STmark1300
Ron
Don't go by me, I don't know but what the book says. If these guys reuse them it's probably ok.
The trick for me is to hold the cap down and steady with a 17 mm hex in a breaker bar (no rachet) and turn the fork tube instead to engage the threads. I'm always doing this by myself with 16 mm extra preload.Great advice and comments all, glad we have this forum tool.
I have followed along and replaced bushings and new proportional springs too. Oh used the cheap home deport fitting option and nocked out the inner lip with a flat head screw driver. I also found I needed to cut a slot and used hose clamp to adjust the diameter to work on both bushing and seal with just a twist on the clamps (picture below).
BUT now am stuck getting the top cap screwed back on with the recommended 25mm preload. I've marked the thread start location as suggested in another thread, but 1/4to 1/2 turn in it feels like starting to cross thread itself. Using my son to help turn fork tub while I push down on cap. Any suggestions?
I've always used the counter clockwise starting method as well. It shouldn't take more than one turn, sometimes less, until you feel a very slight click when the thread alignment is achieved.Turn the cap counter clock wise a turn or two before you attempt to thread it in. This can help align things.
1) Yes, it just pries up. The dust wiper is a press fit in the slider. A small thin screwdriver inserted between the wiper and the top of the slider, used carefully and with restraint, will begin to dislodge it. You can figure it out from there.I have a leaking right fork seal all of a sudden it seems.
Having just recently done front tire replacement and front brake pads, I've been around the front wheel quite a bit and never noticed any oil on it, but now there is oil on the rim and it's obviously fork oil running down from above and with the bike on the side stand it drips onto the right side of the wheel rim.
A couple questions. Since riding season is relatively short up here in the north country I don't want (nor have the extra time currently) to take the time now to do a full fork seal replacement. Would like to try the "seal saver/doctor" and see if that cleaning method works in this situation.
1) The tube guard/dust seal. Does it just pry up? I can move it around a tiny bit side to side, but doesn't seem to want to budge upwards. Saw something about heat gun but wasn't sure if that was referring to the guard for sure.
2) Since some oil has leaked out and more will by the time I get to try to clean the seal, even if that works, how can the proper amount of oil fill be figured? Read that the measurements were with springs out and forks compressed depending on OEM/aftermarket, etc. What about just to refill after a bit of leak seepage?
Feel free to point me to the best "how to" and/or video(s).
Havent replaced fork seals in anything since 1980 or so probably. The old Yamaha MX was a simple machine.
The tube protector just lifts up out of the little groove it sits in. Start to push up on one side, then the other. It will come up. Then use a flat screwdriver and gently slip it in under and twist the dust boot up. There is a slot on the inside of the fork you can use to start it. Then use some thin plastic or old 35 mm camera film to slide it under the seal lip then run it around to clean out the gunk. I wouldn't worry about refilling our fork oil until you remove the forks and disassemble.I have a leaking right fork seal all of a sudden it seems.
Having just recently done front tire replacement and front brake pads, I've been around the front wheel quite a bit and never noticed any oil on it, but now there is oil on the rim and it's obviously fork oil running down from above and with the bike on the side stand it drips onto the right side of the wheel rim.
A couple questions. Since riding season is relatively short up here in the north country I don't want (nor have the extra time currently) to take the time now to do a full fork seal replacement. Would like to try the "seal saver/doctor" and see if that cleaning method works in this situation.
1) The tube guard/dust seal. Does it just pry up? I can move it around a tiny bit side to side, but doesn't seem to want to budge upwards. Saw something about heat gun but wasn't sure if that was referring to the guard for sure.
2) Since some oil has leaked out and more will by the time I get to try to clean the seal, even if that works, how can the proper amount of oil fill be figured? Read that the measurements were with springs out and forks compressed depending on OEM/aftermarket, etc. What about just to refill after a bit of leak seepage?
Feel free to point me to the best "how to" and/or video(s).
Havent replaced fork seals in anything since 1980 or so probably. The old Yamaha MX was a simple machine.
1) Yes, it just pries up. The dust wiper is a press fit in the slider. A small thin screwdriver inserted between the wiper and the top of the slider, used carefully and with restraint, will begin to dislodge it. You can figure it out from there.
2.) No, there is no way to ascertain how much oil to refill to set the level back to the stock setting of 62 mm. A little oil seems like an awful lot when spilled.....probably very little has actually leaked out compared to the full amount of 638 cc. If the seal saver tool works I wouldn't worry about adding any oil at all, or at most 10 or 15 cc.
3.) Original fork oil, seals, etc. on an 18 year old bike? Why not thinking about pulling the forks and freshening everything up? It's not that much of a job to do.