Put a drain pan below the fork legs and detach the drain plugs. Using the fork tube as a slide hammer against the seal, remove the seal and separate the fork tube from the slider. It has a metered syringe, since you will need to know what you got out, so that you can put the same amount back. You change your bikes engine oil regularly, but when was the last time you changed your fork oil? The oil in your fork loses lubricity, gets dirty, and should be changed every 10,000 miles or once a year. Or you can pull the wheel, calipers, and fender. How often Should One Change the Fork Oil? It makes perfect sense to remove old oil Let the fork stand vertically on a surface, pour the recommended amount of oil, pump up the forks to remove any trapped air, and then put them down. Remove the old seal. Softails are generally quite easy to change oil in the forks. Annually $ 119.00. Lastly, and most importantly, re-install the plugs by using fresh sealing linings. Determine if the fork legs have oil drain plugs near the bottom of the legs. Just turned 50,000 miles have all my service work done except my fork oil haven't change it. had 35k on the fork oil. 1. Bob and Mark teach you how to properly service important parts on your bike, including draining and replenishing the fluids, adjusting the clutch and the primary chain, inspecting the clutch cable and servicing the kickstand. You will be in need to detach the caps to fill the fork tubes with oil. How to Change Fork Oil without Removing Forks? And fill new oil by top cap. suck-----no oil, add. How hard of a job is it and how long will fork oil last. Once youve drained the fork and replaced any old parts, check your user manual to find the type and amount of fluid that you should use to refill the fork. There is a specific distance which you should maintain between the oil and the forks top. If you can do a fork oil change under 3 hours for both forks, quit your job and do this for a living. Lift the front end of the bike off the ground with a rear stand and a triple-clamp stand or with a rear Honda recommends automotive transmission fluid.Which is 10wt oil dyed red.You can use fork oil also,from the your local moto dealer. Slide a greased seal over the bag. Always make sure to change the oil one fork at a time. This is a bit firmer than ATF, but it suits me on the type of roads I use. If you want to change the fork oil on the scooter, there is a tool to suck the oil out from the top. Replacing Fork Seals and Bushings. not that hard, just a pain. Then loosen the pinch bolts and drop the forks out of the trees. but firstly, you get to face some awful smell of oil, and thats when you know that you have to change the oil. Make sure to do one side at a time. you don't need special tools to change the oil loosen cap partially. I want to change the fork oil on my 2014 V rod Muscle to heavy type one without exposing the seal or changing them just like on any fork. pump so all the little air bubbles come to the top. Lift the bike up, locate the drain screw on the backside of the fork near the bottom of the fork. Racing Oil vs Street Oil: Know the Differences, Best Car Battery in 2020 Review & Buying Guide, Best Portable Car Battery Chargers in 2020 Ranking with Review & Buying Guide, Best Electric Leaf Blower for Drying Car Easily and Effectively, Best Fender Covers in 2020 | Complete Review & Buying Guide, How to Remove a Jeep Hardtop The Easiest Way to Remove Hardtop Whenever You Want. A Bonnier Corporation Company. Verify if the fork legs have an oil remove plugs right near at the bottom of the legs. Wedge the dust seal from the fork leg. Place a plastic bag over the lip of the lower tube. Just not a quicker way. 2) What Happens if I Dont Change My Fork Oil Regularly? Your email address will not be published. and but well worth it, my vegas handles a whole lot better. Fork-oil change frequency as a line item has long been missing in the manufacturer's documentation, and no one really knows why. Copyright 2021 Motorcyclist. You can run some through to flush out the old gunk if you wish.Fill the legs,pump em a couple times with the caps loose to distribute the oil and remove any excess air. He recommends only using brake cleaner, not carb cleaner. 3. Hi fella anybody has changed the oil on later models with an inverted fork without changing the seal. All rights reserved. If there is, you are in luck but if not, then you have to go through the troubles of opening up the entire piston and spring setup and then getting the oil this put the end of hose 11omm into the tube. it is a pita to change. Refreshing your fork oil should be part of your yearly motorcycle maintenance schedule. Get a spray bottle head such as come on Clean Shower or 409 and cut the suction tube off to the proper oil level. Put old newspapers on the floor under the front end. Once seated, put the cartridge in and reassemble the fork. And if possible do not get the piston of the fork out. Push the seals up to seat using a seal driver to provide equal pressure. Check in manual if your motorcycle has this option of change oil. WP Inverted Fork Oil Change -by Steven Iveson [Additional comments by Jerry Riedel] Having just changed the oil in the forks from my Daytona I might be able to lend some insight. For dirt bikes, it gets more heavy workouts. remove fork, dump into pyrex measuring bowl, pump out all fluid until no hydraulic effect is felt. electorstrust.org. Anyone of you folks can confirm that. @CRracer712 some motorcycles have drain bolt for fork oil. If they do, you are in luck and will be able to change the oil without removing the fork legs. changed mine this last weekend. The other thing is, when you try to pull up the front brake, it doesnt come up so easily or smoothly. You wont get it all. The process would be spelled out in the service manual. Remove the screw, of course have a drain pan under to catch the oil. In this video we show you how to change the fork on on a 1974 Honda CB360 (CL360 and CJ360 are the same) while keeping the forks on the bike. Motorcyclist