Front fork oil seal replacement

Instructions

1. • 1 Remove the front tire with the crescent wrench and set aside. Remove the nut and axle bolt from the tier and use the hammer to remove the axle bolt from the forks.
     
   • 2 Remove the securing bolt at the top of the fork on the handle bars. Slide the forks out of the fittings.
     
   • 3 Place the forks into the oil pan, bottom down, and remove the oil nut. Let the forks drain for ten minutes into the oil pan.
     
   • 4 Tighten the oil nuts and remove the seal from the fork fitting with a screwdriver. Slide the seal off the fork.
     
   • 5 Apply oil around the inside of the seal. Slide the seal onto the fork and press into the fitting tightly.
     
   • 6 Replace the oil in the fork following the manufacturer's recommendation.
     
   • 7 Replace the forks and the tire following the steps above in reverse order.
     

First you must get your bike off the ground in a safe manner so that you can work on it without it falling over. Safety first. Then remove the front wheel and the front fender. Take the brake calipers off. Loosen and remove the top nut on one tube. Work on one tube at the time. Loosen the pinch bolt on the lower triple tree. Slide the entire fork tube out of the triple trees. Hold the spring in the tube and turn it upside down and drain the oil from the tube. Take the spring out. Notice one end is tapered, this end goes into the tube first. Turn the entire tube upside down and you'll see a socket head allen bolt in the bottom of the slider where the axle goes. This is a "piloted hex key" bolt. It takes a special piloted hex key to remove it but you can get it out if you use a brand new hex key or one that has been ground off on the end so that the edges of the hex key are not rounded. The size is 6mm on most front ends. Take this bolt out and the top tube pulls out of the lower slider. The seal is in the top of the slider. Take the boot off, the snap ring out and pry the old seal out. Replace the seal and reassemble the tube in reverse of how you disassembled it. Get the tube back in the triple trees and add the correct amount of oil to the tube Use the quantity listed for a "dry" tube because you completely emptied the fork tube. Put the spring back in and replace the top cap. Then, go to the next tube. Do not forget to tighten the pinch bolt on the lower triple tree.

Good Luck
Steve

I found it easier to remove the forks and take them to a shop to have the seals done.In doing this you are still saving a bucket load of money. Removal of the forks takes about an hour and a half and is relatively easy without any specialist tools. You only have to remove the top part of the fairing.

Did not see our bikes manual (I may have missed it) You can download a similar bike or request your own

http://www.repairmanualclub.com/motomanuals/index.php

To replace the front seals on your Heritage, you'll have to pull the windshield and the nachelle off the front of your bike. Lift the bike off the ground and remove the front wheel and fender. Then loosen the pinch bolt on the lower triple tree and take the top cap nut off at the upper triple tree. Then slide the entire fork assembly out of the steering head. Take the top plug out of the upper fork tube. There will be a large spring under this plug. When you take the spring out, there should be a tapered end on the sping. Look closely and make sure you put it back in the correct direction.

Underneath the lower fork slider where the axle goes, there is an 8mm socket head bolt. This bolt takes a special "piloted hex key" to remove it but I have gotten them out using a "brand new hex key socket" and an air wrench. The hex key socket must be brand new since the depth of the hex key socket is so shallow.

Once you have the bolt out, you can pull the fork tube out of the lower slider. The seal is in the top of the slider. Remove the snap ring and pry out the seal, Notice the direction the seal is facing. After you assemble the fork tube assembly, pour in the appropiate amount of the correct oil for a "dry" rebuild.

Reassemble that tube and do the next one. Only do one tube at the time. Don't forget to torque the pinch bolt on the lower triple tree. 25-30 foot pounds. Reinstall nachele and windshield.

Good Luck
Steve

The headline of your post seems to have it correct, you have a fork seal leaking. To replace the seal, you must remove the fork slider, the lower part of the fork tube to replace the seal and then refill the fork with the proper amount of the proper oil. Here's how you do it on a conventional front fork. This is not for an "inverted fork" where the top part is larger than the bottom.

Remove the front wheel, the caliper if it's on this side or you decide to do both sides. Loosen the pinch bolt on the back side of the lower triple tree. Remove the large nut on the top side of the upper triple tree. Caution: there is a large spring under the nut. Usually, if the bike is completely off the ground, the sping is almost fully extended but it will still have some pressure on it. Remove the spring and work the fork tube out of the triple trees. Turn the thing upside down and pour the oil out of it. Notice in the very bottom of the lower slider where the axle goes through, there is an 8mm hex head bolt. Using a brand new hex key, remove this bolt. A hex key socket on an air wrench helps to remove this bolt. It takes a "piloted key" but you can get it out with a regular one as long as it new and not rounded. Once the bolt is out, pull the top tube out of the lower tube. You'll see the oil seal in the top of the lower slider. Pull the seal out and replace it with a new one. Reassemble the entire assembly and install back into the triple trees. Add the proper amount of the proper weight oil. This is what is commonly called a "dry" fill since you took everything off and wiped it down. Then insert the spring tapered end first and put the large nut back on the top.

Then do the other side if you wish. Only do one side at the time. The remaining tube that is put together helps hold the tube you're working on extended.

