Russels should have bushes, you will also need an adjustable reamer that covers 1/2” in it’s range, a instrument to measure the pins on you new links, a freezer and a big arse tap to wind into the old ones so you can tap them out.
Make sure the new ones are not long than the depth available in the fork casting..
Hi Neil
It’s not so complicated really - I have done a couple of forks in the past
M16 tap
A reamer - fixed or adjustable - I bought a fixed type from Tracy tools
Some threaded studding bar - washers & nuts
Long drift, bar or similar
New bushes
Use the m16 tap - to tap into the bush & then from the opposite side use the drift to knock the bush out - sometimes they fall out easily - sometimes you have to put an effort in - just be careful not to break the tap
Chill the bushes overnight in the freezer - I have previously avoided heating the fork blades as they were painted
Using the threaded studding bar - washers - nuts - assemble these to “draw “ the bush into the fork without forcing or causing the bush to distort
Once you have done this you can repeat
After - some light reaming to obtain correct clearances for the pins
In the ideal world this should be line reamed for accuracy but once my workshop was my back garden & I did it there one Saturday.
It has covered many 1000’s of miles since Inc many Normandy trips & irish runs - I pump them full of grease on a regular basis
I have bushes & links all either new or nos - but I’m still shaking off the effects of covid here which has left me extremely fatigued - so I am not able to give a date this week for when I can go outside to check for you - I still feel like road kill - recovered but still having the effects of it
Rebushing is a piece of cake as we say here in the States.
Just make a drift of two diameters and long enough to go to
match the length of the bushing tubes. Whack 'em out with a hammer.
Insertion is the same way. just start each on on it's respective side
so you end up flush with the outer rim as you see from were they were originally.
These are easy to true also. Too long to explain sans fotos. PM me and I can help you.
There are a gage or two you may need to make to get best results.
While you are at it, check thoroughly for any cracks or weak brazing. It's a good time
to do this. These things take a pounding.
Bushes being made now. A waist of time freezing them, the steel would warm them up before you ever got one in with a threaded bar.
Press them or pull them, but remember a big hammer is for skilled hands only or a lot of damage could be done.
I'm about finished with my chapter on reconditioning the girder forks.
Loads of info, engineering drawings, contemporary articles, dimensioned parts & etc.
I only ask a mere $5.00 per chapter for months of work and research. PayPal as a friend.
Go to the technical section of the forum and read the clutch article. Yep, just like that...
