Trying to replace fork seals! Stuck!!!!

[Taz69]

Hi all.

I am trying to replace the oil and dust seals on my forks, I have the oem parts and fork oil.

I've removed the forks and today I took them to a chap from a loca bikers group in Bristol who kindly offered to sort them for me!

After removing the internals and dust seal as well as the retaining clip, however we spent the next hour trying to using the stanchion as a slide hammer to remove the oil seal. Sprayed it numerous times, to no effect.

He doesn't have a seal remover like on YouTube, you know the tool that looks like a claw, all the tools you can mention otherwise so the guy is prepared and has vast experience with bikes.

So any other suggestions how we can remove the seal.

I can't afford to replace the forks going by the prices they want on eBay so I'm stuck.

Thanks in advance

[MacV2]

Did you undo the allen bolt at the bottom of the fork leg ?

Look at the base of the fork, inside where the spindle goes through you will see an allen bolt, it holds all the internals in place.

Remove that & then slide hammer the stanchion. With all that tugging & pulling you may want/should (?) replace the top & bottom fork bushes as well.

[MacV2]

OH and read this...http://www.vtr1000.org/phpBB3/viewtopic ... 31&t=29710

[Taz69]

I have all the internals out chap, the only thing is the oil seal is stuck solid, like I said we've tried the side hammer effect in a vice etc and no good whatsoever.

I understand about the extras on the other post but I on a pretty tight budget.

I'm just trying to remove the oil seal so I can clean the fork up and gt the bike sorted for mot.

[VTRDark]

Two things that will hold the seal in place. The metal D clip that sits above the seal. This can be prised our with a pick or flat bladed screwdriver. And the second is the Allen bolt at he base of the legs where the axle bolt slides through that hold the internal cartridge in place. You will loose the oil out of these bolt holes, but you can then slide hammer the seal out. If you would rather not loose all the oil then you only other option is to carefully drill a hole in the seal and use a pick or screwdriver to prise the old seal out.

[Taz69]

Hi, I have all the internals out, removed hex bolt, clip etc etc. The oil seal is stuck solid that's the only thing to be removed.

[eamonn]

I had the same problem, get a screwdriver and smash it through the seal and gouge it out. The seal is scrap anyway so any damage to it is ok

[Taz69]

I had the same problem, get a screwdriver and smash it through the seal and gouge it out. The seal is scrap anyway so any damage to it is ok

We thought of that earlier but were worried about damaging the inner of the housing.

[popkat]

Heat the fork leg around the seal. this might cause the paint to bubble a bit though.

When separating them with a slide hammer effect you want to do it with sharp but gentle taps, hitting really hard can cause the lower fork bush to pull through the top bush, this causes more problems as the lower bush is then pushing the top bush tight making it harder to get the seal out..

When you do get them apart inspect the bushes carefully as if there is damage you need to replace them, it'll cost more but if you don't your seals will leak again before long.


.

[Taz69]

We did try a little heat around the rubber but only with a hot air gun. I remember as well Nick did try digging at the rubber but it ended up revealing the metal inner, I'll have a better look in the morning.

Thanks

[fabiostar]

i ended up having to dig my divvy seals out with a small screwdriver. worked a treat.

[Jonesey]

His technique has never failed me-
Take the top off the fork and fill to the brim with cheap suspension oil.
Replace the fork cap.
Get a vehicle of some sort and park it parallel to a building about 8 inches further away than the length of the fork.
Place a piece of wood between the top of the fork and the wall.
Lay a jack on its side against the vehicle wheel.
Place a piece of wood between the jack and the bottom of the fork.
Pump.
It'll be messy so be ready with rags/sand.

[tony.mon]

His technique has never failed me-
Take the top off the fork and fill to the brim with cheap suspension oil.
Replace the fork cap.
Get a vehicle of some sort and park it parallel to a building about 8 inches further away than the length of the fork.
Place a piece of wood between the top of the fork and the wall.
Lay a jack on its side against the vehicle wheel.
Place a piece of wood between the jack and the bottom of the fork.
Pump.
It'll be messy so be ready with rags/sand.

That'll work, but best done BEFORE you drill a hole in the seal!

Another, less messy option: Buy a 2nd hand fork fork top, drill and tap it to take a schrader valve. Empty the leg of oil, then tighten the top in place. You can leave the spring out.
An airline will then do the trick, but be careful of your ears and eyes as it can go with a bang.

[Shauned71]

hitting really hard can cause the lower fork bush to pull through the top bush, this causes more problems as the lower bush is then pushing the top bush tight making it harder to get the seal out..
.

Hit the nail on the head mate... that's exactly what was happening by the time I got my mitts on them. I picked the seal the out with a screwdriver so it wasn't the seal causing all the trouble.. Oil was minging, these forks hadn't seen a service in some time. The 2 bushes were creating a wedge... harder you pulled the more they jammed. I packed in soft wood and clamped the lower in my bench vice, also put a spare front spindle through so the lower couldn't pull through the vice jaws... after that it was just brute force, 260Ib of me yanking on the other end. Got there in the end. He's all serviced up now with new seals/bushes and a coat of paint on the lowers for good measure.

[AMCQ46]

That'll work, but best done BEFORE you drill a hole in the seal!

Another, less messy option: Buy a 2nd hand fork fork top, drill and tap it to take a schrader valve. Empty the leg of oil, then tighten the top in place. You can leave the spring out.
An airline will then do the trick, but be careful of your ears and eyes as it can go with a bang.

Bloody hell tony, that would frighten the sh1t out of me !!! as the air is so compressible there will be a lot of energy stored up, so when it does move the seal bit will fly everywhere, at high speed!

Jonseys method with oil, although messy, will not kill you with high velocity shrapnel, the oil being much less compressible has very little Potential energy stored up so is nice and safe.

I thought PeteL as the HS&E guy should have been straight onto this with a safety assessment