Good Luck
Steve

If you ask this question YOU should not be doing it! but your *** on the seat not mine.
Remove ...........front wheel, front fender,top fork cap and loosen lower triple clamp bolts under head light cover, forks are now out!
Remove 6mm bolt at the bottom of the fork leg and drain oil,remove dust seal and wire clip, now remove the upper fork nut (the spring will jump out at you).Pull the leg and tube away from each other, the old seal will stay on the tube..clean and reassemble driving NEW seal down into place with wire clip.....refill with oil

Hi,

I was told by many people it was a hard job.
I didn't think so.

What you need is:
New Seals.
8mm Allen Key.
Half Inch Stocket bar AND Extender.
Extra Fine Sand Paper/Polishing Device.
Fork Oil + Measuring Jug.
Threaded Bar with a Two 19mm Nuts Locked to each other on one end.
Spanners.
Screw Drivers.

How to do:

First Get the Front end off the Ground (ALOT, Center Stand on Bricks for extra height.)

Remove Front Wheel and Brake Calipers.

Open Drain Philips Screw on Base of Fork (Both Sides). Dont Lose Rubber washer under screw. Watch Out Also for Oil Being under Pressure.

Remove Nut from TOP of Fork (Alowing Handles and mirrors to come loose).

From Top you can see down tube has Nut/Cap with a Square Half Inch center. Use Socket Bar (and Extender if needed) without Bit to Remove reach in and remove. Watchout for Spring Pressure under the Cap/Nut.

Use Screw Driver or Hook of some kind to remove Preload Spacers, Washers AND Spring from Fork.

Slide your Threaded Bar with19mm Nuts (Make sure they are Locked Tight together at one end) down into the Fork and let it catch on the Oil Damper at the base. You will know when it's cought because you wont be able to spin the threaded bar anymore. This will stop the Damper from spinning while you undo the Allen Bolt at the very base under the fork (Outside).

Use Allen Key to remove Bolt from Underside of Fork While having someone or somthing hold the Threaded Bar form spinning.

Now look at the Old bust/leaking Oil Seal. There will be a Clip/Locking Spring in a Groove holding it in place.

Remove Clip without Damaging any part of clip or fork.

If Everything above was Done, you can now give the slider( Bottom Part) a big tug and it will all come lose.

One Part of the Oil damper will either fall off, or be left in the slider(Bottom Part). It slides over the Damper in the base of the tube.

Clean Everything.

Clean Again.

Polish Tube.

Clean Again.

Remove Two Split Washers from base of Tube and Copper Washer. Remove Old Oil Seal.

Place New Oil Seal on Gently.

Replace back on Copper washer, followed by two split washers.

Use Grease as a kind of glue to hold the part of damper that fell off back on.

Slide Slider back onto Tube.

Screw Allen Bolt back into base of slider as per originally was (Remeber to hold Threaded Bar if it starts spinning)

Push Gently new Oil Seal into Fork Slider for Snug Fit. Be Gental.

Replace Clip/Spring over top of Oil Seal Locking it in place.

Remove your threaded bar from top of Fork.

Replace Spring into Fork.

Replace Philips Oil Drain Screw into base of fork (Dont forget Rubber washer).

Now: For a GT550 (I am told also KZ550 but can confirm) you need 300ml of 15 weight Fork Oil. EACH Fork. So a Total of 600ml whole Job. IN EACH SIDE YOU WILL ADD ONLY 300ml of FORK OIL. (15w)

After this. Replace any washers, Preload Spacers and so back into for.

Replace Cap/Nut into Fork Tube with Socket Wrench and Extender.

Replace Handles and Moirrors and Nut holding both of these.

Replace back onto bike the Front Wheel

Check Brake Calipers for leaks and Pad Wear. It's Very Cheap to get new Pads. Not cheap to have months off work after a crash.

Replace back onto bike Calipers.

Pushing Bike (Not ride) test Brakes and Suspension.

At This point I am thinking your done. You may need to Add Air Preload into the Fork via the Air Valve. 4PSI is a Starting Point. I have run upto 15psi. Without Air in the Preload you may find it too soft. Upto you.


Did I Forget Anything?

Angela, do you have a Clymer, Hayne, or service manual for the bike? If not you should get one, there is a lot of valuable information in there even if you don't do all the work yourself.

Replacing the fork seal requires putting the front end in the air, disconnecting everything from the front wheel (brake lines, speedometer cable if there is one), and dropping the wheel and fork tubes CAREFULLY to separate the two pieces of the fork tubes. Then grab the old seal and replace it with the new seal.

This short description is a VERY abbreviated and simplified version. It's not hard once you have done it a couple times but be very careful not to bend anything in your forks. They have springs inside them too. Change the oil while you are in there. Usually 10 or 15 weight fork oil but look in your manual. If you can't find a manual post again with your bike's year and we will see what we can come up with.

Yep, drain the fork oil, raise the front wheel in the air, remove the front wheel and axle. The nut to remove the lower leg is at the bottom, hidden by the axle. If it still leaks after seal replacement your fork tubes and lower leg sliders are worn out. Reassemble and remove the top fork cap. Pour in the correct cc of fork oil and ride.