fork seals

[darthandy]

I'm in the process of doing a fork seal replacement and was wondering...is it best to pull the anti-dive leads out at the "dash" and route them back in afterwards or can I remove the unit on the fork tubes and re-install it? This is a "quickie" replacement and I won't be taking the tubes apart. I'll just be sliding the old seals out along the tubes and the new ones back in the same way after pulling the fork tubes out of the "tress".

[bongobobny]

You need to unplug the connectors, not that hard to do at all, as opposed to removing the anti dive solenoids and having all that fork oil all over the place...

[darthandy]

Thanks Bob, but I had to drain the oil anyway since I'd lost a bit due to the seal leak. Those air forks just keep pushing it out once it starts don't they? I had a real surprise when I drained the left fork leg...hardly any oil came out! I would guess that the leg had less than half it's required volume...and that's not the one that was leaking!! I'll have to fix the fender as well as it is cracked around the bolt holes ... fortunately, I got the last Plastex kit from our local hardware store since they have discontinued carrying it. Always a little something!

[Marcarl]

You are so close from doing it all,,, only maybe another 1\2 hour to put new sliders in and check to make sure you have all the proper washers in place. You will also be able to clean out all the old oil and any filings that may have shown up, due to lack of oil.

JMO

Carl

[twigg]

Thanks Bob, but I had to drain the oil anyway since I'd lost a bit due to the seal leak. Those air forks just keep pushing it out once it starts don't they? I had a real surprise when I drained the left fork leg...hardly any oil came out! I would guess that the leg had less than half it's required volume...and that's not the one that was leaking!! I'll have to fix the fender as well as it is cracked around the bolt holes ... fortunately, I got the last Plastex kit from our local hardware store since they have discontinued carrying it. Always a little something!

 

Next time you need Plastex go get a quart of MEK from Home Depot and an offcut of ABS sheet from your local plastic supplier.

 

You will have more "Plastex" than you can use, for about $10.

[darthandy]

That is food for thought Carl, but I think I'm looking at a lot more than a 1/2 hour...plus, I'm not used to taking apart forks with so many bits and pieces in them. I've also got some time constraints which is why I was doing the "short form" version in the first place.

 

Thanks for the info Twigg. There are enough cracks in various parts of this bike that when time allows, I'll have a fair amount of plastic repair to get to. But...that may have to wait for the next layover period (also known as winter) and hopefully, I may even have a heated workspace then.

Edited May 24, 2011 by darthandy
Spelling. spelling...

[MiCarl]

Unplugging the electrical connector is guaranteed not to cause any future oil leaks at the anti-dive.

 

If the seals are leaking there is a good chance the bushings are shot. If they are new seals won't last long.

 

You'll be well ahead if you separate the tubes and replace the bushings.

[bongobobny]

Yah! Good point Carl! I was referring to removing the fork tubes but yes, you may as well replace the o rings around the anti dive solenoids while you are at it!

[stuckonstupid]

:lightbulb:Hey Guys

 

Just a note to let you guys know about a better and cheaper way to do the fork seals:

 

 

A genius named Frank Cuthbert has made the suggestion to replace the seals with generic seals from the Auto Parts store. They last longer, they're cheaper and you can pick them up almost anywhere.

 

Federal Mogul 40x52x7