Great video man! Very thorough, to the point and fast instruction for shock rebuild. I ride and and race my 1998 CR250 and am rebuilding my rear shock with the help of your video.
Hey man gr8 videos! Super helpful. Just finished my 1997 rear shock - question, at 5:04 your shaft pushes out when you apply the 40psi, mine however does not push out, is something wrong with mine?
@@Fixyourdirtbike tx bud - fluid def full, it dripped out both times at top, but ill check. New bladder too. fyi i was only going to 50 psi.. maybe it will happen when i do the nitrogen at 150. fwiw manual says to inflate to 7 psi for 97 98 during assembly - either way it feels much better than before as is - maybe ill just send it haha. Thanks again for a gr8 vid!
Oh man I ended up taking your advice checking over the engine it's a good thing I did I ended up having to pull out the entire engine and rebuilding it from the bottom up completely your videos helped me massively by the way. Another thing I'm doing is having a set of 1998 Forks delivered to my door. As well as rebuilding those I got a new spring for my weight for the rear shock as well I'm not sure what Springs were in the 97 if they're bigger or smaller and I'm not sure what size Springs are going to come in the 1998 Forks so I won't be buying those Fork Springs until I know what's in them first but basically I've completely rebuilt this bike from the ground up using all OEM Parts including a new OEM crankshaft OEM gaskets the only thing that's not OEM is the vertex piston and rings but I figured that was a good company to go with. Your videos helped me a lot I just want to thank you for it. Thanks John I really appreciate it
@@Fixyourdirtbike yeah I tried buying a tool through your link but for some reason when I go through your link it somehow transfers or goes through a company outside of the U.S. or something so I can't buy the tool from your link. long story short but I tried. LOL I still have to do my rear shock because I have a rear shock spring for my weight and I figure while I'm in there I might as well just replace everything. But anyway I appreciate you showing me how to do it and what tools to use. It's awesome that there's people on the internet that can guide you through, I really appreciate it
@@joshf8097 I appreciate the support! I'm not sure why you were sent somewhere outside the US. What link did you use? The one TO the support page or one of the links ON the page?
@@Fixyourdirtbike yeah the problem is I don't have a PayPal and I'm computer illiterate for some reason I can figure out my bike I just can't figure out how to setup a PayPal because I forgot one of my passwords on my Gmail account even though I'm always logged into it if I log out it's gone and apparently I need to know that to set one up and I can't figure out what it is so it's either I use my debit card which is not allowed or use a PayPal which I can't create it's just a weird situation
Hi how are you? I followed your advice to repair my 250 cr Monoshock. I couldn't get the nitrogen charge. So I inflated it with air. He walked well for a while and suddenly stopped walking. It looked like it had the spring alone. The next day he was back to normal. Could it be due to bad assembly and there is air left? Or is it the air in the bladder that causes this?
Hey John! What kind of pump do I need to fill it with air? I am not trying to spend more than like $40 on that tool because I only need to do this on two CRs. Thanks!
If I'm adding a heavier rear spring do I just need to take the old one off and put the new one in? I've already had my n n suspension built by service shop
My first issue is oil. I could not find what oil to use. I went to cycle gear and asked. They recommended 10 weight. I always second guess things so I did more research and it seems 5 weight fork oil is what the factory recommends. I am plannig to increase stiffness with a stiffer spring. Should I stick with 10 or go to 5 in that situation?
I would stick with 5w. Are you getting a stiffer spring to match your weight? A higher rate spring is needed to match your weight, it won't do much for stiffness. I can't imagine your high/low rebound and dampers set at max isn't enough. BUT you can increase the bladder pressure to change the overall characteristics, just don't go crazy, just 1 PSI will make a difference. I don''t recommend running a higher viscosity if your valving isn't set up for it. Too high of a viscosity will create too much resistance, and too much resistance creates excessive heat. Warm suspension is normal, but HOT suspension will cause problems (Oil breaking down, metal flexing too much, bushing/seal failure, etc). Let me know how it goes!
