SuzukiSavage.com - how do you get the forks apartr ?

franch Senior Member Offline I love YaBB 1G - SP1! Posts: 287	how do you get the forks apartr ? 04/25/07 at 04:28:28 my left fork seal is leaking right onto and into the brake caliper so i can no longer put this job off. i tried getting the bottom allen screws off with a brand new makita cordless drill set on impact setting but i could hear things just spinning around in the fork tube. any suggestions ?
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smokin_blue

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Re: how do you get the forks apartr ?
Reply #1 - 04/25/07 at 04:49:57

springs in our springs out?

Technically it takes suzuki special tool #xxxxxxx. That said we used to crack the top cap loose, then pull the fork from the tripple clamp, grunt gun on the bolt and out it (hopefully) would come. Then pop the top cap, spring, etc and you are on your way.

If that doesn't work about your only choice is to pull the spring, etc and take it to a suzuki shop so they can insert a very long T handle with the appropriate special end (suzuki special tool #xxxxx) and hold the oh so special nut on the inside. Then if you are lucky since they only spent 5 minutes doing it (they will probably spend 15-20 minutes figuring out which special socket it is) they will charge you a time appropriate special price.

sorry for the sarcasm I hate special tools!! (I have ended up making many of them myself over the years)

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justin_o_guy

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Re: how do you get the forks apartr ?
Reply #2 - 04/25/07 at 05:05:12

The Suzuki shop manual, pages 7-11 thru 13 covers the process. I could be overlooking what Smoking is talking about, buut I dont see any "special" tools required. The re-assembly goes to page 7-17, so, I don't think I can adequately explain the job. It looks simple enough but it looks like something that needs done by the book & with constant reference to the information. In other words, if you dont have a book, I think ya really need one. I wouldnt go into this job without one. It does mention that the disassembly process is most likely to damage a coule of parts, it suggest you just replace them.

Aaaah, it DOES say the Front Fork oil seal installer is required. Looks like a piece O pipe's gonna have to be scrounged up!

Seal installers are specialized. I have built them from many things. The wierdest was a krylon paint can with tape on it, working on a hydraulic cylinder.
I would certainly have a very clean work area prepared & plenty of clean, lint free rags handy. I sure like old tee shirts, no scratching, no lint. Avoid any apliques, they are nasty. If you have a place to hang the bike from rafters, that would make dropping the front end out of it.

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Savage_Rob Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline Mechanically Inclined Amateur Posts: 6972 Texas (Dallas area) Gender:	Re: how do you get the forks apartr ? Reply #3 - 04/25/07 at 08:00:35 I found these threads with a search: Fork Seal Replacement Front fork overhaul...
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franch Senior Member Offline I love YaBB 1G - SP1! Posts: 287	Re: how do you get the forks apartr ? Reply #4 - 04/25/07 at 12:27:46 thanks, i didn't use the right search criteria. that stuff is helpfull. i had a helper compress the shocks while i hit the allen bolts with a nice battery impact gun. they came right off.
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Savage_Rob Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline Mechanically Inclined Amateur Posts: 6972 Texas (Dallas area) Gender:	Re: how do you get the forks apartr ? Reply #5 - 04/26/07 at 05:20:28 franch wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:04: thanks, i didn't use the right search criteria. I kinda had the assistance of memory. I searched on "fork" and "broom" because I remembered Max's comments.
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franch

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Re: how do you get the forks apartr ?
Reply #6 - 04/26/07 at 18:44:38

Clymer manual error ?

Slavy says "make sure you install new oil seal with numbers and letters facing up"

Clymer page 276 says "position the seal with the open groove facing upward"

the seals that were in there were positioned like Slavy said but i don't know if the previous owner ever changed them.

I'm going with Slavy's advice here !

a word of caution, go gently with a dental tool to pry out the wire stopper ring that holds the oil seal down.
I mangled / dented the top of one of my aluminum sliders (lower shock tube) where the dust seal sits by prying out the stopper ring with a screw driver.

also the wire stopper ring is steel and being harder than aluminum it created a couple of nice sharp ridges in the groove that would slice up the new oil seal nicely if one doesn't carfully sand them down.

any long term reports on using ATF type F or 30 weight fork oil ? Too stiff ? just right ?
thanks all

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justin_o_guy

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Re: how do you get the forks apartr ?
Reply #7 - 04/26/07 at 19:41:11

I'm not familiar with those seals, but most seals only have one area that would make a U shape if the seal were cut & looked at the cross section. The U is filled with air or oil( whatever is being kept in) & that presses the seal against the part that needs sealed. If the U is facing away from what is supposed to be sealed in, it will blow right by. The top of the seals I can see on mine are just the wipers that keeps the seal from being loaded with dirt. Oh,, bug guts too I guess.

Did you have to wreck those to get them off?

I would think the U shape of the seal should be situated so the open part of the U should be facing down. I hope that's right. If not, I expect I will be corrected by someone who has been here very soon.

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franch Senior Member Offline I love YaBB 1G - SP1! Posts: 287	Re: how do you get the forks apartr ? Reply #8 - 04/27/07 at 03:43:18 what you can see are the dust seals and no they were easy to slide up the fork tube without any damage. you are correct, the oil seal "cup" has to go downwards. someone else had already posted this in the clymer error thread. I could have gone there 1st.
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justin_o_guy

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Re: how do you get the forks apartr ?
Reply #9 - 04/27/07 at 04:44:18

Cool, glad things are working out for ya. I hope you take the time to post a summary of the thing when it's over & tell us what you learned & things to watch for, for those of us who haven't been there yet. IF this is already broken down in the tech section, a reference would be cool. For some reason, I am a bit more skittish about this than the cam chain.

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franch

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Re: how do you get the forks apartr ?
Reply #10 - 04/28/07 at 04:42:31

Justin,
it's not that bad of a job. just take your time.
W.D. has a spare set of seals for cheap money.
i will be adding a small blurb in the tech section dialogue
emphasising a few tips.
I sound confident don't I ?
but I haven't finished the job yet.
my bike is still in the barn with the handlebars hanging from the beams.
sons hockey, daughters CREW races and my darn day job make me glad i have a place to keep bike out of the weather for slow methodical repairs,

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Savage_Rob Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline Mechanically Inclined Amateur Posts: 6972 Texas (Dallas area) Gender:	Re: how do you get the forks apartr ? Reply #11 - 04/29/07 at 15:32:58 Take pics if you can!
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