Bottom yoke & center stand questions

[andut]

Hi all !  New to the forum following a recent 400/4 purchase and enthusiatic start to a restoration ! Very little bike experience, so there's a good chance that this is a stupid question and likely to be followed by a lot of others !

Removed the steering column the other day and discarded the old head brgs, but now have what appears to be the outer race still on the bottom yoke column with a rubber seal beneath it ?  Is it actually the inner race and therefore needs to be removed before I replace with taper brgs ?  Just thought that I had better check before I attack it !

Also had fun removing the centre stand as the stand had seized to the pivot pin and it was the pin rotating in the frame mounts. Managed to get enough space to cut the pin and then get the stand off, but now assuming I'll need some help with someone with a press to get the remainder of the pin out ?  New pins available ? Anyone else had similar fun ?

Just need to sort the above and seek some advice on repair to a split weld on the swinging arm, and I can get these parts blasted and painted /  powdered ( still undecided on that bit !)

Looking forward to your thoughts, help and enlightenment !

Andy

[hairygit]

Hi there and welcome. As regards the centre stand pin, yes, both genuine and pattern ones are available. I personally wouldn't try using a press to get the old pin out, use a hacksaw blade (New one!) and slide it through the old pin, then attach the hacksaw frame and slowly  saw through the old pin (lengthways ). then you should be able to collapse it in on itself and it will pull out. (never failed for me)

[steven400/4]

if it looks like a rubber washer its a dust seal for the bearing
can get stand pins from david silver spears i heated mine up and hammer,d it out

[Bitsa (Ralph Wright - RIP)]

Agree with Hairygit did it that way with all the barstewards that refused to move regardless with what you tried
Cheers
Bitsa

[andut]

Thanks for the advice gents !  I will give the hacksaw a go and see how we get on !

[martin_uk]

Re the steering race, it sounds like you are referring to the bearing track, which needs to be removed if you are fitting taper bearings.

There is usually a shim beneath this and rubber seal.

You can usually pry the seal away.

To remove the bearing track you need to gradually and evenly lever up.

May need to damage the shim in process, but better that than yoke and they are available and cheap.

You can try gently warming the track with a hot air gun to expand, but not enough to heat up yoke, although  usually it takes an old flat screwdriver gently tapped in to start movement and get larger levers.

Recommend securing steering bottom yoke in vice (with soft jaws) whilst doing this.

Tolerances vary, but using two levers to evenly lift works best.

You should get instructions with taper bearings on measuring up and use of lower spacer.

Most taper kits have a deeper than original top race, which can result in the top yoke sitting slightly higher so can effect fit of headlamp brackets.

 Found this on Youtube and has many examples of how not to do! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3H-G111JXbU


Never use hardened tools like screwdiver to hit races in place, I like to use a suitable sized socket or an aluminium drift, but brass would be good too. Key is to get parts in evenly.

[martin_uk]

Found this which may be useful.

https://www.allballsracing.com/media/installation/22-1011_washers.pdf