So this GT I Drive 1.0 is fighting me, I'm pretty sure it's a 2001.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/g8AzE2tjj9b2dphp9
I have been reading up on how to rebuild this and found some people talking about it in 2009 and some helpful chap on another forum put up an original GT manual with pictures but even all that wasn't very helpful as mine has had a hard life.
So this is the 2022 version with 21 years of corrosion and how to beat it.
Pick up Idrive that needs saving from clueless unforgiving owner.
Realise shock is blown, order rebuild kit.
Look at forks, order rebuild kit.
Check Bottom bracket, order one, get wrong one order correct one.
Decide you are to far in for half measures and decide to rebuild IDrive.
Check for available parts, there are none.
Go for it anyway.
1. Remove shock.
2. Remove Bottom Bracket, if you don't have the tool you can use a needle nose pliers.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/sVtCXDoDS7sTx8oT8
https://photos.app.goo.gl/1KXe1KAeHekwdVKi8
3. Remove 3 small retaining screws on the wavey disc LHS.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/S1F8vqJRQBpoXHZi7
4. Remove waves disc counter clockwise and remove dog bone bolt.
***DO NOT REMOVE DOG BONE BOLT FROM THE FRAME SIDE, 20 PLUS YEARS OF CORROSION BUILD UP MOST OF THESE ARE SIEZED. YOU ONLY NEED TO REMOVE THE BOLT FROM THE IDRIVE SIDE AS LONG AS THE SHOCK IS REMOVED YOU WILL HAVE CLEARANCE ENOUGH TO REMOVE THE IDRIVE SYSTEM IF YOU PUT IT IN FULL COMPRESSED POSITION. ***
5. The GT manual said remove the I drive from the Right Hand Side RHS. Mine did not budge and I went at it with a rubber hammer.... that did not work so I sprayed it with GT85 and left it overnight. Back to the rubber hammer... no luck, so I googled and googled as I though I may have missed something but I didn't.
The I drive was seized in... a wooden block and a Lump hammer freed it after cursing and belting it about 20 times.
Mind the black ring seal you will need this again later. Clean this with rubber friendly stuff like GT85. Try not to distort it too much but it does fit back into a nice recess to help even if it has gotten a bit mis shaped
https://photos.app.goo.gl/trKSwwou6VFP74ve9
6. Relise you now have small ball bearings all over your grass and cry while picking them up for 30 mins. So my advice is to remove the IDrive over a towel and have a jar or container ready to store them.
I soaked them in white spirits and dried them off with paper towel.
7. Clean everything with appropriate cleaner/ degreaser. I used a mix of auto brake cleaner, white spirits and gt85 on rubber bits.
The LHS race needs to be taped out, I used a flat round punch but learned from my mistakes and dot this one over a towel. Only tap the metal as the black ring is another metal seal. So don't attack that with a punch. Catch all the ball bearing and clean as above. Mind that rubber/ brass seal and clean.
8. Now that you have cleaned everything time to reassemble. As there are rubber seals I used a rubber friendly grease in the form of automotive red rubber grease from castrol that is silicone based. It also looks cool.
Clean off the ball bearings one last time and dry. Then refit the rubber seal on the LHS into the recess, it will clip in. Fill the race with grease and imagine you are a brain surgeon while repositioning the ball bearings.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/x6KHLduxbx87TDwh9
9. Tap the outer race in being carefully of the seal, I used a seal driver kit from lidle but a small socket on an extension would work just as well.
10. Now flip the bike over to have the RHS facing up and repeat the process being careful of the seals, geasing the race area and placing all the ball bearings in. The inner race is built into the I drive CNC black part sot make sure that is clean and hello rubber mallet again. Or peice of wood if you do not possess a rubber mallet. Be carefull of the cncd part as if you break that you may claim the bike stolen on your house insurance and it probably won't cover excess.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/xqD82mi4UjXmH3Ht9
11. Once you have made sure it is home pop it back in the stand and give yourself a pat on the back.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/4eGbQ9X1oT9nYjKi6
Fit the wavey ring and rotate the I drive to prepare to fit the Dogbone.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/owm5GT4uGFRbhKps9
12. Refit the 3 retaining screws making sure their washers line up with the indents.
13.... open a beer!
https://photos.app.goo.gl/g8AzE2tjj9b2dphp9
I have been reading up on how to rebuild this and found some people talking about it in 2009 and some helpful chap on another forum put up an original GT manual with pictures but even all that wasn't very helpful as mine has had a hard life.
