76 Forks - No bump bushes ?

[philipgrant@sky.com]

In stripping the forks of my new 76 R90S to replace a rod retaining bolt that had snapped when I was doing a spanner check.  I decided to do a full fork service., I have notice that my set-up has no plastic “bump stop bush” on the top of the damper rod. The spring rests on the top of the valve. There is also no similar plastic bush below the valve to protect again full extension. The only bump stop is the “donut” in the end cap. I have Progressive springs fitted in 2002 with PVC spacers for pre-load. The bike has been well looked after and documented. It seems to have been ok like this for 20 years.  I have all the original Progressive instructions. I have tried one of the bushes and it is a very tight fit.  Should I just return it to having no bushes as I found it or get more bushes and shorten the pvc spacer to compensate ? Is it possible to reduce the diameter of the bush slightly without damaging their structure in the oil ?  Thx for taking the time to read.

["Martin Johnson"]

I found mine the same last year in my 75. I was told the old bumpers disintegrate over time and simply disappear. I am unconvinced. I suspect a faulty rebuild. My forks certainly work better now with them in place!