Replacing fork seals - need help!

[freetime101]

Hi All,

My fork seals are buggered oil is peeing out

The garage want £160ish to fix them, is this a fair price?

As far as I can tell I need 2 of this part: http://www.brooksbarn.co.uk/CBR600-FORK-SEAL-SET-1xDUST-SEAL-1xOIL-SEAL-CBR1000-CBF600-CB750-CB600_ASFE9.aspx and some fork oil, but what other tools would I need?

A google search of "how to replace fork seals" suggests it's an easy job but is it? Is it something I could do myself or will I need a ton of new tools?

It's a 2006 CBF600SA btw

Thanks in advance for any help!!!

[klingelton]

i got a quote for oil seals at around £150, after buying all the parts and the tools to do it, it came around £140 mark.

If you're going to be undertaking routine maintenance of yours and your mates bikes, DIY. or if you enjoy that stuff. if you're not really interested in home mechanic, leave it to the pros.

it's not difficult, as with anything, it's a step by step process which will be outlined in your bikes Haynes manual.

[pointblank0]

As said above, get a Haynes manual first. They are very straight forward if you take your time. If you have a socket set already, all you will need is a slide tool to bash the new seals into place. You can also improvise this with some plastic plumbing tube for a couple of quid.

I have changed loads of fork seals, and it takes me about an hour as I take my time. It's a good idea to change the bushes at the same time though whilst you have them apart.

DO IT YOURSELF!

[Tango]

I use the old seals to drift the new ones into place.......

Guess the main question will be, has your bike got a centre stand or do you have a paddock stand? Without either of these you'll struggle as you'll need to get the front end of the bike off the ground, which is easy if you have a stand as you can just put a jack under the front of the engine to get the front off the ground. Other than that it's a fairly straight forward job and often can be done without expensive tools.....

[polecat]

I did the fork seals on my Honda and the worst bit for me was getting them undone

In the end I bought a cheap work mate from BnQ and it worked a treat for holding the forks

Total cost to do both my honda ones was around £40 including seals ,fluid,covers and workmate

[freetime101]

Thanks all - the bike's booked in at the garage but I think I'll cancel it and have a go myself...

So other than the usual socket set and allen keys, all I need is some way to lift the front end, and a seal driver, aka plastic pipe?

[pointblank0]

Yes mate. Plastic tube is the way forward if your just doing it as a one off, a few quid.

If it's got a centre stand, then just use that and raise the engine up a little to clear the front wheel from the floor. A trolley jack works best but you could use a load off hard back books or something.

Once you have the tubes apart, just take your time and follow the manual. It's quite easy and you can't really go wrong if you follow the Haynes diagrams.

Deffinitely check the bushes though. If they are worn, then you should really replace them too while you're at it.

Good luck. Let us know how you get on.

[Stu]

this may help

fork overhaul guide.pdf

[freetime101]

Well I've been and bought the new seals and oil, might go back and buy new bushes too...

Sadly it's raining at the minute which has halted work for tonight - fingers crossed for sun tomorrow night!

[Nogin]

uck.

I'm more than happy to Hand over my bike and £150 to have it done properly!

[mattycoops43]

I did mine and it's an easy job. Only thing is, you may need a special tool to undo the retaining bolts, it depends on your bike. My XJ was a socket with a double ended bolt in it of a certain size to fit in the special bolt inside the fork tube, some bikes don't need this though.

[pointblank0]

I did mine and it's an easy job. Only thing is, you may need a special tool to undo the retaining bolts, it depends on your bike. My XJ was a socket with a double ended bolt in it of a certain size to fit in the special bolt inside the fork tube, some bikes don't need this though.

 

Oh yeah. Forgot about the retaining bolts!!! Not a problrm though. They sometimes just spin when you try to loosen them. Something thin and long that you can jam in the tube to hold it will be fine, so you can ndo the bolt on the bottom. I used the aluminium thin tube I use for opening the loft in my house. Use your imagination, you don't need 'special tools'.

Seriously, it's an easy job, and certainly not woth paying a garage 140 quid!!!!

[freetime101]

Well I had a go, got the fork off the bike and drained the oil no problem... Couldn't get the old oil seal out but that's the least of my problems...

Some f#@$&er has had a go at this before me - with a screwdriver!!! The chrome stanction is gouged to hell which will be why it's leaking

What do you reckon the best option is now then? Take the forks to a garage? Buy new? Upgrade? Send them off to be refurbed? Know any good companies?

As for getting the front end up, lifting the engine didn't work btw, the bike is too front heavy... So I tied a barrel of water to the back end

Just glad I didn't take it to a garage as it'd be in bits and costing me a fortune!

[Stu]

you could be looking at around £100 for re-chroming

have a look on ebay and see if there is anything on there

[Tango]

Well I had a go, got the fork off the bike and drained the oil no problem... Couldn't get the old oil seal out but that's the least of my problems...

Some f#@$&er has had a go at this before me - with a screwdriver!!! The chrome stanction is gouged to hell which will be why it's leaking

What do you reckon the best option is now then? Take the forks to a garage? Buy new? Upgrade? Send them off to be refurbed? Know any good companies?

As for getting the front end up, lifting the engine didn't work btw, the bike is too front heavy... So I tied a barrel of water to the back end

Just glad I didn't take it to a garage as it'd be in bits and costing me a fortune!

Well whoever it was that b*ggered up the chrome obviously didn't realise that the forks really need to come apart in order to change the seals......and to gain access to the bushes......

As Stu says...it'll cost a few quid to get them rechromed....so you may be better off looking for 2nd hand if possible.....

[Stu]

new stanchions arent cheap by the way!

http://www.bits4motorbikes.co.uk/fork-s ... ionsID=451

and i have only just noticed yours is a 2006 model them seals should be fine from new still so why the hell the previous owner was changing them I will never know

[Tango]

new stanchions arent cheap by the way!

http://www.bits4motorbikes.co.uk/fork-s ... ionsID=451

and i have only just noticed yours is a 2006 model them seals should be fine from new still so why the hell the previous owner was changing them I will never know

 

I guess it depends on how the bike was treated Stu.......if the previous owner(s) didn't clean it and it was left outside in all weathers it don't take to much rust on the stanchions to tear up the seals.....

[Stu]

I guess it depends on how the bike was treated Stu.......if the previous owner(s) didn't clean it and it was left outside in all weathers it don't take to much rust on the stanchions to tear up the seals.....

 

yeah fair point Bob

I forget not everyone looks after bikes like we do!

[freetime101]

Are you having a laugh?! £280 for the stanchions?! Bollox

Yeah it's a 2006, the previous owner kept it outside (and lived by the sea) but dowsed it in acf50 so there's hardly any rust on it - there is no rust on the bit of the stanchion that slides into the seal... Guess they must have been fond of pulling stoppies!

Thanks for all the advice!

[freetime101]

http://www.pittedforks.co.uk/price.php

Has anybody got experience with these guys? £156 for the pair to be rechromed and rebuilt - is this what I'm after? It's pretty badly gouged and I havn't checked the other one yet...

[Stu]

if its just the one you can buy one stanchion from wemoto for £100

[freetime101]

Well I called pitted forks - there's a 6 week wait! And at 40 quid a week rail fare I can't afford to wait that long ...

Thanks for the heads up to wemoto, I can't find the stanchions for a cbf600 sa-6 but I assume all the cbf600 models from the same year use the same stanchions?

Failing wemoto the honda dealer has them for £130...

My next problem is how to get the old seals out - pulling the stanchion isn't working and feels like I'm bashing the crap out of the forks internals (yes I've removed the damper and spring clip...)

I saw a method online of filling the fork with oil and compressing it with a car jack, I don't have any spare oil but would water work? Or is this a stupid idea?

[Tango]

So...you can't get the stanchion out of the slider? That's probably the bush that's stopping it coming out....and as you are going to replace the bushes I'd give it merry hell.....

Heating the slider around the top where the seal is with a hot air gun will help too. Not sure about the hydraulic action pushing the seals out......they're normally in there pretty solid.....

[freetime101]

So...you can't get the stanchion out of the slider? That's probably the bush that's stopping it coming out....and as you are going to replace the bushes I'd give it merry hell.....

Heating the slider around the top where the seal is with a hot air gun will help too. Not sure about the hydraulic action pushing the seals out......they're normally in there pretty solid.....

 

Yeah that's the problem! Will man up and give it some welly tomorrow - need to buy the new parts and a torque wrench too!

[freetime101]

Whoohoo the bike's back on the road! I've got my wheels back

I tried giving it some welly to get the stanchion off the slider but in the end I took it to a bike garage to sort out - apparently one of the bushes had slid inside the other so was jamming everything up

Changed the seals and refitted the forks so I'm good to go

Cheers for the help all!