Koni Shocks

Hi All

Has anyone on this site rebuilt Koni shockies, my Koni's are 32 years old and one has blown the seals, I ordered a new seal kit from Ikon as they have brought the tooling from Koni's, I have also brought a new set of Ikon shocks for my Manxman project bike, they look the same as my old Konis, but 25mm shorter for the Slimline frame, any help with rebuilding my old Koni's would be great.

Many thanks

Ashley

ashman said:

Hi All

Has anyone on this site rebuilt Koni shockies, my Koni's are 32 years old and one has blown the seals, I ordered a new seal kit from Ikon as they have brought the tooling from Koni's, I have also brought a new set of Ikon shocks for my Manxman project bike, they look the same as my old Konis, but 25mm shorter for the Slimline frame, any help with rebuilding my old Koni's would be great.

Many thanks

Ashley

Click to expand...

These guys do it all. Maybe they can help

http://www.promecha.com.au/myths_misconceptions.htm#A

Try RAD Motorcycle Shocky Repairs - Unit 103/c 49 Station Road Yeerongpilly. Speak to Rodney (07) 3892 6493 or his mobile 0417 009 946.

A mate of mine did his Norton Konis with IKON seals ( same type ,as you mentioned). Once you make up a two pin tool to take off the top,( he drilled two holes in an adjustable spanner and fitted pins, there's not much in side....apart from splooge oil. Used Supercheap brand car coil compressors. He said with new seals and modern synthetic oil they work really well ....we are talking dial a rides.
As for IKONS, I find them pretty good for the money.
I have a set that I share between my Commando and BMW vintage racer....

Thanks for the replies, I intend to rebuild them myself and just asking for advice on what is needed to do the job as well I have been told they take about 85ml of oil, 10w fork oil would this amount be right, I always attemp to do things myself, but this will be the frist time for rebuilding Koni's shocks, I have had these on my Norton for 32 years now so I think I have had a good run out of them, I will make my own spring compressor tool, but I think the Supercheap tool would work a treat.

Ashley

Had my Koni's rebuilt a year ago Ash and they work fine - about the same vintage as yours too. Made my own spring compressor with some M8 thread stock (allthread) and a couple of bent steel brackets, works a treat.

Nortiboy said:

[


These guys do it all. Maybe they can help

http://www.promecha.com.au/myths_misconceptions.htm#A

Click to expand...

I went to Promecha for a fork re-valving job.

Ain't no way I'm going back there. Not if I want my job done this century.

Ash,

If you have a triton vice in your shed, they type used for wood work, with a wide opening throat. You can convert them into a spring compressor, by mount a forked piece of flat steel. I have pulled Konis and Mazzochi apart they are pretty simple once you make a tool to undo the top nut, you will probably find lots of dirt in there after 32 years, and wit fresh oil and new seals you will be amazed how nice they work.

Cheers Richard

Thanks Richard, I have a very wide openning vice in my shed that will work good and to make a tool for the tops will be easy for me as I have worked as a T/A to a fitter/turner for overy 14 years and I am very good at anything I put my hands to, hopefully it will happen this weekend and I will take pics of the operation and post here with details as I go to help others.

Ashley

You might take care to measure the oil remaining in the "good" shock so as to discover the volume for your later refill.

As for removing the springs, with the lower end of the damper in the vice, I've recruited a friend to compress the spring by using two parallel screw drivers and pushing down, just enough for me to use a pair of pliers to pluck the retainer out. Usually at full extension/minimum preload it doesn't take much to compress the springs enough to be able to release that retainer. They're not automotive strut springs after all.

The shocks will take 85ml of oil so each shock will get the same amont put in and have been told to use 10w fork oil for best results, I have been doing a bit of googling to find out about it, as well my local british bike shop one of the staff members has rebuilt his Koni's for his race bike and has told me the same thing, there is only 1 big seal and a big O ring in the shock and a small O ring for the top of the shock, so shouldn't be to much troubles to do once pulled apart.

Ashley

Something to watch is to check if the bore is worn or grooved, or if the shaft is grooved, notched or otherwise worn. The guys that rebuild shocks professionally often have to grind the shaft back and re-hardchrome it (and then grind it back to spec). This is what makes their shocks fully rebuilt, and gives them another full life...
hth.

I got the springs off by using a slim screw driver and levering the spring down enought to lever the spring retainers out, took about 30 seconds to do, had to put the slim screw driver in where the cut away section is on the retainer for better grip, another thing I found out was one of the spring retainer was broken so will have to order anouther one or make one at work on the lathe, it was still holding the spring in place, now to make a tool for the seal retainers.

Ashley

I could not find any diagrams for the Koni assembly, so I made a drawing of the parts and their sequence as I pulled them apart. If you get stuck, email me and i'll see if I still have the drawing.

Mick

Thanks Mick I will keep that in mind if I have any problems.

You may have seen this already. BMW people, God love'em. They're so fastidious.

http://mechanicalhusbandry.com/2011/01/ ... k-rebuild/

Hi All

Well I got the Koni's done, the hardest part was getting the tops off, the pin spanner couldn't handy the tightness of the top, the pins bent straight away so had to resort to use a plummers monkey wench, their was just enought of the top to put it on (man were they tight) but the plummers wench worked a treat on both shockes with out leaving any marks



once the top is off its just a matter of laying all the bits out in order, but make sure all the spacers and washers go back in the same order





the other side of the pin top is where the main seal sits in and as well the big O ring when its done up



after replacing the seal on the rod just clean all the parts put the chamber back in the shock bottom and fill with 85ml of 10w fork oil, slid the damper rod inside it and tighten the shock top back on, but if you need to pull the top part of the shock apart where the ajusting wheel is, I did this as there is a very small O ring inside the shock rod



It was so hard trying to pick the old Oring out but ended up using a bent sailmaking needle and got it out after about 2 attemps, the second shock I couldn't get the 3mm pin top undone so was forced to leave the old small Oring in, it wasn't leaking at all so left it alone.
My right side shock was leaking at the main seal as the old seal was hard as a rock from 32 years of use, the dampers are working like a treat now, just have to put the springs back on and put them back on the Norton, so don't be put off with this job as I found it not so hard at all just take your time and make sure every thing is nice and clean before putting them back together.

Hope this helps

Ashley

Nice job but a little scary getting the cap undone. I do have a good collection of big pipe wrenches though. I'm wondering if the seals can be found at a normal bearing supplier. I contacted Ikon recently and they were very nice but said the Ikon seals don't fit the Konis. What is the model number of your Konis? Mine are 76F1373 which were made for Norton Commandos at the time (mid 70s). I think the other model commonly used was the 76F1282.

Russ

Hi Russ

The Commando Koni's is 7610-1418 and Ikon have the seal kits for them $55 au, I also had to replace one spring retainer and the bump rubbers, the new spring retainers had Koni name on them for $9 au and the bump rubbers were only $6.50 and I had the parts in just a few days, Lousie from Ikon is very helpfull, I also brought a new set of Ikon shockies for my project bike 60 650 Manxman, they look the same as my Koni's but 25mm shorter for the Slimline frame.

Ashley

The 76-1373 is the Ikon shocks for the Slimline featherbed frame and they also have the seal kits for them.

There is a guy on e-bay that sells,rebuilds,buys old Konis
This is his e bay name.. (I have never dealt with him)he has an e bay store and averages $399 Us Dllr for NOS shocks rebuilt.
rhaagusa