[MBreinin]

OK, I borrowed a friend's bike jack today and jacked up the Husky. Took out the set screws and the fork started leaking what remained of the fluid. However, I went ahead and checked to see if the stanchion tube was loose. Yep, I was able to give it about four full turns and then it fully seated. This immediately stopped the leaking. Also, I went ahead and checked the bolt at the bottom, which was not reaching full tightness before. Well, I was able to turn it probably 20 turns and this time it fully tightened and seated.

I think I solved the problem. Problem is, I now have a mostly dry fork tube.

So, here are my questions in order:

1. How can I refill this fork tube with oil? If I were to thread out the lug again, could I just remove it and refille it with oil...or is it going to explode like a jack in the box with parts flying everywhere? Maybe I should go back to Marzocchi and look at the manual again. I was hoping someone here had done the deed and could help me out;

2. How the hell do you get the wheel off? I assume you need to put an allen wrench into the axle retainer on the brake side? Does anyone know what size that is? It was bigger than anything I had on hand, so I will have to buy a tool for that.

Thanks again for the help and the patience, folks!

Mike

 

[apa]

The asian bikes use locktite on the threads as a seal.

 

[MBreinin]

The asian bikes use locktite on the threads as a seal.

You can bet your ass when it goes back together, it does so with red Loctite!

I just want to know if it was my cartridge that leaked, or the main tube. One seems much easier to fill than the other according to the manual.

Mike

 

[Goosedog]

I've seen this problem first hand and you do NOT want to go back on the sreet with a rigged hand-tighting job for a solution. No offense but I get the feeling you don't have much in the way of basic wrenching skills judging by your not knowing how to remove a front wheel and you're about to trust your fix-it job to a crucial part as you fly down the road. Can you just imagine your forks coming apart at 60mph? Find a bud who knows how to wrench, get the forks off and have them fixed properly or you'll be on the six oclock news dude.

 

[MAVEN]

Yeah, be safe man. Forks/wheels arent an area to be experimenting with or learning as you go without proper guidance and tools.

 

[MBreinin]

I've seen this problem first hand and you do NOT want to go back on the sreet with a rigged hand-tighting job for a solution. No offense but I get the feeling you don't have much in the way of basic wrenching skills judging by your not knowing how to remove a front wheel and you're about to trust your fix-it job to a crucial part as you fly down the road. Can you just imagine your forks coming apart at 60mph? Find a bud who knows how to wrench, get the forks off and have them fixed properly or you'll be on the six oclock news dude.

Hey, thanks for the vote of confidence. :clap:

Actually, I have quite a bit of wrenching skills but they are restricted solely to cars. I have little experience wrenching on bikes, but I am learning as I go along. I wouldn't put it back together hand tightened. I would put the lug in a vice and use a strap wrench to tighten the stanchion tube into the lug, along with red loctite so it doesn't come apart. On that subject, it isn't going to just come apart while on the road as the set screws do hold it in place once it is fully seated. I don't know how the tube backed out as much as it did, but it did. I just want to get it right the easiest way. There aren't alot of shops around here to choose from, so I am trying to learn how to work on this bike myself.

Mike

 

[greenpea]

mike you best bet is to buy the husky service manual for your bike

it will answer any question you have on wheel removal and fork removal
and more

 

[Goosedog]

Hey, thanks for the vote of confidence. :clap:

Sorry if I came across as a dick but the suspension of your bike, especially the forks, should not be taken lightly. You just can't fix a problem like this without even taking them off the bike. Even if you did succeed in properly tighting them, and chances are they're cross-threaded from the factory too, they'll need to come off now to be properly filled with fork oil. My intentions and concerns were for your saftey, that is all.

 

[MBreinin]

Sorry if I came across as a dick but the suspension of your bike, especially the forks, should not be taken lightly. You just can't fix a problem like this without even taking them off the bike. Even if you did succeed in properly tighting them, and chances are they're cross-threaded from the factory too, they'll need to come off now to be properly filled with fork oil. My intentions and concerns were for your saftey, that is all.

I understand. They have to come off to be filled with oil and properly tightened, which is my intention. My real concern is whethter the cartridge leaked, or it was just the main body of the fork. The majority of the oil is contained in the main body, at least it appears that way from the Marzocchi manual. It seems the manual instructs you to drain and fill the forks from the top. I don't think mine was cross threaded. It was easy to thread the stanchion tube in further by hand, so I think the threads are solid.

Does anyone know who sells the Husky Service Manual? I have looked around online and I can't find it.

