replace fork seals without dismantling?

[Guest]

Hi peoples..

OK, MOT coming up, and realised a few days ago, that my fork seals are a little leaky, not bad.. could get away with it, as i got fork gaiters due to it being such dirty roads around here..

But just for piece of mind, and the fact that i can forget about them.. I want to replace them..

But cannot for the life of me, remove the top caps to decompress the spring!!

leaving the forks clamped in the yokes, i still cannot undo them..

For a wrench, i used a m10 bolt, that has a 17mm hex head, perfect for the caps.. and welded the bolt solid into an old long spanner i got laying around, so that i have something for leverage..

Well, the top cap is that tight, that it bent the spanner before the nut even budged..

I aint talking about a little spanner here, im on about an old 32mm spanner, big, long, chunky, heavy thing...

and it bent!!! and the cap didnt even move a millimeter..

So, any other way of replacing the seals?

I pulled the dust cap up, took out the retainer bit, but cannot pry the old seal out..

(i know prodding around with a screw driver aint the best thing to do, but i cannot undo these forks for shit)..

cheers

[Stu]

And how do you propose filling it back up with oil to replace what you have lost?

[Guest]

And how do you propose filling it back up with oil to replace what you have lost?

 

Well i went and bought brand new oil and seals..

Once the old seal it out, i can empty the old oil out, put a pit of new oil in them, shake it around and empty it, until it comes out clean.. etc

I can get the spout of the bottle and pour it down the sides, like from where the dust cap sits.. i got the factory amount thats needed for each fork leg, can measure it out into a jug, and then slowly pour it in.. put the new seal in place, use a bit of cut pvc piping and a jubilee clip for a means of pushing the new seal in place.. replace the retainer, put the dust cap on. Job done..

Ive seen it done a few times. I just need a way of being able to pry this old seal out...

[Stu]

Err Yeah ok then

You go for it

Just don't forget to measure your air gap which is done from the top of the stantion with the spring removed and for fully compressed

[Guest]

Err Yeah ok then

You go for it

Just don't forget to measure your air gap which is done from the top of the stantion with the spring removed and for fully compressed

 

To be completely honest Stu.. I dont really give two cents about specific air gaps etc etc.. Im not race tuning a bike for the tracks.. I live in back road fens.. With bumpy roads.. With every bump, pushing more oil through my worn seals.. i just want to get them replaced, so that its done and not playing on my mind wether it will be picked up by the inspector on its MOT..

Im going to be hard tailing my frame soon, as i just think it looks nicer on a bobber. So clearly, suspension means very little to me.. All i care about is stopping the seals leaking, so that it passes MOT...

My bike is a bobber, and in its first life, was a cruiser.. Handling and suspension characteristics mean very little on them.

especially when its as light as anything. the front suspension on my bike actually does very little, barely any movement when riding

But i apreciate your input..

[Tango]

You'd struggle mate.....you really need to get those top caps off. Are they socket or nut type? I've got sockets and other stuff....and a 2ft breaker bar if you need some help?

[Guest]

but to be honest.. Id apreciate it if you didnt be-little me in a question im asking..

I was simply asking a question, an alternative way of doing a certain job..

i wasnt asking for peoples opinions on measurements and air gaps etc..

All i wanted to know, is an alternative method of getting the seals out while the fork leg is fully in-tact..

Simply answering my question would do nicely.. After all, not that anything else matters to you, you aint the one who is going to be riding it..

cheers

[Guest]

Socket type Bob.. 17mm Hex to be exact..

I had the spanner on the end, giving it a bit of persuasion with a rubber mallet, and a metal bar on the end, which is atleast 3ft long.. and still not doing a damn thing..

Like i said, bent the spanner before anything..

[Stu]

If you don't like the answers don't ask the question simples

[Guest]

If you don't like the answers don't ask the question simples

 

But the answers you gave, werent for the question i asked..

[Tango]

I've got a 17mm hex tool that is for the front spindle on the Speedie....ccoupled with a socket and the breaker bar it should shift it.....

[Guest]

I've got a 17mm hex tool that is for the front spindle on the Speedie....ccoupled with a socket and the breaker bar it should shift it.....

 

Might borrow the mrs car, when she gets home from work, and pop them down to ely motorcycles.. get them to snap them loose with impact gun or something

Got to be easier than this..

I doubt those have been touched since the bike was made.. 14 years ago

[Stu]

For someone who supposedly knows everything about race engines and has all these degrees in building them like you have spouted countless times on here you of all people should know not to cut corners but once again here we are trying to educate you the errors of your ways!!

