Fork Seal Replacement

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mlz

Member

Mar 28, 2003

13

0

• Apr 8, 2003

• #1

My son's fork seals are shot on his '96 KDX200. Is replacement something for the amatuer to attempt or better left to the shop? Are there any special tools needed or tricks to know in advance?

 

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Matt90GT

Member

May 3, 2002

1,517

1

• Apr 9, 2003

• #2

I am sure if you have the factory or clymers manual for the bike they will give you step by step instructions there.

You will need the correct sized fork seal driver or make one yourself from like PCV pipe. It really is not a hard job, you just have to make sure you remove all the clips and such to disassemble them properly. When you reinstall everything you will need that tool to drive the inner fork bushings in and also the seal.

 

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McRider

Member

Jan 25, 2000

82

0

• Apr 9, 2003

• #3

I disagree with the previous poster. If the 96 has cartridge forks like my 99....and I think it does, it is not a straightforward job to replace the fork seals because there are several special tools that are needed. One of these, to seperate the damper rod from the fork cap, you can probably rig up something to substitute, but to seperate the inner and outer tubes you need at least an air wrench and some luck. Better still is to make a tool which holds the other end of the parts held together by the giant allen nut at the bottom of the forks. And in fact, the giant allen wrench is one of the special tools needed. Then, of course, you still need the seal driver already mentioned. You can make one, but it isn't real easy because the diameter of the inner tube is too big for 1.75 inch pipe and too small for 2 inch. I would suggest that if you're not really into doing it yourself and don't expect to have to do it often for this particular type of fork, it might be best to have the dealer or other pro mechanic do it.

 

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Midhigh

~SPONSOR~

Jul 19, 2002

481

0

• Apr 9, 2003

• #4

I just got my forks back from the shop. Our 96 & 83 KDX's got seals and went up to 15wt. oil. Put them on today, going riding next weekend. Cost was only $40 labor per pair of forks.

 

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canyncarvr

~SPONSOR~

Oct 14, 1999

4,005

0

• Apr 10, 2003

• #5

14mm 1/2" drive hex driver for removal of fork valve: $15

Purchased at stop #6..that from a set they were willing to part out. Not available at your average ace/sears store.

I've used different sized sockets as seal drivers. Sometimes 3/4" drive (spendy)...but a socket nonetheless.

A PVC type seal driver would look something like this (compliments of dan)

 

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M

Matt90GT

Member

May 3, 2002

1,517

1

• Apr 11, 2003

• #6

McRider, you do NOT have to remove the rod to replace fork seals. just seperate the inner from outer tube!

 

M

McRider

Member

Jan 25, 2000

82

0

• Apr 12, 2003

• #7

First off, I don't see how that seal driver pictured by Canyncarvr would work. You have to be able to slide the driver over the inner tube while it is installed. You can't just drive the seal in the outer tube and then install the inner tube because the inner tube has bushings at the bottom that make it too large to fit through the seal.

Second, as I recall, you cannot seperate the inner and outer tubes unless you disconnect the damper rod at the bottom.

 

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Matt90GT

Member

May 3, 2002

1,517

1

• Apr 12, 2003

• #8

No, you just unscrew the damper rod from the top cap and you are set to do seals!

 

M

McRider

Member

Jan 25, 2000

82

0

• Apr 12, 2003

• #9

Matt90......that is not the way the manual says to do it. I don't necessarily believe you have to follow the manual in all cases, but in this case it makes sense to seperate the tubes because you can use the inner tube as a sort of "slide hammer" to pull the seal out of the outer tube. If you don't do it this way then you have to pry the seal out somehow and that doesn't seem like an easy job to me.

 

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Matt90GT

Member

May 3, 2002

1,517

1

• Apr 12, 2003

• #10

Yes i know this. That is exactly what you do. There is NO need to take the rod out of forks. Just unscrew it from the top cap like you would to change springs. Done it a TON of times on all sorts of cartridge forks.

Do you think that the cartridge rod is holding the inner tube from falling out of the outer tube? The only way it would is if you did not unscrew the top cap from the rod.

Try doing your own seals some time. You will see exactly what I am saying.

 

M

McRider

Member

Jan 25, 2000

82

0

• Apr 13, 2003

• #11

OK, Matt, that hurt. I've been riding for 40 years and always do ALL my own work, including engine and trans rebuilds.....and fork seals. Maybe I've been mislead by the Service Manual. Looking at it again, I see that the procedure for replacing the fork seals is not in a section dedicated just to replacing the seals, but is in the fork disassembly and assembly section. If you say you have done the job without unscrewing the allen nut at the bottom of the forks I guess I have to believe you. It would be nice if somebody else jumped in and confirmed it though.

 

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DCMan

Member

Jun 2, 2001

35

0

• Apr 19, 2003

• #12

I've just noticed that one of my seals on my 01 220 are leaking. I've done my own springs, & valve stack before. I have not separated the tubes. I am considering doing the seals myself. Will it be difficult to separate the tubes. Do I just take out the retaining clip, and yank on the inner tube to pop the seal out? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

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kaw Bill

Member

Oct 1, 1999

118

0

• Apr 20, 2003

• #13

for my seal driver i just used a three inch section of pvc just a little bit smaller in diameter than the inner tube. I cut a slit all the way through it lengthwise and used a couple of zipties to squeeze it together so it fits tightly around the fork tube. then I used a three foot section of pvc to hammer it against the smaller one. the three foot section has enough weight to it that it does the job quite well.

kaw Bill

 

D

DCMan

Member

Jun 2, 2001

35

0

• Apr 20, 2003

• #14

Thanks Kaw Bill. I think I'll use that for a driver. But how do I get the old seal out? Do I just remove the clip and yank on the inner tube?

 

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FritoBandito

Member

Sep 18, 2001

147

0

• Apr 20, 2003

• #15

yep