I spent some time working on the fork transplant today. Fortunately, both forks can be completely disassembled to remove the fork legs. Somehow, I overlooked the obvious to see if the Ambassador tube w/disc brake could swap onto the NE5's fork assembly. I'll check the next time, but I don't think it will. If it does, that'd be fantastic! Methinks it won't, because the Ambassador fork is much wider than the NE5's.
Everything more or less slipped right in. The Ambassador's stem is a fraction of an inch longer. HOWEVER, its top plate is thick, molded aluminum, whereas the NE5's plate is flat, maybe 10mm thick. Therefore, the Ambassador's threaded stem is TOO SHORT. The Ambassador and the NE5 have different frames, so the Ambassador's frame's head must be shorter. There is also a tapered metal sleeve/spacer which slips onto the fork's shaft, but this spacer is too short to work well with the Ambassador fork in the NE5's frame's head.
Maybe I can simply add another spacer in the headset, so the tapered sleeve/spacer would fit the Ambassador's molded aluminum plate. I'll try that next time.
Strangely, the new cable for the Ambassador's disc brake seems too short. Maybe it's the position of the apehanger handlebar (I can't use the NE5's original handlebar unless I machine the inside diameter of the Ambassador fork's threaded shaft to accept the handlebar and locknut. Orrr, I could cut off the NE5's threaded shaft and weld it onto place. That would lengthen the threaded shaft and accept the original handlebar.
Right now, I have the Ambassador fork installed, with only the short top nut securing it to the head. In a few days, I should be able to figure out what to do next.
So whomever said that the Amabassador fork would bolt onto the NE5, can you please fill me in on what I should do to make it fit properly?