[BBob]

Okay, the plot thickens. Turns out the 'cheap' ebay fork seals are not up to par. The seals from Witchdoctors/Parts Unlimited fit much better. Now the bad news. It still leaks. I'll continue to update as I find out more. For now; don't buy fork seals from ebay unless you know they are from a good source like Parts Unlimited.

 

[IndyVictory]

I know on Honda forum I'm on they say OEM or nothing because everything else will leak.
Not sure if that is the case with Victory but it might be with all the problems you are having.

 

[BBob]

I know on Honda forum I'm on they say OEM or nothing because everything else will leak.
Not sure if that is the case with Victory but it might be with all the problems you are having.

Here's the really crazy thing with X bikes. Victory sells a kit with everything including bushings but the inner bushings are not replaceable in the X bike fork tubes. In fact in the manual it says to replace fork tube if bushings are worn out but the fork tubes are not sold separately. You have to buy the entire fork for $1000 each fork so $2000 for a set.

 

[NAB]

I rode my XC Saturday afternoon after I mopped the Cantina floor. In the 70's with verry little wind. Got out on the highway for a ways so I could blow it out. Filled it with gas on the way home.

 

[BBob]

Well, looks like I got the left side sealed up, but I think I got some bad info on how the seal goes into the tube. I'm not going to say who but one video I figured would be spot on had the seal going in one way but elsewhere I found it going in another. I didn't pay attention to the orientation when I took it apart like I should have. I have another set of seals coming in today from Witchdoctors so hopefully I only have to do this job one more time for one fork.

To do one fork you only need to take the axle and one brake caliper off. You can leave the fender bolted to the other fork. The fork will just slide out after loosening the 3 clamp bolts. Pull the bottom bold from the fork to drain most the fluid then unscrew the top bolt to finish taking it all apart. Swap seals then put it all back together in the correct order. Put the bottom bolt back in, fill with 400 ml of fluid, then screw the top to the tube and put it back on the bike with everything tight. You can install the fork first to do the final torque on the bottom and top bolts.

I have to do the same job on my KP but it will go like butter since I know WTF I'm doing now. I did this job on another KP I had but that was 9 years ago.

 

[BBob]

Took a little ride on old Rt. 66 today. I really like this bike so much better with these bars. They fit me like a glove.

 

[ObiSteve]

Went to replace the brake pads, front of the HardBall. Got half way there. LHS all went OK,
RHS the Allen key felt a bit sloppy in the head of the pad retaining pin. Adding some coarse grinding pace to the head of the allen key tightened it's grip up in the fastener but not enough to get it to shift. I sprayed some penetrating oil around the head let it soak in for half an hour and went back with a socket mounted 5mm hex key and an impact driver. No success. I pulled out the heat gun and heat cycled it half a dozen times, heating the calliper around the head of the retaining pin then spraying in penetrative oil. That didn't help, so I brought out the eucalyptus oil and tried again. That resulted in rounding out the internal hex.
OK, time for desperate measures, pulled out a socket mounted 7/32s hex and drove it into the rounded head . All that did was round out the internal hex in the head of the retaining pin completely. That's where it stands at the moment.Tomorrow I take the calliper apart and see if I can shift it with vice grips. I have a spare retaining pin, but might be pissed off enough to get some stainless 10 mm bolts turned down to match the pin but with a normal bolt head. I might have to machine the calliper so the area where the bolt head will sit is flat, could be fly cut on a lathe but a mill would be better.
Dunno, see what tomorrow brings. It will all go back together with anti sieze on the threads.
If I get some normal bolts turned down, would anybody here be interested in a set?

 

[BBob]

Well that blows. Sorry to hear you having to go through this. Most of us shade tree mechanics have been through it. It turns a simple job into a really long and frustrating job. Makes me think I should pull mine and add some anti-sieze just in case.

 

[NAB]

Rode it yesterday.

 

[ObiSteve]

I think these pad retaining pins are made of case hardened cheese.

 

[ObiSteve]

Makes me think I should pull mine and add some anti-sieze just in case.

Quick! Before it's too late! Can't you hear them getting too attached to the hole they're in right now?

 

[BBob]

Quick! Before it's too late! Can't you hear them getting too attached to the hole they're in right now?

Well, I can probably take my time since I've had them apart 4 times in the last few weeks.

 

[ObiSteve]

You probably need new pins by now, if a tool has touched the heads of the pins 4 times!

 

[BBob]

You probably need new pins by now, if a tool has touched the heads of the pins 4 times!

Mine are hex head bolts.

 

[IndyVictory]

Kawasaki pins if you need replacements.

 

[ObiSteve]

Mine are hex head bolts.

Did you get them made? Was the surface on the calliper where rhe bolt heads seat flat enough to let them seat properly

 

[ObiSteve]

Kawasaki pins if you need replacements.

I have a spare in good condition, but what Kawa model? I have an Oz made billet 4 piston calliper on the front of the Sporty that shares the same pads as the Vic's, that avoids this problem, it's restrained by a split pin, doesn't screw in.

 

[BBob]

Did you get them made? Was the surface on the calliper where rhe bolt heads seat flat enough to let them seat properly

We may not be talking about the same thing. I'm talking about the bolts that hold the front calipers to the front forks.

 

[Vinish]

As BBob says, he is talking about the caliper mounting bolts while it appears ObiSteve is talking about the pad retaining pins.

 

[otab]

I have a spare in good condition, but what Kawa model? I have an Oz made billet 4 piston calliper on the front of the Sporty that shares the same pads as the Vic's, that avoids this problem, it's restrained by a split pin, doesn't screw in.

Cross Bike Front Brake Pad Service Kit (for when you...

If you've rounded out the allen socket in your front brake pad pin, it's a very good idea to replace it before it strips out, seizes, and potentially causes you to have to replace the whole caliper. Don't ask me how I know this. The Drag Specialties brake pad kit that Witchdoctor's sells (...

www.victoryforums.com

A few replacement options in there ^

Kawasaki part numbers
Pin 43045-1053
O-ring 43058-1100

(Specifics for the Kawasaki pins)