T3 fork rebuild suggestions...

[Dave Swanson]

When I restored my t3 California I found at least a dozen bodges that needed correcting. 

[Anomaly]

That's why you're here!!  Righting the wrongs of the bike's hamfisted bodger's past!!!

Yep-- to the rescue! 

[Anomaly]

Call Harpers Monday for the spring seat.

Update here: was going to call Curtis on Monday, but I'm in France (at my father-in-law's) and I'd really like to finish this job while here (brought the forks over with us from Italy), so did some searching here and found it at Teo Lamars (TLM) in Holland. Will be here Weds or Thurs. I ordered 2 since even the "good" one looked like it had been beat on. I think I can find circlip s locally...

[Frenchfrog]

These guys in France almost certainly would have it in stock  https://languedocmotosrenov.com/
Phone them in French to confirm as they don't like email much.
PM me if you have issues...I live just north of Monbtpellier

[Anomaly]

These guys in France almost certainly would have it in stock  https://languedocmotosrenov.com/
Phone them in French to confirm as they don't like email much.
PM me if you have issues...I live just north of Monbtpellier

Thanks! Waiting (hoping) for a call back now... (to my French wife's French mobile...)

[Frenchfrog]

Phone Barnabe direct around now....in French ! He's a really nice obliging man and extremely knowledgeable but I doubt if he would phone you back.

[Anomaly]

but I doubt if he would phone you back.

au contraire! He did indeed call back and we (meaning my wife...) got it all sorted out in short order and there should be spring cups, spring seats, circlips, and crush washers in the post tomorrow! Many, many thanks to you for the suggestion.

[Frenchfrog]

Excellent news !

[Anomaly]

Update time:

Duties tending to vineyards, olive trees, and a '53 Chevy wagon needing repair interrupted this job...

But, thanks to Chris (Frenchfrog), the necessary parts were obtained while still in France. We contacted Cathy and Barnabe at : languedoc.motos.ren ov-- my French wasn't up to the task but my wife is French and she took over Cathy and Barnabe were persuaded to tell us there private email address and we sent the diagram and a list by number of what we needed. A bit later we received an email with pictures from their catalog of all the parts asking us to confirm if they had found everything correctly. We said yes. Two days later, the parts arrived at my father-in-law's with a note asking us to send a check for the total to them. Old School!! And thanks Chris!!





From left to right these are: #26 spring seat, #25 circlip, #28 rod seat (spring cup), and #32 crush washer. I think I mentioned upthread that when I disassembled the fork as it was from when I acquired the bike, the first two parts from the left (spring seat and circlip) were missling on both fork assemblies.

I was a bit stumped as to how to get the circlip on over the spring seat until I found an old post on this site describing a method and then Charlie (Antietam Cycle) endorsed that method. In case others are spatially dyslexic like me and have trouble with written instructions, I'm posting a photo of how you can easily wind the spring down (on the extension to the fork damper) by placing a small screwdriver in the hole in the extension that you thread onto the fork damper:




OK, so everything was going good up to this point, but...

When I went to put the now assembled pieces into the fork leg itself, I ran into something I need some advice/help with. In the photo above, you can see that part #28, the spring cup, has two tabs that face inward and one tab that faces out. I got the two inward facing tabs to set into the recesses on the damper extension piece, but I could not get the outward facing tab to positively seat in the bottom of the fork leg. Dave Swanson had suggested doing this part of the assembly with the parts inverted and gently sliding the fork leg down onto the spring cup and then ever so gently rotating the fork leg until the tab locked in. I tried, very gently, several times, on both fork legs, but could never detect that the tab was locking in place....

So, my question is: what function does this outward facing tab serve?

Thanks in advance to anyone who can advise what to do next...

[Frenchfrog]

 Those two are really so sweet ,trusting and kind !
Nice to see that he turned the cup out of solid too going by the photos.I've seen other repros that are more like the original but his look stronger.
The outward tab locates into the fork lower .Have a squint down the bore and you should be able to see two lugs into which the tab should locate.

[Anomaly]

The outward tab locates into the fork lower .Have a squint down the bore and you should be able to see two lugs into which the tab should locate.

Yes, I understand that, but what is the purpose-- to stop the upper tube from rotating in the fork lower?

I gave up and bolted it all together and put the 60 ml of oil in but I will take it apart and try again. I could not see well enough to the bottom of the fork leg to see where the tab should lodge. I did notice that the two inward facing tabs barely fit into the corresponding slots on the damper extension. I'm wondering if the outward facing tab is just slightly oversize and thus not dropping into the slot on the fork lower?

[Frenchfrog]

It can only be to stop the lower spring assembly from rotating.I'm guessing that it will naturally do that as the spring compresses ?
Those tabs in the lower are aluminum so could be worn...or maybe the tab is slightly too wide? hard to say, impossible to measure inside too.
Be careful with the lowers...my original set are quite badly worn after decades of long and hard work on crappy roads. As there is no bush inside the wear can't be taken out without finding a really good machinist willing to tackle that job.On top of that issue ,the walls are rather thin anyway so it may not be possible or a good idea to re sleeve.If anyone has done this i'd be very keen on details !
I managed to get a much better set (but not perfect ) as they have been inobtanium for the T3 for a long time now whereas LM and some of the others can still be had new.The difference being the mounting tabs for the mudguard stays.