may be plastic, but it does tend to blister slightly, and craze as the chassis rots around it and sags!!  And the lack of earth has made for some very interesting fault tracing!  Everything is a bit slow and overworked, due the massive current drain!

Meanwhile, the DR slowly gets new life.  Still waiting for the fork seals.  Soon, she will breathe again.  Noisily!

Cheers for now,

a

[guest7]

luuurvely!

GC

[Steffan]

What about the Skorpion?


Steffan

[themoudie]

Aye Andy,

Class vehicle in a very nice colour, I hope all goes well with it.

May I ask if you've returned to the TC fold in a token way with this motor?  Obsure moment! 

A registration beginning with 'C90' surely qualifies as a 'Thumpette' and the remainder 'HUK' surely describes some of the backwoodsman traights of many in this melange of individuals, as in Huckleberry Finn! 

I shall now leave the way clear for a plethora of verbosity from others!  

My regards, Bill.

[steveD]

I think that the HUK reg was from  Hull originally1
If I remember correctly do not park on unlevel ground or the chassis will twist or was that for that GTC version?
Must confess I always lusted after one of those things in my youth

[andy230]

luuurvely!

GC

Thanks you mate, its ugly, but I love it.  A bit like the skorpion (yes, still got it steve, daily ride since the DR's been off the road for a while.  Its also great, but I haven't given the chassis much atention for a while and it doesn't seem to go round corners as well as it once did).  Like the skorp, it also features innovative use of plastic!

Class vehicle in a very nice colour, I hope all goes well with it.

Well, I bought it the day before I got married, picked up from Macclesfield.  My mrs was working in Liverpool that day, so I said "I'll pick you up in Liverpool in my fabulous plastic supercar, and we'll roar up the road to get married in glasgow the next day.

I had to call her from the hard shoulder and ask "Are you near a train station??"

"Yes", says she. "Hows your new car?"

"Looks great", says I.  And it did, bonnet up, steam pishing out from under the wheel arches, having just blown a cooling hose and cooked both heads.

I got up on the low loader, got married, and lifted the heads, skimmed, replaced the cooling system (it had terrible athersclerosis) and built it back up. 

However, thats the type of vehicles we love!  And you love it more having had to work on it!  And yes, its a bit obscure, not classically beautiful, a bit thirsty, not the most practical car, so yes, a bit like a thumper.

However, it wont rot, sounds great, is a bit individual, so yeah, I suppose it is just like a thumper!

I think that the HUK reg was from  Hull originally1

Interesting, thanks steve...

Must confess I always lusted after one of those things in my youth

Yes, me too!  So when the van died, I started looking.  And they're very cheap for what you get.  Yes, the GTC's are a bit expensive, but the twisting chassis is a new one on me.  Google some pics of the chassis... it would take an awful lot to twist that!!

Cheers for now guys,

a

[guest7]

Who took the arty photos of the car? I love the one of you sat in it with your face reflected in the wing mirror (and no this isn't a preamble to a wind-up). Magazine quality stuff, mais non?

GC

[andy230]

Who took the arty photos of the car? I love the one of you sat in it with your face reflected in the wing mirror (and no this isn't a preamble to a wind-up). Magazine quality stuff, mais non?

GC

A mate at work, actually.  He's a (very) keen amateur, but a scintist first and foremost.  He did my wedding photos too (cos I am very very cheap).  I also like that one reflected in the wingmirror.  But I didn't know he was taking it, we were just moving the car around that impressive old house (now, sadly, a conference centre, but such places do make a nice setting for british motor cars!)

Have a look on his flickr site, search "dr kevin mills".  Invariably, there will be some horrors of me...!

Cheers

a