front forks bottom out over every bump

[nhanxsolo]

When I bought the bike there's been leaks in both the forks.  Right now it feels like over any bump the front forks bottom out... How hard is it to replace the seals?  Can I just pour the oil in through the top of the forks or do I need a long tube like in the "lazy man" guide?  I really don't think there is much oil in there at the moment to drain it all out.

Please recommend an oil weight for me to use.

[black and silver twin]

I dont know about replacing seals, but adding oil is easy. just pour it in the top, but you have to make sure you dont over fill them, follow the directions on the wiki for filling to the correct level. Also use 20w oil (stock is 10w) it will slow the leak and give far superior dampning.

[bombjack]

Don't put new oil in without draining the old, or you may end up with more oil in one leg than the other. This will make cornering quite challenging. 

It's not that hard to remove the forks and replace the seals.

[O.C.D.]

You need the oil that goes in the GSXR or Katana forks after you upgrade to them!

[nhanxsolo]

I can't find the DIY on replacing the seals, just how to replace the oil and springs.  Can someone tell me how?  Also would any cycle shop carry these oils?

[black and silver twin]

You need the oil that goes in the GSXR or Katana forks after you upgrade to them!

gsxr uses 2.5w or 5w oil because they have cartridge forks, dont know about katana.

and yes you can get fork oil at most bike shops.

[Pigeonroost]

Leaky seals = oiled brakes!  Replace seals.  Fork oil level is measured from top with forks collapsed fully and springs out.

prs

[burning1]

Woah woah woah!

If the forks are leaking oil, STOP RIDING THE BIKE. Fork oil is used both for damping, and as a lubricant for the fork bushings. If your forks get too low on oil, you're going to foobar the bushings and possibly the damper rod and fork tubes.

Fork oil will also ruin your front brake pads, which could potentially lead to a crash.

There's a few good posts on how to disassemble the forks. A couple of hints: Use the head of a long 5/8ths inch bolt to hold the damper piston while you loosen the retaining bolt on the bottom of each fork leg. You'll need a pair of vice grips to hold the damper rod, and a deep allen socket to remove the retaining bolt. Once the retaining bolt is removed and the clip retaining the fork seal is out, you can use the fork tube it's self as a slide hammer to drive the seal out of the fork body.

[pandymai]

since we're on the topic of fork draining and seal replacement..

i have an 89 and unless i missed it, only my left fork as the drain on bottom. the right fork does not.. where would i drain the right fork tube?

[romulux]

since we're on the topic of fork draining and seal replacement..

i have an 89 and unless i missed it, only my left fork as the drain on bottom. the right fork does not.. where would i drain the right fork tube?

Take it off the bike and invert it into an appropriate oil receptacle.

[pandymai]

since we're on the topic of fork draining and seal replacement..

i have an 89 and unless i missed it, only my left fork as the drain on bottom. the right fork does not.. where would i drain the right fork tube?

Take it off the bike and invert it into an appropriate oil receptacle.

wanted to avoid pulling the tubes out of the triples but i guess since it's unavoidable.. off they'll go!
later though.. havent been riding for over a month. i need to put in some time before taking another day of wrenching. xD

[nhanxsolo]

Just read a couple of write ups, some questions though.

1. How long does the whole job take?  removing old oil, putting in new oil and seals.
2. When I take the forks out and dump them out, I need to pump the outer and inner forks to get everything out?
3. How much oil do I put in/how far up(or down) the forks should the oil level be?
4. What do you think caused my oil seals to leak? PO said he replaced them recently before selling to me.
5. Are fork seals universal? should be able to get it at any cycle shop right?

[pandymai]

it's possible they damaged the seal when installing. and are you sure the forks are leaking oil or are they just getting dirty?

[nhanxsolo]

it's possible they damaged the seal when installing. and are you sure the forks are leaking oil or are they just getting dirty?

no they are DEFINITELY leaking oil... been so since I got it, now its worse, I bottom out all the time.  


Edit: also i always thought you were the same person as pandy, the owner of the site lol.

[pandymai]

nope. sorry. not pandy =P

and if that's the case, the seals were probably damaged when they were installed. and yes, you should avoid riding because oil on your brakes is something you dont want happening.

i'll be swapping my fork seals eventually too. just havent gotten around to it.

[mister]

4. What do you think caused my oil seals to leak? PO said he replaced them recently before selling to me.

What he Said he what he Did are two different things. Keep in mind, it pays to be circumspect about what the intended seller says to you - remember that they want your money, not the item.

Without Seeing the forks there is no Real way to know if the seals were damaged while actually being replaced - or - there is some rust spots (or damage) on the forks to make nice cuts through the seals. Chances are also, IF the seals were actually replaced the dirty cruddy oil was not and something in the oil damaged the seals too.

Michael

[burning1]

i have an 89 and unless i missed it, only my left fork as the drain on bottom. the right fork does not.. where would i drain the right fork tube?

Are you talking about the fork cylinder bolts, located at the bottom of the fork? If so, that bolt is *not* a drain plug. It holds your damping rods in place, and if you loosen it, the only way to tighten it back down is to disassemble the entire fork. Also, you should use a torque wrench; it's sealed with a copper washer and there's pressure on the fluid behind that bolt. The fork cylinder bolt is a possible leak point.

The correct way to service the forks is to remove them from the bike, drain them, flush them, and re-install.

Just read a couple of write ups, some questions though.

1. How long does the whole job take?  removing old oil, putting in new oil and seals.
2. When I take the forks out and dump them out, I need to pump the outer and inner forks to get everything out?
3. How much oil do I put in/how far up(or down) the forks should the oil level be?
4. What do you think caused my oil seals to leak? PO said he replaced them recently before selling to me.
5. Are fork seals universal? should be able to get it at any cycle shop right?

Someone with a lot of experience could change the fluid in an hour or two. If it's your first time, expect to spend most of an afternoon if you don't have to order any parts, or run into any road blocks. If you decide to perform the service, you're welcome to PM me with questions.

Overall, the difficulty is lower than a valve adjustment.

[pandymai]

yes the damping rod bolt. one of the how-to's shows to pop that off to help drain the fork and to disassemble the forks to do a complete clean and change =P

maybe i WILL just take the forks off and flip them to drain. then disassemble to swap the seals. again, something for another day

[nhanxsolo]

Just read a couple of write ups, some questions though.

1. How long does the whole job take?  removing old oil, putting in new oil and seals.
2. When I take the forks out and dump them out, I need to pump the outer and inner forks to get everything out?
3. How much oil do I put in/how far up(or down) the forks should the oil level be? 375-385mL
4. What do you think caused my oil seals to leak? PO said he replaced them recently before selling to me.
5. Are fork seals universal? should be able to get it at any cycle shop right?

bump for answers.

[black and silver twin]

2. yes pump them, then put in some thin cheap fluid and pump them empty again to make sure you get all the stuff out of the bottom.

4. probobly installed incorrectly

5. dont think so