by Owen Mould

Created on: December 18, 2008

REMOVING THE OLD SEALS SAFELY

Replacing the fork seals on a motorcycle is not technically difficult, but if done improperly can cost the owner well into
the thousands of dollars for component repairs, hence the prudent mechanic will take care to research the issues in
advance.

Once the bike has been jacked up and the forward end of the bike well supported on something like cinder-blocks - if

you do not possess a lift - remove the front wheel and fender according to your manufacturer's instructions. Remove
the brake caliper units.

First tip: place an old used brake pad or a similar shim between the brake pads to prevent accidental pad loss and the
brake cylinder popping out. I typically use a pencil for my system

Second tip: have extra cinder-blocks or some such supports handy to keep the brake units themselves from just hanging
by the fluid supply lines, stressing a seriously important component, and to keep the units oriented such that air does
not enter the system. Most brake systems also collect crud within parts of the system and you don't want to stir that
stuff up more than necessary. Its also a good idea after all the fork components are restored to fully bleed the system
with new fluids.

For some bikes, the fork caps need to come off before removing the entire fork unit because the cap overlaps the edge
of the top slider. The Harley FX series of bikes generally do not require this to happen.

Third Tip: If you have to remove the fork caps, do this before loosening the triple-tree pinch bolts to allow easier
working with the caps. After breaking what possibly is a very tight torque on the cap, place a thick shop towel over the
top off the tube and the cap as you continue to unscrew the cap. There is a tremendous amount of pressure under that
cap and it typically will simply strip the final thread as the powerful fork springs fire the cap into whatever is in front or
above it. I have seen expert head waiters open champagne bottles in a similar fashion by placing a cloth over the
bottle to prevent someone's eye getting knocked out.

Side Tip: The modern Dyna models for Harley came with tapped fork caps with the understanding that fork oil
replacement does need to happen periodically. These units have a small filler screw on top so that the entire cap does
not need to be replaced. These units will fit most other Harley-Davidson forks going back a good 25-30 years. At $60 a
pair, they are worth the investment.

Now you can loosen the pinch bolts and slide the forks downward clear of

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>