Fork Seals.

[fast_eddy 712]

On the forum archive...

http://www.hondax11....html?1164226993

Just fixed a leaky fork seal on my baby...

Easy job to do... as follows.

Remove fork leg from bike and give it a bloody good clean.

Place lower part of fork leg horizontally in a soft jawed vice then undo and remove the allen bolt at the bottom of the leg.

Remove the leg from the vice and let the old oil drain from the bottom.

Pump it a few times to assist .

Remove the fork protector and then the dust cap by gently prising them upwards.

Remove the (funny shaped) oil seal stopper ring by prising it out and up.

Grab the fork slider (shiny part) whilst holding the lower part vertically on the workbench. Slide the slider gently but firmly upwards and against the lower leg (like a slide hammer) and you will displace the fork seal after a few strokes (ooerr missus). This allows separation of the two parts and a few more splashes of oil on the floor...

You can now slide the old seal right off the slider... check condition of the bushes and replace them if fooked.

Give everything a bloody good clean... use brake cleaner from an aerosol or summat and dry everything properly afterwards.

You must be scrupulous about cleanliness or you'll be doing this again soon!

Soak the new seal in fork oil and slide on the leg (with writing to top) and slide the slider into the lower leg. Clean the old seal and place it upside down on top of the new one... you can use this to drift in the new seal, it doesn't go in that far!!!

Replace the stopper ring and (new) dust seal then the leg protector.

Replace and tighten the allen bolt (with a new copper washer) at the bottom of the leg.

Right, back to the vice!

Hold the shiny slider horizontally in a soft jawed vice and remove the top cap with a 17mm allen key or sump plug key. Give it a shock blow with a rubber mallet to get it started.

Remember... lefty loosey righty tighty!

Remove the leg from the vice and tip it upside down to ensure all the old oil came out (down your leg).

Refill with 446 ml or 16 floz of new oil (air gap at top should be 164mm) and tighten the top cap again.

Nip up the allen bolt at the bottom and the top cap up in the (soft jawed) vice again and you're sorted...

Make sure you have the same air gap in both forks... and if you only change the seal in one leg... you still need new oil in the other one!

Replace them back on the bike and you're done...

Have fun and I hope this helps...

[Guest standish honda]

Nice one Eddy.

[Guest Olajuwon]

I had really horrible problems to pull out the fork slider from the bottom part. Even with very strong puling hits.

The solution was to heat up externally the area of oil seal, then I succeed to take it apart.

 

Second hint from my side is connected with small corrosion points on fork slider.

After I replaced both oil seals for the first time, one of them was still leaking.

For the second time I have used fine file to make the points totally smooth in the range of sealing stroke - I mean you couldn't feel it under the finger.

After seal replacement it is finally tight.

I know that I should replace the old slider, but costs are pretty high and I solved the issue much cheaper.

[Mick 162]

Good tips Chris, any pics of the bike?