Changing Fork Seals..Aaack!

[yzguy15]

Can anybody give me a run down or point me towards an article with some directions on how to change my fork seals? I'm running a 97 YZ 250 with Gold Valves and 01 YZ 250 internals (long story). I'm not sure if any of that makes a differnece but thought I'd throw it out there. I'm going to pick up a seal driver, oil, and seal from the shop right now and would appreciate it if somebody could help me out.

BTW, I have already scoured the internet (and this site) for this information and couldn't seem to come up with anything. MX Off-road has a lot of useful stuff, but no changing for seals.

 

[minutz]

mx-tech.com has some downloads that will take you through the process of rebuilding your forks.

 

[FritoBandito]

The Yamaha owners manual is probably the best thing that I have found for this. It has pictures of how it comes apart and goes back together. It is not very hard to do. I made my own seal driver. Buy a PVC pipe fitting that connects two peices of pipe together. I think it was for 1.5 inch pipe, but I can't remember that for sure. Anyway, you cut it in two, so it fits on each side of the fork tube, then you tap down the metal washer first and then the next flat washer goes in and then you set the seal in with the driver. I found it was easier to drive the parts in one at a time since I wasn't using the real driver, which you can drive the whole thing together in one motion.

 

[MX-727]

It's really very simple. If you know how to change the oil and springs, you are two simple steps away from doing the seals. Use a small screwdriver to carefully pull the dust seal down and remove the retaining clip that is between the dust seal and the oil seal. Be careful not to scratch the fork tube. Once you take the spring out, hold the bottom of the fork on the ground between your feet. Jerk the upper tube up to drive the seal and bushing out. You will have to do it a few times, but be patient, they will come apart.

Pay attention to the order and orientation of both seals, the washer and the bushings.  While you have things apart, check the bushings for wear. 

Putting them back together is exacltly like FritoBandito said, except I put the washer on top of the bushing to provide more surface area for the seal driver to contact.  You can move the washer back out to see that the bushing is all the way in.

Make sure you don't install the new seals upside down.  When you're sliding the seals over the lower tube, make sure you put a plastic bag over the end of the tube so the sharp edges don't damage the seals. I just use the bag that the seal comes in, turn the bag inside out, oil it with fork oil and carefully work the seal over and down.

I just did mine and it was a simple job, not really much more work than changing springs out.

Here is a link to MX-Tech's articles on suspension care: http://www.mx-tech.com/downloads.asp

Thank Jeremy for taking the time to post those. :thumb: