Barry,
I spoke with Peter Caldwell at the '02 V8 meet in Grand Rapids. He had just
returned from Grattan Racway doing some shock tuning for the vintage racers.
If I ever need lever shocks rebuilt World Wide Imports get my business!
---------------------------
"How World Wide Imports Approaches Rebuilding Lever Shocks...
First. What fails in a lever shock? Almost all of the (non-traumatic)
failures result from lack of oil in the shock. The manuals always recommend
Checking or topping-up your shox in various intervals 3000 miles or so. Why?
Because they leak!.. what a surprise! They don't leak just because they are
British, they leak by design (now there's a bumper sticker).
"Speaking here of the rear shox... the shaft that protrudes from the body of
the shock is rotating in the body without a bearing. To ensure sufficient
lubrication there is often a channel or groove in the shaft bore. At the
outside there is a rubber packing retained by a thin metal washer. A packing
needs some lubrication to work at all and the weeping of oil acts as a
deterrent to dirt getting in. Dirt getting in will score the shaft at the
seal area hastening the demise of the packing and wearing the bearing
surface in the body.
The solution that all of us rebuilders use is to machine the body and
install a bearing. We use Delrin, others use bronze. Bronze requires oil,
Delrin doesn't.
"We also machine the body for a rotary oil seal (others don't) (in fact we
use a double lip seal with dust excluder). One guy does use a rotary single
lip seal and the others use several rubber washers held in place with a
steel washer or two. To solve the pitted and scored shaft problem, others
sand or grind the shaft down.(you don't need to be precise with rubber
washers) We have manufactured for us, to our specs, stainless steel sleeves
that allow us to have a 3 micron finish and consistent diameter and
concentricity of the shaft. After many years, we have found this to be very
reliable. Our shox don't leak.
"The process... step by step.
"Receive grimy old shock, tumble clean in a deburring/tumble cleaner. Glass
bead blast entire shock. Disassemble.
Tumble and hot wash internals. Bead blast the rest of the arm.
"Machine for the bearing and for the seal.
"Wash again. Press in bearing and seal. Press on sleeve.
"Inspect and repair/replace as necessary the pistons and the valving.
"Reassemble components using all new hardware of proper thread and style.
Fill with oil and bleed.
"Compare valving with NOS shock, adjust if necessary. Wash AGAIN.
"Paint 2 coats primer and 3 coats high heat black enamel. Date code and
ship.
"There you have it.
"Peter Caldwell president. 800 362-1025"
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