So this is the 2022 version with 21 years of corrosion and how to beat it.
Pick up Idrive that needs saving from clueless unforgiving owner.
Realise shock is blown, order rebuild kit.
Look at forks, order rebuild kit.
Check Bottom bracket, order one, get wrong one order correct one.
Decide you are to far in for half measures and decide to rebuild IDrive.
Check for available parts, there are none.
Go for it anyway.
1. Remove shock.
2. Remove Bottom Bracket, if you don't have the tool you can use a needle nose pliers.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/sVtCXDoDS7sTx8oT8
https://photos.app.goo.gl/1KXe1KAeHekwdVKi8
3. Remove 3 small retaining screws on the wavey disc LHS.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/S1F8vqJRQBpoXHZi7
4. Remove waves disc counter clockwise and remove dog bone bolt.
***DO NOT REMOVE DOG BONE BOLT FROM THE FRAME SIDE, 20 PLUS YEARS OF CORROSION BUILD UP MOST OF THESE ARE SIEZED. YOU ONLY NEED TO REMOVE THE BOLT FROM THE IDRIVE SIDE AS LONG AS THE SHOCK IS REMOVED YOU WILL HAVE CLEARANCE ENOUGH TO REMOVE THE IDRIVE SYSTEM IF YOU PUT IT IN FULL COMPRESSED POSITION. ***
5. The GT manual said remove the I drive from the Right Hand Side RHS. Mine did not budge and I went at it with a rubber hammer.... that did not work so I sprayed it with GT85 and left it overnight. Back to the rubber hammer... no luck, so I googled and googled as I though I may have missed something but I didn't.
The I drive was seized in... a wooden block and a Lump hammer freed it after cursing and belting it about 20 times.
Mind the black ring seal you will need this again later. Clean this with rubber friendly stuff like GT85. Try not to distort it too much but it does fit back into a nice recess to help even if it has gotten a bit mis shaped
https://photos.app.goo.gl/trKSwwou6VFP74ve9
6. Relise you now have small ball bearings all over your grass and cry while picking them up for 30 mins. So my advice is to remove the IDrive over a towel and have a jar or container ready to store them.
I soaked them in white spirits and dried them off with paper towel.
7. Clean everything with appropriate cleaner/ degreaser. I used a mix of auto brake cleaner, white spirits and gt85 on rubber bits.
The LHS race needs to be taped out, I used a flat round punch but learned from my mistakes and dot this one over a towel. Only tap the metal as the black ring is another metal seal. So don't attack that with a punch. Catch all the ball bearing and clean as above. Mind that rubber/ brass seal and clean.
8. Now that you have cleaned everything time to reassemble. As there are rubber seals I used a rubber friendly grease in the form of automotive red rubber grease from castrol that is silicone based. It also looks cool.
Clean off the ball bearings one last time and dry. Then refit the rubber seal on the LHS into the recess, it will clip in. Fill the race with grease and imagine you are a brain surgeon while repositioning the ball bearings.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/x6KHLduxbx87TDwh9
9. Tap the outer race in being carefully of the seal, I used a seal driver kit from lidle but a small socket on an extension would work just as well.
10. Now flip the bike over to have the RHS facing up and repeat the process being careful of the seals, geasing the race area and placing all the ball bearings in. The inner race is built into the I drive CNC black part sot make sure that is clean and hello rubber mallet again. Or peice of wood if you do not possess a rubber mallet. Be carefull of the cncd part as if you break that you may claim the bike stolen on your house insurance and it probably won't cover excess.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/xqD82mi4UjXmH3Ht9
11. Once you have made sure it is home pop it back in the stand and give yourself a pat on the back.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/4eGbQ9X1oT9nYjKi6
Fit the wavey ring and rotate the I drive to prepare to fit the Dogbone.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/owm5GT4uGFRbhKps9
12. Refit the 3 retaining screws making sure their washers line up with the indents.
13.... open a beer!
