Those of you who have had your stock shock rebuilt...

tomatoe333

Joined
Aug 20, 2012
Messages
4
Location
Colonie, NY
...a couple of questions.

1. What year is your bike? ABS or non-ABS?
2. What is the the part number marking on your shock? Should be readable on a sticker on the shock body, between the spring coils.

I ask because I sent a shock from a 1991 non-ABS bike to Racetech, and they said it was not rebuildable, due to the seal head being welded into place. Part number on the shock is MT3-611. So I'm wondering which of the stock shocks _are_ rebuildable, so I can track one down.
 
I have an extra OEM sitting in the box since I've installed progressive, I'll look at it when I get home.

Mark
 
tomatoe333 said:
I'm wondering which of the stock shocks _are_ rebuildable, so I can track one down.
Click to expand...
AFAIK none... their all 'welded shut'... AFAIK-II is the only difference between non-ABS and ABS-I/II (and P-spec) rear shocks the different spring; non-ABS have a blue coil, ABS-I/II (& P-spec) have the black one.
 
Do you have access to a welder?
I ran across a thread (don't know where) which showed a nut welded on to an ST1100 shock.
They drilled through the nut (without harming the threads!) and used the hole to empty the shock.
Then refilled with fresh shock oil with the same amount they removed (removing the oil involved pumping and inverting IIRC).
They then closed the 'new hole' with a bolt through the nut had welded on.

I suspect I have the order of steps wrong and they drilled hole and emptied the shock first otherwise they would have been welding a combustible filled cylinder (AKA=BOMB).

They liked the result.... YMMV...
:)
 
Hummm ,
I had racetech rebuild my 2005 ST shock, no problems.. Cost about $4oo something bucks a few years ago.. They put in a valve so now it's a rebuildable shock... New spring too!!!
 
Rossi said:
This is one article where a nut was welded to the body to allow drainage and refilling with heavier oil. It may be the one you're asking about.

http://www.st-riders.net/index.php?topic=1860.0
Click to expand...

Interesting to read about. Only one issue I have dissagreement with, and that is the use of ATF as a dampening fluid. As a 30+yr. competative moto-x racer, along with all the maintenace that goes along with it, old school, back in the 70's, ATF WAS the 'poor mans' shock fluid. It works.......after a fashion on the old school shock internals. Problem is ATF doesn't have the dampening effect or correct properties of todays fork oils, and in this case the likelyhood of being a bit overfilled being good likely attributes to the so-called 'good' dampening. Complete dissassembly of forks or shocks(if re-buildable), cleaning throughly with solvent, blown dry, and no dust/dirt in the air during assembly, using a good quality fork oil(Silcolene, BelRay, etc.) IS the only correct way to service these items.
 
Brant said:
Complete dissassembly of forks or shocks(if re-buildable), cleaning throughly with solvent, blown dry, and no dust/dirt in the air during assembly, using a good quality fork oil(Silcolene, BelRay, etc.) IS the only correct way to service these items.
Click to expand...
+1... which is why I don't rate drilling an OEM shock to pour some liquid into it as 'rebuild', sorry... that OEM shock will be pretty much done >80Tkm/50Kmiles, at that stage its either a new OEM (reasonable priced) or a rebuild able aftermarket (not so reasonable priced)... and the overhaul on my Wilbers, where they replace all its guts costs about € 250,-... biennial...
I reckon ATF being used in forks on bikes build till like the mid 70ies (like CB/4's and such), but those were merely 'friction dampers' anyway... ;-)
 
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