Motorcycle Repair: Honda CL450 Fork Springs, damper rod, honda cb500f

Question
Hello Mr. Silver,
Last weekend I was changing the fork boots on a recently aquired 1972 CL450K5, and after removing the front wheel, the fork springs fell out of the tubes. Also the locknuts fell out of the tubes. The springs themselves (unsprung) are much longer (10") than the damper rod the slide over. They are perhaps 24" overall unsprung, much longer than the 8.35" listed in the repair manuals. All this raises a couple of questions:
1. Are these even the correct springs?
2. If so, how can one install the locknut without compressing the spring? I tried by hand to compress them but did not get nearly enough movement. None of the manuals mention having to use a spring compressor.
3. I noted the fork cap bolt has a small threaded hole on the undeside. Is this meant to screw onto the damper rod as the locknut does, and hold the whole shebang together if the front tire gets off the ground? Or is the friction fit of the fork tube into the bottom case enough?

I hope I was clear enough describing the situation. Thanks for you interest and help.

Sam Watts VJMC #6680

Answer
Sam, I don't have any parts manuals to reference this correctly. I have seen Honda CB500F forks similar to what you describe back in that time period, but the online microfiche services don't seem to have any references going back that far that I can access. I think that it sounds like this setup.....

http://www.honda4fun.com/spaccati/pdf_spac/pdf_spac500/CB500_76-K-K1-K2/CB500K-K...


The bottom allen bolt holds the damper rod in place and the top nut will compress the spring and hold that in place. The top fork cap bolt holds the whole thing in place. You have to pour the fork oil over the top of the locknut, then screw on the top cap bolt to secure everything. Not a great design and Honda abandoned it after just a couple of years.

What you will have to figure out is how to hold the damper rod from compressing while you compress the spring and install the nut. You will probably have to use a large ratchet and socket and extension to be able to bear down on the top of the spring to install the locknut.

Bill Silver