Cr 250 1985 shock refurb

I strip mine completely and clean everything. It's not that difficult. Just take your time and remember how everything goes back. I have a small lathe and clean the body and reservoir in it with various grades of emery cloth, wet and dry and wire wool etc. The adjuster will come out of the reservoir, I don't strip this part out just clean it it with paraffin. If you are going to ride/race the bike you will need a new bump stop rubber, seal head and bladder. I have the adjuster rings and spring lower seat re-platd and the shock body and reservoir hard anodised. You can re plate the ends of the hose without affecting the rubber. I then get someone to re oil and gas it. With a little work you can make it look like this.

On yours, see the cap at the bottom of the main body? There are two holes in it, gently tap this cap down, you will see the seal block, tap this into the body about 10mm and there is a cir clip inside the body. Remove this with a fine screwdriver and you can the pull the shock apart. It will be quite tight and you may need to use a plastic hammer to separate it. I take it you have drained the gas and most of the oil first (judging by the fact that you have no hose fitted!) ? At the top of the shaft is a nut that has been 'peened' over, undo this, you will probably have to file or grind the shaft a little to stop it damaging the inner seal when removing the seal block. I put a screwdriver on top of the shaft and carefully remove the nut, seal block, piston and valve all in one go by sliding it onto the screwdriver. Do not drop anything or you will have fine valving washers all over the floor and no idea what order to put them back in. I then slide a zip tie through them all to secure them. For the reservoir, secure it in a vice, remove the valve core with a tyre valve tool, using a socket gently tap the cap in about 10mm again and you will see another cir clip, remove this. I then put the valve tool on the schraeder valve and hold it with big grips and gently tap it out. The cap will come out and you will probably be covered in oil! You can remove the bladder (big rubber cap) and the clean everything up as you want. I hope this helps.

JT,your shock qualifies for EXTREME MAKEOVER.Very nice.

Thanks, I try hard, unlike my school reports that said "I could try harder" !

LOL.I can relate,girl's and motocross were a huge distraction in school.

http://www.oem-cycle.com/HONDACR250BIKEID.shtml. Good info in here Mat.

Are you going to remove the adjuster and bladder from the reservoir? If you put the body in a vice and take half sheet of emery about 100 grade and wrap it around the body and with a hand either side just go back and forth, you will find it quite easy to clean up. Don't go too coarse on the emery or you will have hard time cleaning up the deep gouges.Work your way finer and finer and you'll be surprised to see how clean it will get. I finish p with Scotchbright but you don't want it too polished, after all it isn't a Harley Davidson!
Also check to see how pitted the aluminium is.
You can have the spring powder coated, RAL 5005.

Yes the small screw in the centre allows you to remove the adjuster knob. It will probably be rounded off where it sits on the adjuster. Check carefully that the adjuster works but don't try to force it. If you undo the large aluminium nut the whole adjuster will come out. If it is seized soak it for a couple days in paraffin etc and gently try to move it.

The black adjuster knob will pull off. It may be stuck a bit but just gently tap it up and away. It may have spun around on the aluminium part below meaning that the adjuster is seized. In which case the 'D' shaped hole in the black knob will have rounded out.

There is a fine cir clip either side of the bearing. I have to use a magnifying glass to see it (but I'm old). Prise it out with a small screwdriver, you only need to remove one side. Take a socket that will fit inside the opening of the shock (same size as bearing or slightly smaller) and another that is bigger i.e. the bearing will fit inside second socket. You will need a vice (or press) and wind the smaller socket into the bearing pushing it out into the bigger socket.
I have found that one of my shocks is a 1985. Most of it is refurbished, if it is of interest to you I'd let it go for £50 plus shipping. I can send some photos if interested.

Mat, email me at keithrpalmer@yahoo.co.uk and I can send some photos.