Fork seals blown? How easy to repair?
Discussion
Tidied up my garage last night and took the cover off my '91 VFR750FL.
Noticed a patch of cleanish oil underneath the nearside caliper. The caliper was dry/not leaking but traced the leak up to the fork seals.
I've never changed the fork seals before, how easy is it to do? Is it a two person job?
How much would it cost my my local spanner to do it? He's going to be really busy now so I'd have to wait a while to get it in.
What oil would you recommend replacing it with, considering the VFR's soggy front end? Is all fork oil the same or can you get heavier stuff?
Noticed a patch of cleanish oil underneath the nearside caliper. The caliper was dry/not leaking but traced the leak up to the fork seals.
I've never changed the fork seals before, how easy is it to do? Is it a two person job?
How much would it cost my my local spanner to do it? He's going to be really busy now so I'd have to wait a while to get it in.
What oil would you recommend replacing it with, considering the VFR's soggy front end? Is all fork oil the same or can you get heavier stuff?
The biggest ballache is actually getting the forks off; the other thing to remember is to loosen the caps at the top of the stanchions BEFORE you take the forks off (loosen, not remove).
After that it's usually pretty straigthforward, though you might need to fabricate a took to hold the springs.
I've never used heavier oil, I don't know if it would carry a bigger risk of blowing the seals again?
Remember to do all the seals, dust seals as well.
After that it's usually pretty straigthforward, though you might need to fabricate a took to hold the springs.
I've never used heavier oil, I don't know if it would carry a bigger risk of blowing the seals again?
Remember to do all the seals, dust seals as well.
Easy enough, but...
The usual problem (other than supporting the front end of the bike), is finding a way to hold the damper while you loosen the screw in the bottom of the fork leg - unless you have sccess to an impact wrench. The internet should have the required information.
The damper and screw are 16 and 28 in this diagram from the Fowlers website: https://www.fowlersparts.co.uk/parts/5053398/vfr75...
A manual may be a wise investment if you want to tackle jobs like this. In my experience, Clymer manuals are much better than Haynes. However, in the past, I have bought several Haynes manuals from a secondhand bookshop, so it's always worth looking around before buying new or paying a ridiculous eBay "pre-owned" price.
The usual problem (other than supporting the front end of the bike), is finding a way to hold the damper while you loosen the screw in the bottom of the fork leg - unless you have sccess to an impact wrench. The internet should have the required information.
The damper and screw are 16 and 28 in this diagram from the Fowlers website: https://www.fowlersparts.co.uk/parts/5053398/vfr75...
A manual may be a wise investment if you want to tackle jobs like this. In my experience, Clymer manuals are much better than Haynes. However, in the past, I have bought several Haynes manuals from a secondhand bookshop, so it's always worth looking around before buying new or paying a ridiculous eBay "pre-owned" price.
slacken off the top yolk clamps slightly first then undo the fork top caps then you can remove the fork from the bike
I've never had a problem putting in heavier oil with seals blowing.
If the front end is 'soggy' then I would look at checking the springs are the correct rate for you first
I've never had a problem putting in heavier oil with seals blowing.
If the front end is 'soggy' then I would look at checking the springs are the correct rate for you first
No amount of fiddling with oil will help if the springs are simply too weak.Gassing Station | Biker Banter | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff