Finleyville Posted May 11, 2015 Share Posted May 11, 2015 Anyway... I tried to search but I did not see my answer. I am removing my rear Ohlins shock off my 2000 VFR to be serviced. Is there anyway to remove the whole shock without removing the whole catalytic convertor and exhaust manifold that sits just below the shock linkage? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer CornerCarver Posted May 12, 2015 Member Contributer Share Posted May 12, 2015 You must lower the exhaust but dropping make for a much easier shock removal. You still have to solve a puzzle to work the shock down enough to lift up and out. removing the top mount from the shock makes it marginally easier as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TNRabbit Posted May 12, 2015 Share Posted May 12, 2015 I pulled the seat pan & right side heat shield & pulled it out the top. Actually, it's easier to take off the swing arm bolt and just swing the right side rearset & heat shi3ld out of the way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Finleyville Posted May 12, 2015 Author Share Posted May 12, 2015 Well, the right rearset is moved away the and heat shield are already off . It looks like you removed the whole rear swingarm from that second pic. I would rather not do that. By looking at the bike I cannot fathom how you guys pulled the shock out the top. It looks like a tons easier to remove the exhaust manifold and pull it out the bottom than to totally disassemble the seat pan and everything up top. Am I missing something? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TNRabbit Posted May 12, 2015 Share Posted May 12, 2015 I didn't remove the swingarm....it's just blocked by the frame. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Duc2V4 Posted May 12, 2015 Member Contributer Share Posted May 12, 2015 I got the stock shock out and the Penske in without removing any other components. It took a little bit of raising and lowering the swingarm (with rear wheel removed) to do it but nothing other than the suspension linkage and shock bolts removed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Terry Posted May 12, 2015 Member Contributer Share Posted May 12, 2015 I've got a CBR929 shock (with built-in reservoir) installed in mine, and like Duc above, I did not remove any other components aside from the back wheel, and I only did that to make it easy to move the swingarm. Wiggling the shock between the engine case and the swingarm was the hardest part for me, and you need to chance upon the magical combination of shock rotation and swingarm angle that allows the shock to slip through. Be prepared to utter "garage words" occasionally! But it can be done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer gig Posted May 12, 2015 Member Contributer Share Posted May 12, 2015 I've got a CBR929 shock (with built-in reservoir) installed in mine, and like Duc above, I did not remove any other components aside from the back wheel, and I only did that to make it easy to move the swingarm. Wiggling the shock between the engine case and the swingarm was the hardest part for me, and you need to chance upon the magical combination of shock rotation and swingarm angle that allows the shock to slip through. Be prepared to utter "garage words" occasionally! But it can be done. IMG_1076.JPG i did the same, but our 1999's are without catalytic convertor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Finleyville Posted May 12, 2015 Author Share Posted May 12, 2015 Well, thanks to all of your help, I removed the shock. What worked for me was to remove the right rearset and loosen the left rearset. That allowed the swingarm to fall all the way to the cat convertor. Only then did I seem to have enough room to remove the shock from the left side just above the dropped swingarm. However, when I removed my carbon fiber rear hugger to do the above a very special washer dropped between the cat and the welded shroud surrounding it. That I am going to start another thread about. Grrrrr..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer zupatun Posted May 13, 2015 Member Contributer Share Posted May 13, 2015 My 2000 has the cat...never thought about it...bought it with the Ohlins and hasn't needed servicing yet... