Toecutter
What would DoG do?
I noticed my left fork leaking the other day from the seal area. Lacking the proper tools to disassemble it myself, I took it to a local, fairly well-reputed shop. He gave me an estimate for 1-2 hours. I left the fork, the seal, wiper, oil and the service manual.
When I went to pick it up, he just needed to put in the oil and tighten the cap. He checked the manual, 22 oz. I didn't see him tighten the cap, but it was in place when he handed me the fork. 1.5 hours, $97.50
So today I put the bike back together. I had backed out the preload and loosened the caps before loosening the bottom pinch bolts, but after loosening the tops. I took the right fork cap off, drained the oil and refilled it
Then I decided to check the level in the left fork. I couldn't loosen the cap by holding the tube with a rag, so I put it in the steering head and snugged up the bottom pinch bolts to hold it. Then I tried to loosen it again, but the wrench started to round the flats it was so tight. The book says 18 ft lbs, but I'd estimate it was more like 50. Oh well, I'll just leave it alone for now and finish.
I stopped trying to turn in preload when I feared the wrench would round off the flats on the adjuster, it was so hard to turn. So I called the guy back, told him there was a problem and I was heading over there.
When I described the problem, he immediately denied ever having the cap off. "I do these from the bottom". I reminded him that I saw the cap off when he was putting fluid in it. A little later it changed to "I only tighten these things by holding the tube by hand". And he said the preload adjustment could have nothing to do with the tightness of the cap. What's the opposite of a miracle? I told him the thing was working just like the right one before I bought it in. He ended up getting the thing loose, with the help of a BFH and center punch, totally trashing the cap in the process. Then he turned in the preload for me, and rounded off the flats on that nut in the process. "You should have brought it in before you rounded off the bolt head", was the last thing he said as I was leaving. It wasn't pretty.
I figure he also tightened the nut below the cap too much, which made the preload nut hard to turn. Or he dropped the thing while it was in his shop.
Really, I don't make this **** up. Now I have to go through the hassle of getting this straightened out. Oh well, lucky in love, cursed in the shop.
When I went to pick it up, he just needed to put in the oil and tighten the cap. He checked the manual, 22 oz. I didn't see him tighten the cap, but it was in place when he handed me the fork. 1.5 hours, $97.50
So today I put the bike back together. I had backed out the preload and loosened the caps before loosening the bottom pinch bolts, but after loosening the tops. I took the right fork cap off, drained the oil and refilled it
Then I decided to check the level in the left fork. I couldn't loosen the cap by holding the tube with a rag, so I put it in the steering head and snugged up the bottom pinch bolts to hold it. Then I tried to loosen it again, but the wrench started to round the flats it was so tight. The book says 18 ft lbs, but I'd estimate it was more like 50. Oh well, I'll just leave it alone for now and finish.
I stopped trying to turn in preload when I feared the wrench would round off the flats on the adjuster, it was so hard to turn. So I called the guy back, told him there was a problem and I was heading over there.
When I described the problem, he immediately denied ever having the cap off. "I do these from the bottom". I reminded him that I saw the cap off when he was putting fluid in it. A little later it changed to "I only tighten these things by holding the tube by hand". And he said the preload adjustment could have nothing to do with the tightness of the cap. What's the opposite of a miracle? I told him the thing was working just like the right one before I bought it in. He ended up getting the thing loose, with the help of a BFH and center punch, totally trashing the cap in the process. Then he turned in the preload for me, and rounded off the flats on that nut in the process. "You should have brought it in before you rounded off the bolt head", was the last thing he said as I was leaving. It wasn't pretty.
I figure he also tightened the nut below the cap too much, which made the preload nut hard to turn. Or he dropped the thing while it was in his shop.
Really, I don't make this **** up. Now I have to go through the hassle of getting this straightened out. Oh well, lucky in love, cursed in the shop.
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