may receive financial compensation for products purchased through this site. I change the fork oil every couple of years, even though it means removing the forks, and use motorcycle fork oil of 15.SAE. The traditional cinder block with a piece of plywood or 2x4/2x6 may be more stable. Why you should change your fork oil. Motorcycle fork oil isnt a lot different than other kinds of oils. You need to replace the OEM fork oil, this is a must do, don't need to, but a requirement as the OEM forks oil is 10wt and as you are now installing stiffer springs with more force the rebound will be to fast so your oil weight also needs to be increased to 20Wt, as oil weight controls the rebound (how fast the forks returns to the normal position) due to the design of the dampening rod that has 8mm or 9mm It is held into Yes there is an allen bolt at the bottom of the fork Unscrew both large drain plug screws located on the bottom of each fork with a large, cross-tipped The may be a drop or two of the old oil remaining but not enough to be concerned about. you have to remove the forks and literally dump the old oil out. RELATED VIDEO: Suspension Tech: How To Rebuild Your Fork, CLICK HERE for more helpful how-to tips and videos from the MC Garage, 2021 Harley-Davidson Street Bob 114 First Look Preview, Ducati Delivers 350,000th Monster Motorcycle, Best Motorcycle Riding Traffic Safety Tips. Hello. Most shops are 6 to 7 hours. If you are searching for hydraulic fork oil, then in a word, we suggest you that Maxima 55901 10WT should be the With the bike on the centerstand, you can put a car scissors jack underneath the oil filter bolt to elevate the front end. ADVERTISEMENT. Bob teaches you how to remove the necessary caps and screws on the front fork of your Softail or Dyna to drain the fluid and clean the parts. Harley Oil Change Clutch & Primary Chain Adjustment. however, sometimes it's good to disassembly fork and check elements like springs (lenght), surface of slide bearings etc. Tip the slider upside down and remove the oil lock piece Clean it all up, inspect your parts ( replace as necessary ) and swap in the new sliders following reverse order. Put the lower and upper tubes together. Put a little too much oil in the fork tube and pump out the excess. some people put 15 weight in for a firmer ride but i went with the stock 10 weight. I have bought the relevant tools required to do my own change, but every retailer i have seen sells their fork oil in 1L jugs. Start by releasing the upper triple-lock pinch bolts and interrupting the fork caps lose whilst the fork remains on hold by the lower triple-lock. Place a drain pan under the fork legs and remove the drain plugs, one side at a time. These instructions are for the models with the inverted, WP forks. Description. 2. As it is stated earlier that the symptoms are not very visible. Its huge labor as both forks have to come off and so does fender, brake calipers, nacelle, everything and its basically a royal pain in the ass. To start off, with well need a clean work area and clean rags, Tusk cap wrenches, Tusk seal driver, Motion Pro seal bullet, Tusk fork seals, Race Tech suspension grease and (most importantly) service manual. 103. then refill with fresh oil, use the same quantity that you poured into measuring bowl. Because it is a must to have for changing the oil without removing the forks. AS it ages, its efficacy diminishes over time. The viscosity sometimes may disrupt making it a softer ride and when you try to push down the front brake holding it, it might come back jumping a little and can feel soft on your hands. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Clench the front brake and press down on the forks more than a few times to extract the oil out. thread fork cap, install fork, torque fork cap and errthing else to spec. You can adjust the oil level in the fork using a homemade version of the Kawasaki suction tool. Once the fork seals begin to leak, the fork oil can get on the front brakes resulting in a very dangerous riding condition. This is where the critical procedures and specs will be found. Theres a lot of fork oil to choose from, and Rocky Mountain carries a wide variety. This is one of the symptoms of bad fork oil. To measure this distance, the best thing you can do is to use a syringe with flexible tubing. Motocross racers take their bikes over the whoops, their forks take a series of continuous impacts. This doesnt normally happen with new fork oil. This technique can be applied to the CB350 / CL350 and CB450 / CL450 / CB500T as well, however their forks are slightingly different. Post Sep 16, 2009 #10 2009-09-17T01:28 Find the fork seal itself. ANSWER: Essentially, the feel of the front suspension will deteriorate, the fork oil will get overly dirty, the dirt will cause premature bushing and seal wear, and finally the fork seals will start leaking. 465. I understand each fork capacity of 602ml with 90-100mm air gap. Btw, 2014 with standard forks. Mr Codger, 4.5ounces of oil per leg. Many products featured on this site were editorially chosen. Here Are a Few Steps About How to Change Fork Oil without Removing Forks: Start by releasing the upper triple-lock pinch bolts and interrupting the fork caps lose whilst the fork remains on hold Verify if the fork legs have an oil remove plugs right near at the bottom of the legs. Keep an old newspaper, or spare clothes, or anything right under the front end to cover the floor. Just wondering what i am in for was looking around a bit looks like ill need a vacuum pump to pull out the old oil. toomuch oil and you can suck a little out at a time till you get no more oil in your hose. (black marker) drop end of hose into fork and align mark at top of fork tube. You don't have to remove the front forks; you can get the oil out with the forks in place by pumping the slider on the tube and letting it dribble out over night. Heres the quickest way to do itand, yes, we know theres a better way to do a cartridge fork. Check out if the fork has an oil draining outlet.