Paul Haines there’s a cap on the side with no line attached to it that you need to pry out, you can drill a hole a little off centre so you can pry it out, then the valve is under there.I’m literally watching this video while doing my 99 CR250 shock and my friends 82 XR250R shock 😂 good timing
John, I have my shock off my '01 cr250 and the shock shaft is stuck like Krassna Wasaff's is. I can pump it (all the oil is out of both sides), but it won't come apart. The clip is out and it's clean inside. Ideas?
I'll try to keep pumping it and maybe the bushing might reseat itself. If not, I'll need something mechanical to do the job. What's the worst that can happen? Can the inside of the shock body get damaged to the point that it's useless?
Van Alstyne it's going to be hard to damage the shock body by hand. Can you feel anything in the body that could be catching the bushing? I wouldn't usually recommend this, but a bench vice and aggression may be needed.
I'm going to reclean and cycle the shaft until it releases or find some sort of mechanical advantage. I have a bench vice, what's the best way to utilize it? I'm thinking about securing the body and rigging up some kind of "slide hammer" effect against the metal dust cover (the one you use a punch to remove). Thoughts?
BTW, I bought the Tusk cap removal tool and it doesn't fit. The thread diameter on the tool is too large to thread onto the valve. Weird, considering my shock isn't anything out of the ordinary.
Maybe my shock was old and crusty (1996 CR restore job) or whatever. But releasing pressure from the valve and removing the stem core did NOT release the pressure to push down the reservoir cap to expose the ring, or the ring on the shock. I had to buy a 4 pronged tool to remove the whole dampening adjuster on the reservoir body. Then it worked fine.
I don't know yet. Something obviously was clogged. When I took the damper adjuster off there was pressure in there. I'm not sure how these shocks operate, but I was under the impression that removing the valve core would have released all pressure, or at least enough to push down the reservoir cap. That was not the case.
Spring Removal - 0:57 | Body Disassembly - 1:12 | Shaft Disassembly - 2:17 | Shaft Assembly - 2:56 | Body Assembly - 3:37 | Get Some Parts → amzn.to/3gM6L6Z
This video is invaluable. Thank you very much for posting. I have a 2000 CR250. So far the tusk removal tool threads are much larger than the schrader valve. They do have the same pitch so it is still usable if you side load it. When I pushed the reservoir cap down oil sprayed out all over my shirt (maybe I have a leak or something?). The shaft doesn't want to come out so I am stuck at that stage. I went to a Honda dealer today to see if they could fill it with nitrogen when I get to that point. They had no idea what I was talking about and tried to sell me a replacement shock! Needless to say I declined and left. Right next door was an Air Products plant and they were venting nitrogen like crazy as we drove by, Its worth a try to go in there and see what they can do for me. Literally I need about a 1/2 seconds worth of what they were venting.
Christopher Young Glad to help! The shaft can be stubborn, you'll have to pull harder, just be careful. I avoid dealerships for that exact reason. Good luck on your nitrogen hunt!
I'll keep you posted. Thanks for getting back to me about the oil weight. I will use 5 weight oil per your suggestion on the CR and save the 10 weight for my KDX200 rebuild where I am at max rebound adjustment. One last question.at 3:15 in this video it says "not to install the bushing," but I do not see where to install the bushing. Could you elaborate there?
Thanks, I am going to pull the trigger (finally) would just like to try to get those special tools (the reservoir cap puller, and the seal head setting tool) also what kind of oil do you use?
The Tusk cap puller did not fit on my '01 cr250 Showa rear shock valve stem. Tool thread was too big. I used Pro Honda 5W ($5.99, get two) and the Race Tek seal head tool is a must. You can use a 8mm fine thread nut to push and pull the reservoir cap in and out with channel locks. I did this tonight so good timing.
OK I just went to the website and got all my questions answered. New issue. The price of the tools and the rebuild kit cost exactly the same as having someone do it for you and I did not add in the nitrogen fill. It may pay off on the next rebuild, if you don't screw up . . . I think I am going to chicken out and let the pros do it.
