The front wheel has been removed (see "Front wheel - removal and installation").
The front wheel shield has been removed (see "Front wheel guard - removal and installation").
Disassembly
I. Using an 18 mm open-end wrench, loosen the feather plug.
2. Remove the feather from the crossbars (see "Front fork feathers - removal and installation").
Attention! Some modifications of the Honda CB400SF motorcycle use short front fork springs, which are installed in the feathers with tubular spacers.
1 - pen plug; 2 - rubber sealing ring; 3 - spring spacer; 4 - spring thrust washer; 5 - spring
3. Unscrew the pen cap.
4. Remove the thrust washer
Attention! The spring should be removed slowly, allowing the oil to drain into the nib. Then it is recommended to place the spring vertically in a suitable container to allow the remaining oil to drain.
5. Remove the working spring from the pen.
6. Drain the used oil into a suitable container (volume of not less than 1 l). To drain the maximum amount of oil, it is recommended to turn the pen over, squeeze and release it several times, and then leave it upside down for 5-10 minutes.
7. Wash the feather, for which we pour 100-150 cm³ of kerosene or white spirit into it. We move the feather completely apart and together several times to wash all the parts, the shock absorber channels and the inner surfaces of the feather. Drain the kerosene.
8. Clamp the movable tube of the feather in a vice through aluminum or plastic jaws and use a 6 mm Allen key to unscrew the shock absorber mounting bolt.
9. Remove the bolt together with the copper sealing washer.
10. Using a thin slotted screwdriver, pry up the feather duster.
11. We take it off.
12. Using the same screwdriver, pry up and remove the oil seal retaining ring.
13. Knock out the bearing pipe from the movable one with sharp movements in the direction indicated by the arrow. It may be necessary to repeat the operation several times to press out the upper guide of the feather and the seal.
14. Remove the seal from the support pipe.
15. Remove the supporting pipe from the movable one together with the shock absorber.
16. Turn the movable pipe over and remove the shock absorber tip from it.
17. Remove the oil seal thrust washer from the support pipe.
18. Remove the upper guide from the support pipe.
19. Turn the support pipe over and remove the shock absorber housing from it, complete with the rebound spring.
20. Remove the lower guide by slightly loosening it.
21. Inspect the feather parts. There should be no wear, deep scratches, chips or chrome swelling on the bearing pipe mirror, especially in the area of the gland and boot. Check the pipe geometry. The easiest way is to apply a long metalworking ruler to the pipe and measure the gaps between the ruler and the pipe surface, if any. If the pipe has a deformation of more than 3 mm along its length, as well as in the presence of any of the above damages, it is subject to replacement.
22. Inspect the guides. The outer surface of the lower guide and the inner surface of the upper guide are coated with a layer of special material that has increased wear resistance and low friction resistance. Over time, especially with an aggressive driving style, this layer wears off, and the soft metal from which the guides are made wears out. If worn, the guides are subject to replacement. Light scuffs along the edges of the sliding layer are acceptable and do not serve as a signal for replacement.
The arrows indicate the sliding layer on the top (in the photo on the left) and the lower guide