Stuck lower fork bushing

I had my forks apart yesterday to install the Old Britts fork rebuild kit. One side went pretty easy, the other has a completely seized lower fork bushing. I have tried heat, penetrating oil, mallet, calling it names, nothing will budge it.

So, two questions. 1, any advice on how I can get it off and 2, if I save this fight for another day what impact will a non spinning lower fork bushing have on fork performance?

Thanks,

Mike

Is it seized inside the slider or just on the end of the stanchion. If its just on the end of the stanchion then it can be turned off in a lathe, it may break loose if a deep cut is taken,

It is seized to the stanchion and I do have access to a lathe so I will give that a go. Thank you.

I didn't realize the bushing was supposed to spin freely until I took apart the second fork so I reassembled thinking my only crime was not replacing a bushing that really didn't look too bad. As I will now need to disassemble and resemble my next question is will I need a new paper filter next to the fork seal? I have not put any oil in the fork yet.

Mike

I don't think they are designed to spin although sometimes they do. Their critical function is for linear not rotational movement. You could cut a slot lengthways with a hand held hacksaw blade to get the bush off, a bit time consuming but effective.

dave M said:

I don't think they are designed to spin although sometimes they do. Their critical function is for linear not rotational movement. You could cut a slot lengthways with a hand held hacksaw blade to get the bush off, a bit time consuming but effective.

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I don't think spinning is necessary but I do think a loose'ish fit allowing it to rock a bit is perhaps designed into it to aid in good alignment and reduced friction. A Dremel Tool with a small cut-off wheel would make short work of cutting a small groove the length of bush.

Sorry to disagree, Biscuit, but I believe that the last thing you need in a set of forks is for them to rock a bit. Even a small amount amplified over the length of the fork tube could lead to sloppy handling. If I had bushes that slipped on so easy that I could discern any play between them and the fork tube I would not use them.

dave M said:

Sorry to disagree, Biscuit, but I believe that the last thing you need in a set of forks is for them to rock a bit. Even a small amount amplified over the length of the fork tube could lead to sloppy handling. If I had bushes that slipped on so easy that I could discern any play between them and the fork tube I would not use them.

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Well maybe "rock a bit" was a poor choice of words. Original Norton parts always seemed a good slip fit unless I was dealing with forks that had rusted from years of water in them. Some replacement bushes were matched well with new replacement tubes, but sometimes either a fork was oversized or a bushing under and you just knew it was going to take more than a bit of tapping to get the bushing on. We started to get all our fork tubes and bushing from one source, I think A.N. and the parts always fit correctly. A slip on fit or with a slight tap and the bushing would be home and once in place it could move around. Should never have to drive them on.

soak in ATF and acetone for 2 days