Front fork strip down

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Kev Rev
Posts: 27
Joined: Thu Nov 24, 2016 6:10 am

Front fork strip down

#1 Post by Kev Rev » Fri Jun 16, 2017 3:30 am

Can anyone provide a step by step ( ideally with pictures)
On stripping down the front forks?
Thanks

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Speed Freak
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Joined: Sun Oct 28, 2012 6:38 pm
Location: Voitsberg, Austria

Re: Front fork strip down

#2 Post by Speed Freak » Fri Jun 16, 2017 5:15 am

Not really a big task.

1) You need a special tool:
http://www.rzrd500.com/500phpBB3/viewto ... =4&t=13672" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

2) Loosen the fork top cap while it`s still on the bike (or put it back in), then you can remove it from the bike.
3) Remove dust cap, fixation clip and washer of the seal.
4) Remove the top cap, spacer, washer and spring - the spring is pre-tensioned, keep this in mind when the cap is fully turned out.

Special variant:
5) Don`t drain the oil. Push the inner fork tube down all the way and ~5cm back up. Fill it up with oil (from the other fork side) until no air is remaining and then install the fork cap without the spring.
Now you can compress the fork somehow and the oil will press out the seal without damage on other fork parts.
I`m doing this work on my big workshop press, you can also use lashing belts.
As long as there is no air in the fork there is only a small amount of oil coming out of the fork.
Now you can proceed like the "standard variant" to get out the rest of the parts.

Standard Variant:
5) Drain the oil
6) Remove the bolt in the lower end of the fork by using the special tool to prevent the fork inner parts from spinning.
7) From this point: NEVER fully compress both fork parts again! Oherwise you will destroy some small washers inside
8) Compress the fork by ~50% (remember Point 7!) and pull the inner fork tube out with force to push out the seal and the upper bushing.
In case of the special variant this will need 2-3x with "middle" force because you only have to remove the bushing, in case you did not remove the seal before this will need more force and time.
It helps to warm up the seal for this work to make it soft.
Thats how it looks under the dust cap (outer fork tube not shown):
Image

Now the fork is completely disassembled.
My bikes:
RD500 YPVS 1GE
RD350 YPVS 31K 1985
Honda CBR 1000 RR SC57
Yamaha R1 RN04

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