Replacing fork seals without dismantling the fork
Discussion
I am a bodging GOD and feeling rather smug!
I am now willing to reveal the method free for lucky BB members.
The Doofenshmirtz guide to replacing fork seals without dismantling the whole fork...
1] Pop off the dust seal
2] Remove the inner retaining clip
3] You may want to wrap something around the fork leg at this point. This is because you aren't as awesome as me, and may damage the chrome plating with your hamfistedness. Using a small centre punch, tap three points around the old seal, being careful not to go too near to the fork leg.
4] Using a hand drill (remember them?) drill three small 2mm holes into the old seal. Be careful though eigh. Make sure the drill doesn't slip!
5] Carefully screw three self tappers into the holes you just made. You only need to tap them in enough to grip the inner metal of the seal.
6] Ease out the old seal with a pair of pliers one corner at a time thus...
Awesomeness.
I am now willing to reveal the method free for lucky BB members.
The Doofenshmirtz guide to replacing fork seals without dismantling the whole fork...
1] Pop off the dust seal
2] Remove the inner retaining clip
3] You may want to wrap something around the fork leg at this point. This is because you aren't as awesome as me, and may damage the chrome plating with your hamfistedness. Using a small centre punch, tap three points around the old seal, being careful not to go too near to the fork leg.
4] Using a hand drill (remember them?) drill three small 2mm holes into the old seal. Be careful though eigh. Make sure the drill doesn't slip!
5] Carefully screw three self tappers into the holes you just made. You only need to tap them in enough to grip the inner metal of the seal.
6] Ease out the old seal with a pair of pliers one corner at a time thus...
Awesomeness.
3doorPete said:
A real bodging God would have used Mole grips in there at some point and possibly a hammer.
Too much risk of damaging the chrome stanchions for my liking.
As Len Goodman would say, a bodging score of SeVENNN
Everyone knows you hammer the new seals into place. Goes without saying, right?Too much risk of damaging the chrome stanchions for my liking.
As Len Goodman would say, a bodging score of SeVENNN
Related to this topic, how would a bodger god support a faired bike to get the forks out without taking the fairing off?
Take five scaffold pole off-cuts and four 90 degree clamps to create a beam across the handlebars as shown in the pics.
Raise the front forks with scissor jacks (the slots in the jacks fit nicely over the fork knuckles).
Now pass a ratchet strap twice around the head-stock and the cross beam to support the front of the bike. I don't use
the ratchet due to space limitations but just secure the straps with half-hitches and cable ties.
You can now remove the front wheel, mudguard etc. and then slip the forks out of the yokes.
![](https://thumbsnap.com/sc/w62DlUDk.jpg[/img]</a> <a href="https://thumbsnap.com/8dO9VgXE" Target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><br>[img]https://thumbsnap.com/sc/8dO9VgXE.jpg[/img]</a> <a href="https://thumbsnap.com/CNbuT1in" Target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><br>[img]https://thumbsnap.com/sc/CNbuT1in.jpg)
Take five scaffold pole off-cuts and four 90 degree clamps to create a beam across the handlebars as shown in the pics.
Raise the front forks with scissor jacks (the slots in the jacks fit nicely over the fork knuckles).
Now pass a ratchet strap twice around the head-stock and the cross beam to support the front of the bike. I don't use
the ratchet due to space limitations but just secure the straps with half-hitches and cable ties.
You can now remove the front wheel, mudguard etc. and then slip the forks out of the yokes.
Edited by taffyv8 on Tuesday 22 August 14:20
Edited by taffyv8 on Tuesday 22 August 14:22
taffyv8 said:
Related to this topic, how would a bodger god support a faired bike to get the forks out without taking the fairing off?
Take five scaffold pole off-cuts and four 90 degree clamps to create a beam across the handlebars as shown in the pics.
Raise the front forks with scissor jacks (the slots in the jacks fit nicely over the fork knuckles).
Now pass a ratchet strap twice around the head-stock and the cross beam to support the front of the bike. I don't use
the ratchet due to space limitations but just secure the straps with half-hitches and cable ties.
You can now remove the front wheel, mudguard etc. and then slip the forks out of the yokes.
You could have just put a trolley or scissor jack under the downpipes with the bike on its sidestand.Take five scaffold pole off-cuts and four 90 degree clamps to create a beam across the handlebars as shown in the pics.
Raise the front forks with scissor jacks (the slots in the jacks fit nicely over the fork knuckles).
Now pass a ratchet strap twice around the head-stock and the cross beam to support the front of the bike. I don't use
the ratchet due to space limitations but just secure the straps with half-hitches and cable ties.
You can now remove the front wheel, mudguard etc. and then slip the forks out of the yokes.
Edited by taffyv8 on Tuesday 22 August 14:20
Edited by taffyv8 on Tuesday 22 August 14:22
I often thought it would be a great thread to start, basically a list of people's top bodges, tips.
Best tip i discovered one day, although i got the initial idea online, i discovered by chance a good tool to inject the grease, for removing seized pistons in calipers.
You need to get hold of one of those old fashioned grease guns, pic below. I found by pure chance if you unscrew the tip off the grease gun, you're left with a threaded part, this screwed perfectly into the brake flexi hole in the caliper!!
Piece of piss getting 'any' seized pistons out. You can scoop most of the grease out when pistons come out. Here's the gun.
Best tip i discovered one day, although i got the initial idea online, i discovered by chance a good tool to inject the grease, for removing seized pistons in calipers.
You need to get hold of one of those old fashioned grease guns, pic below. I found by pure chance if you unscrew the tip off the grease gun, you're left with a threaded part, this screwed perfectly into the brake flexi hole in the caliper!!
Piece of piss getting 'any' seized pistons out. You can scoop most of the grease out when pistons come out. Here's the gun.
Drill, screws & pliers to remove a fork seal, far to complicated, hammer & screwdriver does the job just as well.
Regular occurrence on a KX250 I used to hill climb after accidently striking a welding rod on the fork stantion while welding a steering damper bracket to the frame - wondered what the arc was beside my ear.
Regular occurrence on a KX250 I used to hill climb after accidently striking a welding rod on the fork stantion while welding a steering damper bracket to the frame - wondered what the arc was beside my ear.
anonymous said:
[redacted]
If you're doing it on a centre stand it's not actually much weight on the pipes, but totally agree, they're not rated for any weight, so it's not the best idea. It's not actually very stable either so there is a risk of it falling. I'd just argue it's safer than precariously balancing bricks, and easier than a scaffold pole cradle!You can buy headstock stands for about £30 or so. That's the only way I would do it properly, but I must admit to using this bodge when I change wheels on my old CBR.
I am a notorious bodger though... I'll have to come back to this thread when I think of something I'm not too embarrassed to share!
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