There is a lot you are missing

First of all if you do remove the seal you have the problem of getting the old oil out which means getting it past the top bush and if you know how forks work its not going to be an easy task

Secondly its not a case of putting the correct amount of oil in as this is for a totally dry fork not with remnants of oil still in there

Thirdly you set the air gap to give the correct amount of oil and air gap in each leg so the work together

And riding on the roads you ride I would have it working all right and not bodged just to pass an mot this is how people get killed!!

Get the fork cap off and do the job properly

Use the correct tools instead of making them and it will come off

TTry a touch of heat on the cap

[Guest]

For someone who supposedly knows everything about race engines and has all these degrees in building them like you have spouted countless times on here you of all people should know not to cut corners but once again here we are trying to educate you the errors of your ways!!

There is a lot you are missing

First of all if you do remove the seal you have the problem of getting the old oil out which means getting it past the top bush and if you know how forks work its not going to be an easy task

Secondly its not a case of putting the correct amount of oil in as this is for a totally dry fork not with remnants of oil still in there

Thirdly you set the air gap to give the correct amount of oil and air gap in each leg so the work together

And riding on the roads you ride I would have it working all right and not bodged just to pass an mot this is how people get killed!!

Get the fork cap off and do the job properly

Use the correct tools instead of making them and it will come off

TTry a touch of heat on the cap

 

sadly. having diploma's in motorsport does not inherit popeye muscles to remove a 14 year old fork cap, that is proving to be more stubborn than my misus..

If i could get the cap off, then i would do the job properly.. But since i cannot get it off YET.. i am unable to forfill the correct requirements to do the task in hand..

But since im currently stuck.. im asking if there are alternative methods to get the job done...

a simple "i wouldnt advise it mate".. and then sharing your past knowledge, in ways to help me remove it.. would of been perfectly fine..

And back on subject.. Yeah tried a bit of heat mate, also tried drenching the f**ker in wd40 for around 30 mins or so..

It really is not budging in the slightest

[bex]

I would not recommend anything other than working to do the job properly.

i dont care if you have seen it done this way or that way, asking people to give you answers is only going to get you questions asked as they, like me would rather have more information than you gave in your first post.

if you are bodging the rest of the bike like you have suggested and are not bothered about the suspension as you commented. then why not just put a ring of silicon seal around it n clean it before you take it into the mot. jobs done then aint it n you can ride an unbalanced unsafe bike to your hearts content.

oh n i know enough to say, do the bloody job properly ffs.

[Mr Fro]

Dunno if it's any help but I had the same thing happen on a little old Yammy when I was a teenager.

I took them to a garage to get an airgun on the tops but that just shagged them even further.

I finally got the threads to move by clamping the top as tightly as poss in a vice, loosening it up, turning the tubes 1/8th of a turn, reclamping, loosening, turning etc until I'd gone all the way round a couple of times.

The clamping deformed the top of the tubes just enough to free up the threads a bit.

Don't take it the wrong way mate but filling the forks down the side of the tubes sounds like a chronically bad idea. It's even a bit too bodgy for me!

[Tango]

As I said mate, I've got the tools to do this.....so give me a shout if you want me to come over and give it a shot.

[Guest]

Thats it.. I have tried all damn day, to get these f**kers off.. not budging a bit..

Now, i need someone thats a bit stronger than me

(knowing my luck, they will undo it instantly)

Asked my mate to do them for me, if i gave him the pack of seals, the new oil and a bit of cash for doing it..

he was all promising, but now let me down

[cockercas]

The guy commenting above keeps telling you he can do it.

[Tiggie]

I noticed that too!!

[Guest]

Yeahh, i know.. But he lives an hours drive from me.. and i couldnt possibly allow him to drive an hour up the road, just to release two caps for me

I can be cruel sometimes, but not that cruel

[Tango]

We've got to head over to Cambridge tomorrow lunchtime to throw a bucket of water over Ollie.....but we could head up to yours after......just let me know before tomorrow morning, so I can gather the tools together.....

[Richtea]

Did the forks get fixed then????

[Guest]

Yeahhh got them sorted in the end

Popped them to ely motorcycles, the bloke put his torque gun on it (or 'rattler' as i call them )

Took the rattle a good go at it though.. it wasnt a quick Zipppp thing

Forks dismantled, cleaned, seals replaced, fresh oil, and a nice careful build back together..

they are lovely and soft now, with 5w oil in them

Cheers for your comments guys,, and i thanks for your offer Bob

[Tango]

No probs mate......glad you got them sorted in the end....