Front fork seals: Can I do it myself ?

Yep, it's (yet) another post my me!

ahem...anyway, I ve been been staring at the fork dis-assembly page in the manual and watching a few UTOOB vids on the subject and was curious as to the absolute need for a seal driver when installing the seals. I ve only changed seals once, and it was 30 years ago on a 76 Norton. I know I did not have a driver when I changed them, but of course my memory has faded and can barely remember yesterday afternoon!

I was thinking of making up a half-assed one from a piece of ABS pipe cut in half, so as not to scratch the tube.

Any suggestions? And again, thanks for your input and patience.


BRad

On your bike the seals should be held in by a cir-clip from the top, under your fork boots. You can download the pdf service manual in my signature, it will have the procedure.
Here is a breakdown parts view:

Part # 92003 is the clip, then under it the seal.
Don't for get to change the fork oil, the correct amount will be in your manual. Or this downloaded one.

Easy to do. It takes me about 2 hours to do a total fork rebuild, including R & R.

ABS pipe of the right diameter will work just fine. Ed

Don't forget to bleed out all the air from the forks first,or bad things will happen.The hardest thing will be to loosen the lower bolt holding the lower tube to the dampening rod.You may need to find an impact driver,just to spin it fast enough to get it off.Use a little black gasket goo to seal the threads on reassembly.Coat the seal with fresh fork oil to prevent damage to it on assembly.Really a super easy job.You don't need to remove the whole fork fron the bike,just loosen the top pinch bolt to unscrew the fork cap.

martin_csr wrote:

otakar wrote: Easy to do. It takes me about 2 hours to do a total fork rebuild, including R & R.

For a first timer it's going to take longer, but the job is very doable.
The hardest part can be the disassembly - often times the bottom allen bolt is stuck. Heat from a propane torch should help. If an air impact driver doesn't get it out, you'll need to fab up a tool to lower down into the forks to keep the inner cylinder (damper rod) from spinning.

On my 81 KZ650 the head of the damper rod looks just like a 12-pt 19mm socket - I use a left-hand-threaded 1/2" bolt/nut & some ratchet extensions. A 1/2" bolt has a 3/4" head which is about 19mm. The first time I did them I used an old rake handle w one end carved into the shape of a cone & jammed it in there.

To pull the seals I used an off the shelf seal puller from the auto parts store, working at the end of a work table & levering w a small scrap of wood to protect the tubes.

To drive the seals I made up a driver from pvc pipe & fittings & used a good old seal as a protector.

For a less messy job & prior to disassembly, I dumped out the old oil, poured in some lacquer thinner, inverted a few times, dumped that out, then proceeded w the job.

Thanks,Martin! Does anyone know if your "special tool" will fit the fork of my 83 1100 Spectre?

Some bikes have the hexagonal depression in the fork cylinder and some just have a round hole (like my KZ650-C1). I don' think there's a chart anyplace that shows which models have which type. If yours turn out to have the round hole you may want to make a tool similar to the one I made below. I used an automotive vacuum cap on the end to provide friction in the hole.


KZ650-C1 fork cylinder

never mind wrong one

Not sure if you have an air impact, but they work the best. I never had to use any "special tool" I just put the impact on it and the bolt comes right out. The Impact is cheaper at harbor freight than what the special tool will cost you. The air impact is also very handy (I would say a must) when you replace front sprockets.

www.harborfreight.com/1-2-half-inch-pneu...ct-wrench-95310.html

FYI, that will fit a 3/4" bolt head or nut.