99YZ250 fork

[NO HAND]

Hi guys,
I just helped a friend change the fork oil on his 99YZ250 and I was thinking about something I read here a while ago. Is it this model year that has a problem with a shim in the midvalve that has a tendency to distort and crack because they used a rubber o ring someplace?

 

[Jeff Howe]

No O Ring in the Yamaha forks. They do distort midvalves like no tomorrow though. 98-01 YZ forks WILL have distorted midvalves and eventually in time they can/will crack. I've seen a few ruined cartridge tubes because of this.

I've seen them distorted on earlier models too but the 98-01 are the most troublesome models.

 

[NO HAND]

Thanks for the reply Shocknut, I tried to take a look at the midvalve stack to see how bent it was. I stumbled on the metal collar on the damping rod, the one holding the the plastic spring guide. it stops the damping rod from being pulled out the cylinder. Does anyone have a suggestion to get that rod out?