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer zupatun Posted May 5, 2016 Member Contributer Share Posted May 5, 2016 I will tell you all how much grunting, swearing etc...it takes. The cat seems to intrude more than my 1998's headers...we will see. Matt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Terry Posted May 5, 2016 Member Contributer Share Posted May 5, 2016 Makes you wonder if pulling the swingarm out might be easier? You'd need to remove the chain guard/loosen the chain/remove the caliper and remove the pivot bolt, but all those are fairly easy from an access point of view, and you would already have the linkages out. I certainly had the rear wheel off anyway so I could easily raise and lower the swingarm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer zupatun Posted May 6, 2016 Member Contributer Share Posted May 6, 2016 Pulling the swing arm out WILL NOT be easier. I took off the rear wheel just to make seeing things better, but I only did that because the Ohlins shock has two set of lines for the oil reservoir and the preload adjuster. Once I had the linkage totally removed it took about 10 minutes of lifting the swingarm, pulling/rotating the shock--making sure the lines were coming through, rotating again and moving the swingarm--MAX before I was able to drop the shock out. It ALWAYS feels impossible--even with my other 5th gen (1998) because once it is up in place and cozy, the clearances don't look good. Once you get it moving and start lifting the swingarm it kinda wants to drop out as you rotate the shock around--but the lines and reservoirs keep it from falling out. I've now removed/installed Stock shocks several times in addition to Fox, Ohlins and Penske. It always seems like it won't work, but it's just not an issue--a puzzle--but it is NOT a problem. The puzzle takes a little fiddling. The puzzle looks daunting and only seems possible AFTER you solve it. Best of luck. Matt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Duc2V4 Posted May 6, 2016 Member Contributer Share Posted May 6, 2016 In my opinion, if the thought of removing the swingarm is more appealing than removing the rear wheel and raising/lowering the swingarm to get the shock in/out, then perhaps removing the headers would be more beneficial. Since the headers are what really get in the way of being able to just drop the shock down and out. However, consider the effort it would take to get the headers back on! Although I did both my VFRs by myself, having someone lend a hand makes it a lot easier and take less time. When I helped Duccmann with his 6 Gen, the process went really quick. Yes it did help that I had done the task before, it still didn't change the effort or process required. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer zupatun Posted May 6, 2016 Member Contributer Share Posted May 6, 2016 I use this next to me to raise the swingarm: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Terry Posted May 7, 2016 Member Contributer Share Posted May 7, 2016 Like this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer zupatun Posted May 8, 2016 Member Contributer Share Posted May 8, 2016 Yeah. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer thereisnospoon Posted July 14, 2016 Member Contributer Share Posted July 14, 2016 just a note, draw arrows on the triangle before you take it apart, distances between the holes aren't the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer digitallyhip Posted July 15, 2016 Member Contributer Share Posted July 15, 2016 On 5/6/2016 at 10:32 AM, zupatun said: I use this next to me to raise the swingarm: Plus 1! The floor jack makes ALL the difference. 6th gen too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer zupatun Posted July 15, 2016 Member Contributer Share Posted July 15, 2016 17 hours ago, thereisnospoon said: just a note, draw arrows on the triangle before you take it apart, distances between the holes aren't the same. The triangle should have markings, but a magic marker will help...however mine is always grimey so I give it a good scrub and degreaser...so scribing them works as well if you wash the marker off. Matt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RVFR Posted July 15, 2016 Share Posted July 15, 2016 Wow, what a tale of an adventure, though mine being a 98 probably has no bearing here, sorta. My take, wheel off, exhaust off, triple plates off, raise swing arm with a floor jack, that took longer to find it and get it out than the shock out and in. SMH. Doh!! jacked up the swing arm, Pulled the old one out the bottom slipped the new penske back in the same way, wa-la. This was easier than the 4th gen swap, which surprised me. Sorry to hear the trouble, shouldn't have been that cumbersome huh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
number9 Posted July 19, 2016 Share Posted July 19, 2016 I installed an Ohlins shock on my '00. I removed the muffler but not the catalytic converter, it took a bit of finagling but it finally went in! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer zupatun Posted July 20, 2016 Member Contributer Share Posted July 20, 2016 RVFR Has it down pat! It's not too arduous, just a little finicky to snake things in and out...the Ohlins with the remote preload adjuster and the remote comp need snaked through the frame partially before you stuff it up through...on my 2000... It always looks more daunting than it is...but NO need to remove anything other than the old shock, the seat, rear wheel, maybe the slip-on (rotate out o the way) and prop up the tank to get at the shock mount. Matt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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