Fitting fork seals on GSPD

[Captain Black]

Was just going to change my fork oil on my GSPD as part of a service and discovered the left seal is leaking so job come to a halt. Can i ask is it fairly straight forward to replace the oil seal and does the leg have to come off the bike. I did a quick search and found that Steptoe did a thread on changing the 1150 seals in " as little as ten minutes" with the leg still in place. I'd be staggered if it were a 10 minute job for me!! I guess also i should change the pair while i am at it. Any help mucho appreciated. Cant do it today anyway as will have to get the seals ordered. When i changed the oil on my Basic i put 5 weight in, i'm gonna try 10 weight in my PD. Going upto Scotland in the summer for some wild camping so want to get it all right if i can. Thanks for any help or thread pointers as a guide to do the job myself.

 

[PW Cymru]

Did mine at the Airhead weekend with the fork legs insitu but with the bike raised by placing a block under the c-stand to raise the front.

My bike is a R100RS. Not sure if your forks r the same but you may need a pneumatic impact wrench to undo the big bolt at the base of the slider.

With right tools it's an easy job.

 

[cookie]

er, how can you change a seal with the leg in place?

they come out easily enough. as paul says the only sticky point is getting the damper retaining screw out of the bottom.

oh, hang on, when you say leg in place, you're talking about just removing the slider, aren't you?

 

[Captain Black]

Am i understanding that you dont have to unclamp the forks from the yokes, but you can just take the wheel off and remove the lower sections of the forks to gain access to the oil seals to change them ?

 

[PW Cymru]

Am i understanding that you dont have to unclamp the forks from the yokes, but you can just take the wheel off and remove the lower sections of the forks to gain access to the oil seals to change them ?

If you've got a couple of mates to lift the bike while you place a couple of bricks under the centre stand you'll have enough room under the forks to lower the sliders off with the fork legs still secured in the triple clamps.

No need to faff with the triple clamps.

 

[Captain Black]

If you've got a couple of mates to lift the bike while you place a couple of bricks under the centre stand you'll have enough room under the forks to lower the sliders off with the fork legs still secured in the triple clamps.

No need to faff with the triple clamps.

Just been rolling around on the garage floor having a look. I can get hold of a mates motorcross wooden table/stand where you lift the bike up on the sump cover. Am i right in thinking remove the caliper and tie it to the frame, then drain the fork oil and remove the big alan headed bolts at the very end of the lower stantions and the whole shooting match will lift/drop out with the wheel, or is that just wishful thinking ???.......

 

[PW Cymru]

Just been rolling around on the garage floor having a look. I can get hold of a mates motorcross wooden table/stand where you lift the bike up on the sump cover. Am i right in thinking remove the caliper and tie it to the frame, then drain the fork oil and remove the big alan headed bolts at the very end of the lower stantions and the whole shooting match will lift/drop out with the wheel, or is that just wishful thinking ???.......

Drain Fork oil first.
"Loosen" big bolt at bottom of fork leg with Pneumatic wrench
Calipers off and supported to prevent damage to the pipes.
Mudguard off if lower type fitted.
Wheel off
Remove big bolt at base of slider and remove slider.

It's fairly simple

 

[Voyager]

and remove the big alan headed bolts at the very end of the lower stantions and the whole shooting match will lift/drop out with the wheel

The alan bolt may not be tight, but you will find that the damper rod that it screws into just spins round instead of the bolt coming out .

To get around this, use an impact wrench that 'shocks' it loose (and do the same when re-assembling).

Just like undoing the top of a McPherson Strut in a car

And be very careful when re-fitting the fork slider (with new oil seal) over the stanchion or the lip seal will be damaged.

Bob.

 

[Captain Black]

Hmmmm me liking the sound of this. I have the high mudgard so thats easy.
Ok i will firstly drain the for oil, move the caliper to a safe place and tie if off. Try and loan an impact socket gun, remove lower bolts and bingo out she comes, bottom astantions with wheel attached!!!..
Sound to bloody easy to me but i'll give it a shot in the name of furthering my knowledge, and killing my nuckles. Better order some seals and a seal puller thingy bob.
Thanks

 

[PW Cymru]

Why do you want to leave the wheel attached

 

[Captain Black]

Why do you want to leave the wheel attached

Less bits to remove!

 

[cookie]

I'd take the whole leg out to work on it.

 

[dr nosh]

Better to remove wheel first - or it will be a bug..r of a job to line up 2 sliders to stanchions with the weight of the wheel.

As Voyger said fit the slider over the stanchion carefully to avoid tearing the seal.

 

[fayeslane]

Definitely take the wheel off. As mentioned you'll turn an easy job into a b*stard if you don't.
If the seals don't come out easily use a heat gun to heat up the metal around them.
Take digital photos of the disassembly, especially if you haven't done this before, saves you wondering which side the wheel spacers go back in etc

 

[Captain Black]

Well blow me down with a feather!!...
So far so good, got the bike on main stand, drained all the fork oil, dropped it onto the side stand, and BINGO! the fork slidder alan nut cracked open easy peasy, so back on the main stand on a 1 inch block of wood, wheel off, fork slidder off, everything looks like new. I am waiting for my new seal and the hachet looking tool to get the dust seal, and the oil seal out. Shall i just prise them both out ?? I dont want to wreck the dust seal though......any tips ?? I dont really want to apply heat as that will bugger the finish up on the slidder. Ive really enjoyed doing this, just hope she goes back together as well as its come to bits!!
Thought i would try the other alan nut on the otherside while it was in the air with the wheel off, it just started spinning like people said they might do, does that matter? I may try again when its all back together, because you cant get all the old oil out because the drain screw is an inch above the nut so it wont all drain....odd??

 

[MattW]

I am waiting for my new seal and the hachet looking tool to get the dust seal, and the oil seal out. Shall i just prise them both out ?? I dont want to wreck the dust seal though......any tips ??

If you've got the right tool on its way, I'd wait for it.

As an inexperienced youth, I buggered a KH250 slider by attacking the seal with screwdrivers

 

[Voyager]

Shall i just prise them both out ?? I dont want to wreck the dust seal though......any tips ??

Be very careful when prising out the seals. The rim of the alloy fork slider is very thin and easily broken.

Bob.

 

[Captain Black]

Thanks for the tips guys....i've got the dust seal and the circlip out, but i will delay taking the seal out until Parcelfarce deliver my seal remover and other goodies today all being well.

 

[Captain Black]

Well jobs a good one........ i managed it!! A small step in the school of self service, but now i know how so thats gotta be good. Even managed to get the other damper rod alan bolt out to make sure all the fluid was drained out. Really glad i waiting for the seal remover to arrive as it made the job a piece of cake. I mulled over how to push the new seal home, as i didn't have a socket big enough. In the end i found that an unopened tube of bathroom sealant was a great drift to push it home nice and flush, and soft plastic so it worked really very well. i am going to pop some shell 10 weight in, then i can resume the original plan and service my PD! Thanks for all the advice, another small bridge crossed today.