Silverwing Downgrade/Upgrade !!!.

[Globs]

Carry on & do what you like to your own machine ...

Thank-you.

Torque settings are there for a reason so I like to use them.

Indeed they are and I'm sorry if my post was ambiguous enough to suggest you disregard them, I always use them too. I merely meant that tightening back up to torque is often easier than getting the bolts off in the first place, and that the bolt is clamped tight when on the fork.

Many electric impact wrenches have a torque setting so you can use that to do that centre nut up again, without the risk of putting the tube in a vice that can deform it.

[The Bern]

that the bolt is clamped tight when on the fork.

No it's not, the force applied by the yoke against the leg when the pinch bolts have been torqued up correctly cannot possibly deform the tube enough to clamp it to the cap bolt

the risk of putting the tube in a vice that can deform it.

The tube will not be deformed, the wooden V blocks are softer than steel, or least ways it was when I went to school, so the wooden blocks will deform at the localised contact points.

[The Bern]

Right ho, back on topic ............

you initially put 300cc in each leg, pump it to force out any trapped air (as per the video) when all traces of bubbles are gone push the tube into the stanchion & measure from the top of the tube to the fluid surface & top-up as necessary to achieve a dimension of 97mm

Put the spring in closed coils down & reassemble (incase you do find secondhand springs at some point in the future, the service limit of the free length is 325mm any shorter & it's worn out)

Torque settings ...
Fork cap ................. 32Nm (2.3kgf/m .. 16lbf/ft)
Yolk pinch bolts .......... 69Nm (7.0kgf/m ..51lbf/ft)
Front axle bolt ........... 59Nm (6.0kgf/m .. 43lbf/ft)
Axle pinch bolts .......... 22Nm (2.2kgf/m .. 16lbf/ft)
Caliper mounting bolts .. 42Nm (4.3kgf/m .. 31lbf/ft)

[Globs]

the force applied by the yoke against the leg when the pinch bolts have been torqued up correctly cannot possibly deform the tube enough to clamp it to the cap bolt

Yes it surprised me too, locked it solid on the SYM 300!
Stopped me torquing them up in situ with the top pinch bolt tightened to spec.
Your scooter may be different.

[Flyingpanman]

The video is excellent for showing how to 'prime' the oil & clear the air. Interesting though is that when he takes the spring out it's closed coils up (wrong way according to WSM) but good man that he is puts it back the correct way.

According to my WSM, it's closed coils facing up. That makes sense to me as the open coils displace less oil and allow it to pass through easier. The closer wound coils will close up first and may hinder oil circulation? Either way up, it's a subject that has been debated before and I've not seen any really conclusive evidence.

Not that I can afford one, but I believe some impact wrenches can also be set to various torque settings?

[Globs]

Closed coils up also lower the unsprung weight slightly.

[The Bern]

Shop manual FJS600 Silver Wing

14-16

"Pull the fork tube up fully.
Install the fork spring with the tightly wound end fac-
ing down"

[The Bern]

Closed coils up also lower the unsprung weight slightly.

How ????????????

Unsprung weight is the springs themselves, plus any other part of the vehicle whose weight is not supported by the springs ( wheels, tyres, axles, etc)


It really is time for you to stop digging that hole your in any deeper bud.

[The Bern]

I shall now apologise to OP for somehow turning his thread into a debate over what is printed in my Genuine Honda Shop Manual & for the ongoing debate with a member who reallly, really wants to be right in his opinion but simly isn't.
As I can add nothing further about the original topic I shall post no more here, good luck with the job bud.

[Globs]

Closed coils up also lower the unsprung weight slightly.

How ????????????

Because the more tightly wound end of the spring is heavier.

By placing the lighter end of the spring near the axle the lighter end is being more by the wheel/road, and the heavier end is stationary in the fork leg. In the SYM 300 the closed coils were at the top.

ongoing debate with a member who really, really wants to be right in his opinion but simply isn't.

Sorry you feel like that Bern, for me this was a polite discussion about some technical aspects of which I had personal experience of, and somehow you have taken my comments as an attack, that was not and is not intended.

My main points to recap are:
1. Try not to deform the chromed tubes when undoing the top plug, an impact wrench may be safer.

2. Before you pump the oil out check the chrome tubes for any corrosion or defects that stick out, they will damage the seals

3. If you torque the top nut in-situ, only do up the lower pinch bolt first or the top plug may bind in the threads like mine did.
This is also a good situation (on disassembly!) to loosen the top plug, properly clamped in the forks yoke, depending upon access.

This is just friendly advice based on my experience, it's not a criticism but an addendum to The Bern's excellent write-up, I'm sorry if anyone gets offended by this advice but some offence may be better than a damaged fork tube or seal.

Another tip is to use a smaller torque wrench for low NM values, some of the larger ones can be a bit 'heavy' on the low numbers, I have a 3/8ths one just for this reason.