I spent $40 on the driver, reused the seals, $12 on the oil, and $15 tomorrow for the nitrogen. $67 total and I own the driver for next time. You didn't wait a year to have someone else do it. Invest in yourself and get the feeling I have at this very moment knowing the shock is in my basement ready to gas up and I did it myself.
i do all the steps ,but i cant remove the shock shaft (2:06 in the video) , is like if was stuck inside the shock body , it only slide less on a half inch , i apply too much force but its impossible to remove ,.....
Just to check, you did remove the circlip right? If you did, the bushing may have come out of the race and is catching on the body. can you feel anything on the body that would catch the shaft?
yes , i remove the circlip , and you are right i feel like something catch the shaft when i pull it , i apply warm too to expand the shaft body , whithout result....
Great video man! Very thorough, to the point and fast instruction for shock rebuild. I ride and and race my 1998 CR250 and am rebuilding my rear shock with the help of your video.
Very informative and makes this intimidating job a walk in the park!
how much oil is needed in the shock. thankyou. watching from Philippines
I just bought a 1996 Honda cr250 any tips? Or things to be aware of with this year/model? Runs strong,starts first kick,clean title
Hey man gr8 videos! Super helpful. Just finished my 1997 rear shock - question, at 5:04 your shaft pushes out when you apply the 40psi, mine however does not push out, is something wrong with mine?
It's possible you don't have enough fluid in the body, or the bladder is leaking.
@@Fixyourdirtbike tx bud - fluid def full, it dripped out both times at top, but ill check. New bladder too. fyi i was only going to 50 psi.. maybe it will happen when i do the nitrogen at 150. fwiw manual says to inflate to 7 psi for 97 98 during assembly - either way it feels much better than before as is - maybe ill just send it haha. Thanks again for a gr8 vid!
Did it, worked, prys out easy thank you!!!
Oh man I ended up taking your advice checking over the engine it's a good thing I did I ended up having to pull out the entire engine and rebuilding it from the bottom up completely your videos helped me massively by the way. Another thing I'm doing is having a set of 1998 Forks delivered to my door. As well as rebuilding those I got a new spring for my weight for the rear shock as well I'm not sure what Springs were in the 97 if they're bigger or smaller and I'm not sure what size Springs are going to come in the 1998 Forks so I won't be buying those Fork Springs until I know what's in them first but basically I've completely rebuilt this bike from the ground up using all OEM Parts including a new OEM crankshaft OEM gaskets the only thing that's not OEM is the vertex piston and rings but I figured that was a good company to go with. Your videos helped me a lot I just want to thank you for it. Thanks John I really appreciate it
I'm so glad I could help!
@@Fixyourdirtbike yeah I tried buying a tool through your link but for some reason when I go through your link it somehow transfers or goes through a company outside of the U.S. or something so I can't buy the tool from your link. long story short but I tried. LOL I still have to do my rear shock because I have a rear shock spring for my weight and I figure while I'm in there I might as well just replace everything. But anyway I appreciate you showing me how to do it and what tools to use. It's awesome that there's people on the internet that can guide you through, I really appreciate it
@@joshf8097 I appreciate the support! I'm not sure why you were sent somewhere outside the US. What link did you use? The one TO the support page or one of the links ON the page?
@@Fixyourdirtbike yeah the problem is I don't have a PayPal and I'm computer illiterate for some reason I can figure out my bike I just can't figure out how to setup a PayPal because I forgot one of my passwords on my Gmail account even though I'm always logged into it if I log out it's gone and apparently I need to know that to set one up and I can't figure out what it is so it's either I use my debit card which is not allowed or use a PayPal which I can't create it's just a weird situation
Hi how are you? I followed your advice to repair my 250 cr Monoshock. I couldn't get the nitrogen charge. So I inflated it with air. He walked well for a while and suddenly stopped walking. It looked like it had the spring alone. The next day he was back to normal. Could it be due to bad assembly and there is air left? Or is it the air in the bladder that causes this?
