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Oil in forks?
- polkat
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- MFolks
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Some riders have had success with replacing the springs with new ones from progressive suspension, they make them according to your weight(I think).
Have you looked at this website? It should have a lot of information pertaining to your bike:
kz.mbsween.com/manual.html
The weight and quantity of oil should be listed.
1982 GPZ1100 B2
General Dynamics/Convair 1983-1993
GLCM BGM-109 Tomahawk, AGM-129A Advanced Cruise Missile (ACM)
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- JMKZHI
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- Grantl
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BE VERY CAREFUL REMOVING THE CAPS.
The manual will tell you to fill the oil to a specific measurement from the top of the fork. They will specify a measurement with the springs in the forks and another measurement with the springs removed. This measurement is in metric so if you're unfamiliar with metric, you will need to convert from millimeters to english. Once you have your converted measurement, use a steel tape measure to guage the oil level. Fill oil a little at a time until oil is visible on the end of the tape measure. The oil level is usually + or - about 4 mm which is equivalent to about + or - 1/8 inch.
Once you have you oil level right, install the fork caps by compressing the springs... be careful not to cross thread the caps into the fork tops. Then you add your air pressure if applicable. I just performed a fork oil change last month so ask if you have more questions.
Hope this helps.
Grant.
1981 KZ1000 CSR
1983 KZ750 Project Bike
1990 550 Zephyr
1994 KZ1000 P
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- polkat
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- Grantl
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To reinstall, I had to push down on the cap with a socket driver (with extension) while I lined up the cap and turned it slowly. I don't weigh over 150 so I needed my body weight to push the cap down far enough to engage the thread in the fork.
It helps if you can sit on the bike seat while doing the cap reinstall. I know the bike should be elevated but I lifted my bike with a hydraulic floor jack and set jackstands under the frame (near the footpeg mounts)The bike was stable enough to sit on. If you are heavy or have good arm strength you may not need to sit atop the bike.
Hope this helps.
Grant.
1981 KZ1000 CSR
1983 KZ750 Project Bike
1990 550 Zephyr
1994 KZ1000 P
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- polkat
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So you can see where an end wrench will fit, but not a socket. So compressing those springs might be tough. ideas?
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- macskz1000m
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- MIke McKinney
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81 KZ1000 M1CSR,10,500 miles,80 Honda CT110,1,500 miles,2000 HD XLH1200,23,000 miles 99 Vette 100,000 miles coldair intake,borla exaust,predator programer.FUN,FUN,FUN.RIDE HARD,RIDE FAR,RIDE FOREVER.
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- JMKZHI
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The spring pressure won't be that great.
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- Patton
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... be careful not to cross thread the caps into the fork tops....
Would heed the excellent advice from Grant1.
The caps are aluminum with very fine threads that screw into steel forks.
It is sinfully easy to get the caps cross- threaded and damaged when initially engaging the fork threads.
Do whatever it takes to slowly, gently and carefully achieve a perfect initial thread engagement.
Once the threads are started, turning the caps the rest of the way should be easily accomplished.
Also remember to block up the bike's front end (use a floor support under the engine) so the front end won't collapse and fall to the floor when the fork caps are removed.
The bike's front end should be suspended completely up off the ground during the entire operation of removing and replacing the fork caps.
Good Luck!
1973 Z1
KZ900 LTD
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- Link14
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- polkat
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