Proper 3 spoke conversion

[GavD]

Ok fellas, thought I'd start a new thread on this one as I'm probably gonna have a shed load of silly questions to ask.
So here's the first 2.
1. Whats the silly little post holding one side of the ignition switch to the top yoke? Theres a bolt in the other side which I got out easy enough.
Any good tips for getting the switch away from the yoke without buggering anything up.
2. There are 2 small brackets on the front of the headstock near the top that don't seem to do anything and just appear to get in the way. Grinder time?

I've attached photos.

Cheers

[ram33]

is the headstock bracket for the steering lock?

[John Stenhouse]

Only a guess but the silly little post is probably whats left of the shear nut used to hold the ignition on, they use them for security reasons

[rf9rider]

As has been said, the bracket with the hole in is (i think) for the steering lock.

As for the sheer bolts that attach the ignition switch, i`ve got them out with a small socket, the bolts are softish, so get a small socket and hammer it over the bolt, the impact of the hammer should loosen it enough to undo it with the socket.

If it won`t come out, you`ll probably have to drill it out.

[GavD]

Chaps,

I'm having a bit of trouble getting the damper rods out of the steamer forks. the sprint ones came apart no problems, but the steamer ones don't have the nut recess in the top to locate my homemade extraction tool into. Any tips?

I'm also getting a bit worried that my stanchions won't fit the sprint lowers. looking on world of triumph, my stanchions don't have a bush on the bottom of them, yet the sprint stanchions do. Has anyone else who've done the conversion used the later steamer forks?

Also I'm worried that the Damper rods may be significantly different. The bolt securing the rod into the bottom of the steamer fork is significantly smaller than the sprint one. If the rod is smaller in general, the hole in the bottom of the stanchion will be smaller and thus the sprint rod may not fit or if it does, the gap the oil flows through may be alot smaller and thus provide alot more damping. I'm a bit reluctant to delve deep into stripping the steamer forks down if it's not going to work and I end up going back to the Mustang set up I have at the moment.
My steamer is a '98 and the sprint forks came off a '99 machine according to the seller.

Any thoughts gratefully received.

[rf9rider]

I think the Sprint forks you`ve got are the wrong ones, you need the early T3 model ones, i`ve used Trophy and Daytona forks with no issues.

Didn`t know the fork internals were different, do your Steamer forks have the drain hole on the bottom/side?

Can you post up a pic of the Sprint forks and internals?

Just re read your post again, you may need the other type of Steamer forks.

[rf9rider]

I presume your home made extraction tool is a rod with a nut welded on the end?

I made one as well, you need a 30mm nut on the end to fit the damper rods, what size do you have?

Just trying to figure out what size the recess in both sets of rods are.

Had a look at a parts diagram on line, all the early T3 models share the same part number for the bottom oil screw, same as the early Tiger forks, later Tiger forks is a different part number, so maybe thats the problem, you need a set of early Tiger forks?

[Mustang]

early tiger forks are Kayaba
98's had showa forks .
that is why the different part #'s and probably  is why stuff isn't matching up .

[GavD]

Thanks for your time spent researching fellas,

I was kinda getting to the point where I thought I needed some older steamer forks. I have the later Showa forks with no drain bolt. i made my own extraction tool with 30mm nut. It's in the attached photos.

I've looked at the parts lists again and like you say, the damper rod securing bolt has the same number on the sprint forks and on the early steamer forks. The small nylon bush on the end of the damper rod also has the same number so I'm pretty sure I'm either gonna need to get some older forks off fleabay or look to Sprint manufacturing for some new stanchions for the older steamer forks.

here are the pics of the sprint forks in bits and the steamer forks - the bolt that secures the damper rod into the steamer forks is alot smaller and requires a 6mm allen key to get it out.

Update: looking on sprint manufacturing, the bottom fork bushes are 20mm wide for kayaba and 15mm for showas. my sprint ones are 20mm so they must be kayabas.

[rf9rider]

Seems the problems solved, you need a set of early Steamer forks, ones with the drain holes.

There are a few sets on Ebay, depends how much you want to put into the project.

[GavD]

Bought a set last night for £90. It said they were straight and the stroke area was not pitted so touch wood they'll be ok. The lowers looked a bit shabby, but I only need the stanchions so the rest of them will go in the bin.

[rf9rider]

Keep us updated!

[GavD]

These are the ones I've bought, they were listed as 1997, but visually they look like the ones in Rybes pics so I'm hoping they're what I'm after. Do they look right to you RF?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/190808257088?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649 (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/190808257088?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649)

[rf9rider]

They have the drain holes, so should be fine.

[chrisw]

Hi ....... Just to bring myself up to speed .... Is the plan to fit later bottoms to the early steamer forks making fitting the wheels easier ?
Im new to this but very interested
Ta
Chris