Hey John! What kind of pump do I need to fill it with air? I am not trying to spend more than like $40 on that tool because I only need to do this on two CRs. Thanks!
Any bicycle pump will work!
Hello how are you doing. That way the damper is left without air? Finally, what pressure does nitrogen carry? Cheers
About 145 psi or nitrogen.
@@Fixyourdirtbike gracias por tu respuesta. Saludos
Hello how are you doing? query. To regulate the rear shock of the cr 250 is done from right to left?
greetings from Argentina.
Lol let me show you how easy this is😂😂 this is mechanics special bro awesome content though!!!
is the rear shock on the 2000-2001 better?
If I'm adding a heavier rear spring do I just need to take the old one off and put the new one in? I've already had my n n suspension built by service shop
Yes. Tuning your shock for the new rate wouldn't hurt, but you probably don't need too.
My first issue is oil. I could not find what oil to use. I went to cycle gear and asked. They recommended 10 weight. I always second guess things so I did more research and it seems 5 weight fork oil is what the factory recommends. I am plannig to increase stiffness with a stiffer spring. Should I stick with 10 or go to 5 in that situation?
I would stick with 5w. Are you getting a stiffer spring to match your weight?
A higher rate spring is needed to match your weight, it won't do much for stiffness. I can't imagine your high/low rebound and dampers set at max isn't enough. BUT you can increase the bladder pressure to change the overall characteristics, just don't go crazy, just 1 PSI will make a difference. I don''t recommend running a higher viscosity if your valving isn't set up for it. Too high of a viscosity will create too much resistance, and too much resistance creates excessive heat. Warm suspension is normal, but HOT suspension will cause problems (Oil breaking down, metal flexing too much, bushing/seal failure, etc).
Let me know how it goes!
How do you torque the nut? Won't the rod twist when you apply pressure?
Is it possible to swap my 1997 shock on shock from 2001 for example in my cr250r 1997 year.
How the heck do you get the sub-tank cap off the older shocks with a detached reservoir? I'm talkin' mid 80's Honda XR...
Paul Haines there’s a cap on the side with no line attached to it that you need to pry out, you can drill a hole a little off centre so you can pry it out, then the valve is under there.I’m literally watching this video while doing my 99 CR250 shock and my friends 82 XR250R shock 😂 good timing
I like your shock
John, I have my shock off my '01 cr250 and the shock shaft is stuck like Krassna Wasaff's is. I can pump it (all the oil is out of both sides), but it won't come apart. The clip is out and it's clean inside. Ideas?
Van Alstyne I'm betting your bushing has warpped and is catching on the circlip groove. I hate to say it, but you might have to force it out.
I'll try to keep pumping it and maybe the bushing might reseat itself. If not, I'll need something mechanical to do the job. What's the worst that can happen? Can the inside of the shock body get damaged to the point that it's useless?
Van Alstyne it's going to be hard to damage the shock body by hand. Can you feel anything in the body that could be catching the bushing? I wouldn't usually recommend this, but a bench vice and aggression may be needed.
I'm going to reclean and cycle the shaft until it releases or find some sort of mechanical advantage. I have a bench vice, what's the best way to utilize it? I'm thinking about securing the body and rigging up some kind of "slide hammer" effect against the metal dust cover (the one you use a punch to remove). Thoughts?
BTW, I bought the Tusk cap removal tool and it doesn't fit. The thread diameter on the tool is too large to thread onto the valve. Weird, considering my shock isn't anything out of the ordinary.
Maybe my shock was old and crusty (1996 CR restore job) or whatever. But releasing pressure from the valve and removing the stem core did NOT release the pressure to push down the reservoir cap to expose the ring, or the ring on the shock. I had to buy a 4 pronged tool to remove the whole dampening adjuster on the reservoir body. Then it worked fine.
Wow! It sounds like your damper valve was obstructed. Did you figure out why it wouldn't compress?
