In case you were wondering... (pipe slider)
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    riddler9
    Posts:1096
    Joined:Thu Apr 22, 2010 12:09 pm
    In case you were wondering... (pipe slider)

    by riddler9 » Fri May 31, 2013 8:03 pm

    In case you ever wondered what it takes to get the axle pinch block off the pipe slider, or what it looks like when you do, this post is for you.

    To get the block off you must first take out the set screw. It is cemented in with permanent Loctite so you need heat. I used a plastic welder set to 600 degrees. The plastic welder blows hot air in a concentrated area so the target spot for heat was less than the size of a dime. Once you have it hot enough you may get lucky with a small allen wrench, I did not. I had to tap a torex tip into the set screw and used a 1/4 ratchet to turn it out. Was not much pressure, just more than the allen could take before the wrench would spin.

    Now the fun part. The pinch block is on with Loctite as well. Not sure if it is permanent or not, but it took a significant amount of heat. I set the heat gun on 800 and got the end nice and warm, guessing close to 500 but not real sure. It was not hot enough for the heat to travel up the pipe slider more than an inch or so, and the inside of the assembly has an o-ring that I did not damage, so all i can say is that I got it hot, but not too hot. The block takes a fair amount of force to break free. With the first one I did, I was able to just hold the pipe with soft-jaws in a big vise. It took a couple of resets, but eventually I broke it free. To turn the end I used a long 1" thick hard-wood dowel in the axle hole. I had to hold the dowel close to the block to keep it from breaking, but the wood prevented damaging the pinch block. The second pinch block was far more difficult. The soft-jaws would not stay in the vise because of the force, so I took a couple of wraps around the pipe with an old tube and put it back in the vise. After several attempts, it too broke free.

    Anyway, the first photo is the inside of the axle pinch block when it first came off. You can see the Loctite. The second photo is the block and pipe slider cleaned up, note the big o-ring. The last photo is the reason why I took things apart to begin with. My son folded part of the pinch block over the lower adjuster. I had already replaced the same pipe slider once because of a very, very, small dent that would cause a minor oil leak. I kept the damaged slider as a door stop (good thing!!!). Figured the time spent was worth the possibility of not having to buy a new one. It payed off, and I did not even have to change out the fork seal.

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  • User avatar
    JimDirt
    Posts:4406
    Joined:Sat Nov 25, 2006 6:31 pm

    by JimDirt » Fri May 31, 2013 8:45 pm

    Nice to know i do all my own suspension work , but , i had to send a tube to Race Tech to get a stuck spring out , it cost $30 for them to do it , but it was almost $50 in shipping , but it was still cheaper than a new tube , and the cost of the special tool to hold the leg was also spendy ($199), which is why i sent it to them in the first place , the tool was almost as expensive as a new tube , never thought to use the vice , but i would need to get soft jaws for it , i was afraid of damaging the tube (thats what the special tool does , is hold the tube) , maybe if i have another issue i will try to do it myself , worst that can happen is i will have to buy another tube
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    gal8x
    Posts:638
    Joined:Mon Mar 12, 2007 5:36 pm

    by gal8x » Sat Jun 01, 2013 8:47 am

    nice to know. thx for the post.
    2005 CRF450X (plated)
    "Can't never could do anything"
  • Leardriver
    Posts:462
    Joined:Wed May 05, 2010 10:33 am

    by Leardriver » Sat Jun 01, 2013 10:03 am

    Great post!

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