AJS 350 1954, Maintenance Manual And Instruction Book, Page: 56 / 96

Remove the handlebar half clip and lay the handlebars, complete with controls, upon a
pad on top of the petrol tank.
Detach the front brake cable from the forks. (First remove the slotted yoke end and
then completely unscrew the cable adjuster.)
Unscrew the hexagon plug on top of each inner tube and slacken the lock nuts securing
the damper rods attached. Then, before removing the hexagon plugs, attach a piece of
wire about 18 inches long underneath each damper rod lock nut, to enable the damper
rods to be raised for reassembly.
Remove domed lock nut at top of steering column.
Remove lock nut on steering column.
Use a soft mallet to tap upward the handlebar lug until it disengages with the fork stem
(steering column) and the fork assembly can then be withdrawn. (Take care to avoid
loss of any of the 56 steering head steel balls.)
To re-fit a complete front fork assembly
Secure, with grease, 28 balls in fork crown ball race.
Secure, with grease, 28 balls in main frame top ball race.
Proceed to fit fork assembly by reversing the instructions given above to dismantle,
carefully retightening the damper rod locknuts before inserting the hexagonal headed
plugs to which they are attached.
TO R E M O V E A FORK SLIDER (either side) (Dealers' service only)
Support the motor cycle with the front wheel clear of the ground, and unscrew the
tubular slider extension from the slider which it is intended to remove. Special
articulated clamp tool required. (Available in workshop tools).
Next remove the front wheel, front stand and mudguard as detailed above. Then with a
thin tubular box key, remove the bolt securing the damper tube. The hexagonal head
of the bolt is sunk in the upper half of the wheel spindle clamp. Place a receptacle under-
neath to catch the oil which will drain out upon removing the bolt, and take care of the
fibre washer located under the head. A sharp jerk downward should now enable the
slider to be withdrawn, but should difficulty be experienced, apply a little heat to the
enlarged top end of the slider. This will cause sufficient expansion to release the oil seal
which is normally a snug push-in fit, in the top of the slider. The re-assembly is carried
out in exactly the reverse order, again if necessary applying a little heat to enable the oil
teal to be pushed down into the slider top before screwing in the slider extension. After
completion, the oil which has escaped
M U S T be returned via the top. (See Front Fork
" Topping up.".)
TO R E M O V E A FORK I N N E R T U B E ASSEMBLY (either side)
(Dealers' service only)
First unscrew the hexagonal plug at the top of the inner tube it is intended to remove.
and after slackening the lock nut by which the damper rod is secured to this plug, unscrew
the plug, allowing the rod to fall. Next proceed to remove the slider as already detailed,
except do not disturb the bolt securing the damper tube. This damper tube and pro-
truding rod can be removed intact with the slider. Now loosen the fork crown clamping
screw when it should be possible to draw the entire inner tube assembly down through
the crown lug. Upon re-assembly, the inner tube is first pushed home as far as possible
by hand and then pulled right home by screwing down the top hexagonal plug. Wit h
this plug tightened down, then proceed to tighten the crown damping screw, after
which the hexagonal plug may be removed and a piece of wire passed down through the
inner tube. Loop the bottom end of this wire underneath the damper rod lock nut.
The slider is then carefully pushed upward while at the same time pulling on the wire
until the top end of the damper rod projects sufficiently to permit the screwed plug to
be attached and secured with the lock nut, after which the wire may be removed. It
may be found necessary to apply a little heat to enable the oil seal to be pressed home
with the fingers before screwing on the tubular extension.
54