I don't know yet. Something obviously was clogged. When I took the damper adjuster off there was pressure in there. I'm not sure how these shocks operate, but I was under the impression that removing the valve core would have released all pressure, or at least enough to push down the reservoir cap. That was not the case.
thanks
thanks! you rock.
What's the torque spec on that nut?
Does this apply to a 1995 CR125R?
The general process applies to most rear shocks.
hey guys I'm new at this, where can I go to get the shock bladder filled with nitrogen?
Repair shops or welding supply stores.
BTW, call first, I only found 1 shop where I am and I live in a good sized city.
Spring Removal - 0:57 | Body Disassembly - 1:12 | Shaft Disassembly - 2:17 | Shaft Assembly - 2:56 | Body Assembly - 3:37 | Get Some Parts → amzn.to/3gM6L6Z
Where do you get all of those special tools from? part numbers or links?
I have a list of tools and links in the walkthrough here → goo.gl/rPDU6C
This video is invaluable. Thank you very much for posting. I have a 2000 CR250. So far the tusk removal tool threads are much larger than the schrader valve. They do have the same pitch so it is still usable if you side load it. When I pushed the reservoir cap down oil sprayed out all over my shirt (maybe I have a leak or something?). The shaft doesn't want to come out so I am stuck at that stage. I went to a Honda dealer today to see if they could fill it with nitrogen when I get to that point. They had no idea what I was talking about and tried to sell me a replacement shock! Needless to say I declined and left. Right next door was an Air Products plant and they were venting nitrogen like crazy as we drove by, Its worth a try to go in there and see what they can do for me. Literally I need about a 1/2 seconds worth of what they were venting.
Christopher Young Glad to help! The shaft can be stubborn, you'll have to pull harder, just be careful. I avoid dealerships for that exact reason. Good luck on your nitrogen hunt!
I'll keep you posted. Thanks for getting back to me about the oil weight. I will use 5 weight oil per your suggestion on the CR and save the 10 weight for my KDX200 rebuild where I am at max rebound adjustment. One last question.at 3:15 in this video it says "not to install the bushing," but I do not see where to install the bushing. Could you elaborate there?
Christopher Young 4:35
How different would this procedure be for a 2000-2001 CR 250?
The rebuild is the same, except you can get a full rebuild kit instead of finding parts!
Thanks, I am going to pull the trigger (finally) would just like to try to get those special tools (the reservoir cap puller, and the seal head setting tool) also what kind of oil do you use?
The Tusk cap puller did not fit on my '01 cr250 Showa rear shock valve stem. Tool thread was too big. I used Pro Honda 5W ($5.99, get two) and the Race Tek seal head tool is a must. You can use a 8mm fine thread nut to push and pull the reservoir cap in and out with channel locks. I did this tonight so good timing.
OK I just went to the website and got all my questions answered. New issue. The price of the tools and the rebuild kit cost exactly the same as having someone do it for you and I did not add in the nitrogen fill. It may pay off on the next rebuild, if you don't screw up . . . I think I am going to chicken out and let the pros do it.
I spent $40 on the driver, reused the seals, $12 on the oil, and $15 tomorrow for the nitrogen. $67 total and I own the driver for next time. You didn't wait a year to have someone else do it. Invest in yourself and get the feeling I have at this very moment knowing the shock is in my basement ready to gas up and I did it myself.
i do all the steps ,but i cant remove the shock shaft (2:06 in the video) , is like if was stuck inside the shock body , it only slide less on a half inch , i apply too much force but its impossible to remove ,.....
Just to check, you did remove the circlip right? If you did, the bushing may have come out of the race and is catching on the body. can you feel anything on the body that would catch the shaft?
yes , i remove the circlip , and you are right i feel like something catch the shaft when i pull it , i apply warm too to expand the shaft body , whithout result....
Does it feel like something is stuck in there, or does it feel like part of the shaft, possibly past damage?
I have an 86xr200 does anybody know what rear suspension I need?
Just check out your 4 day meal plan. 👍
Learn more about your *97-01 Honda CR250* here! - goo.gl/iZuLQc
Kind of vague