Mike

p.s. I will probably run it down to the local KTM dealer first, before I mess with it. However, if they don't want to mess with it I will have to do it myself. They are kind of a douchebag shop...and they keep "arrogant" hours. 10-6 on the weekdays and 9-12 on Saturday, closed Sunday and Monday.

 

[Ruffus]

You need a 12 mil allen wrench or socket for the front wheel, you can download manuals at the husky USA sight
http://www.husqvarnausa.com/

You can also buy a replacement bolt for the front axle that fits the factory axle wrench
The online manuals go to 06 models, I'm pretty sure you can buy a manual in disk format for newer bikes from a Husky dealer. Try Dan at Motoxotica, or George at Uptite, Also Halls, & Tasky's

 

[MBreinin]

You need a 12 mil allen wrench or socket for the front wheel, you can download manuals at the husky USA sight
http://www.husqvarnausa.com/

You can also buy a replacement bolt for the front axle that fits the factory axle wrench
The online manuals go to 06 models, I'm pretty sure you can buy a manual in disk format for newer bikes from a Husky dealer

That is the owner's manual. I was hoping to find a shop manual with detailed servicing info.

I have to get some bigger allen sockets. I think mine only go up to around 10 mil.

Thanks,

Mike

 

[RRW]

The manuals are easy to get from your dealer they come on a disk and cost less than $25

 

[MBreinin]

The manuals are easy to get from your dealer they come on a disk and cost less than $25

That would be great, if I had a dealer around me! Is there an online source?

Mike

 

[Ruffus]

That would be great, if I had a dealer around me! Is there an online source?

Mike

http://motoxotica.com/

 

[apa]

NOOOOOOO.....band wrench!

To do this right the forks must be 100% disassembled and cleaned so there is absolutely no oil residue so the BLUE Loctite will adhere.


.

 

[ashe]

ok, for starters you need to stop going to marzocchi's site for instructions. their site has instructions for the closed (dual) chamber forks. your bike has open cartridge forks, completely diff.. next, the part of the fork that is leaking is the compression adjustment assembly. this is what holds all your compression valving. there should just be a o-ring down there, most likely it got torn or nicked and is letting oil past. to do this correctly you need to remove and completely disassemble the forks. clean them and replace the oring along with all the fork seals. you can only refill the forks properly of the bike with a oil height gauge and ratio rite. order the service manual from hall's (halls-cycles.com) or motoexotica. you can get a cd-rom service manual from hall's for like 20 bucks. if youve never done suspension and dont have the proper tools dont try it. youll just end up wrecking something and costing your self more money. not be a dick, but youve got no idea what your doing and are gonna get yourself hurt. pull the fork out and take it to a shop. its cheaper to spend 50 bucks to have the fork done than what your medical bills will add up to.

 

[ashe]

i dont mean to come off as a ass, but ive seen enough people hurt cause of poor repair work they thought they could do them selves. it will cost you more in just the right tools than it would to have someone do it. and working on cars relates in no way to working on bikes plain and simple. ive owned the same bike as you, worked for one of the largest husky dealers in the country, and am a certified motorcycle mechanic. im telling you not to mess with it. the use of words like vice and strap wrench already negat your being able to do the job right. sorry.

 

[MBreinin]

OK, OK, OK...enough already. LOL.

Hopefully the local KTM shop can fix the fork. Other than that, I don't know where to go for a repair. It is not that I am cheap and I am looking to save a buck, I just prefer to know how things work so that when they break again, because they always do, I can fix it. However, I don't want to have to completely break down the fork, because I admit it is beyond my abilities. So I will take everyone's advice and see if I can get it fixed. I am sure it will take a month since all the seals and whatnot will have to be ordered from Marzocchi.

Mike

 

[Ruffus]

OK, OK, OK...enough already. LOL.

Hopefully the local KTM shop can fix the fork. Other than that, I don't know where to go for a repair. It is not that I am cheap and I am looking to save a buck, I just prefer to know how things work so that when they break again, because they always do, I can fix it. However, I don't want to have to completely break down the fork, because I admit it is beyond my abilities. So I will take everyone's advice and see if I can get it fixed. I am sure it will take a month since all the seals and whatnot will have to be ordered from Marzocchi.

Mike

Give this place a call. I believe they have one of the best Husky fork tuners on the east coast, while its getting fixed, have it tuned for your weight & riding style
http://www.bottonesjobetcycles.com/

 

[MBreinin]

Fork is out. I will try the KTM shop tomorrow or Friday, if that is a bust I will try the place Ruffus posted.

Mike