Replacing upper fork tube on right fork

[jaimev34]

My right fork tube is bent and I've got a new one on the way, but I'm hesitant to do the work myself. My mechanical skills are ok, but not stellar. Is this something that's better left to a professional? The instructions on the manual are very long for this job. BTW, I've got racetech valves, so I don't know if that would affect the disassembly.

Thanks.

[HispanicSlammer]

My right fork tube is bent and I've got a new one on the way, but I'm hesitant to do the work myself. My mechanical skills are ok, but not stellar. Is this something that's better left to a professional? The instructions on the manual are very long for this job. BTW, I've got racetech valves, so I don't know if that would affect the disassembly.

Thanks.

Not so bad, you will need some way to clamp the fork leg down, and then a tool to pound the new fork seals in. You should removed the other fork too and freshen up the oil, replace the fork seals on them too. Might as well its not much more work to do both. Hopefully you did not damage the cartridge when you bent the tube if so you will need to replace it as well, no way of knowing untill you get it out. Oily mess for sure. I have picture how to posts in the mods section and in the maint section, its about a 2 hour job for me, I take lots of beer breaks.

[SEBSPEED]

Jaime, it's easier than painting fairings. That enough to convince you? :biggrin: HS's how to is good, you can PM me on this job too if you want.

[Baileyrock]

As mentioned not a bad job!

A word of caution though, it's hard to believe that one fork is bent and the other is not tweaked some also! Have you checked it on some V-blocks and a dial gauge? :huh:

BR

[jaimev34]

My right fork tube is bent and I've got a new one on the way, but I'm hesitant to do the work myself. My mechanical skills are ok, but not stellar. Is this something that's better left to a professional? The instructions on the manual are very long for this job. BTW, I've got racetech valves, so I don't know if that would affect the disassembly.

Thanks.

Not so bad, you will need some way to clamp the fork leg down, and then a tool to pound the new fork seals in. You should removed the other fork too and freshen up the oil, replace the fork seals on them too. Might as well its not much more work to do both. Hopefully you did not damage the cartridge when you bent the tube if so you will need to replace it as well, no way of knowing untill you get it out. Oily mess for sure. I have picture how to posts in the mods section and in the maint section, its about a 2 hour job for me, I take lots of beer breaks.

Whether or not I do it, both forks will have fresh oil. I'll definitely check out your "how to" to see if I'm capable. Thanks.

Jaime, it's easier than painting fairings. That enough to convince you? :biggrin: HS's how to is good, you can PM me on this job too if you want.

Once I look through the how to, I'll see if I think I can take this on. Thanks for the offer. Haven't I bugged you enough!?

As mentioned not a bad job!

A word of caution though, it's hard to believe that one fork is bent and the other is not tweaked some also! Have you checked it on some V-blocks and a dial gauge? :huh:

BR

I took it to a shop. They check the frame and the whole front end using a laser and v-blocks and a gauge. Apparently the only thing tweaked was the right fork tube. The triples looked bent, but they actually twisted off center. Once the top triple nut was unscrewed, they matched up.

[SEBSPEED]

Once I look through the how to, I'll see if I think I can take this on. Thanks for the offer. Haven't I bugged you enough!?

I'm a glutton for punishment... :rolleyes:

[jaimev34]

So if I unscrew the fork cap and the bolt at the bottom of the fork, I can pull the entire cartridge out? Then I can pull out the existing tube, install the new one, install the new seal, and reinsert the cartridge?

[SEBSPEED]

So if I unscrew the fork cap and the bolt at the bottom of the fork, I can pull the entire cartridge out? Then I can pull out the existing tube, install the new one, install the new seal, and reinsert the cartridge?

In a nutshell, yes.

[V-FORE]

So if I unscrew the fork cap and the bolt at the bottom of the fork, I can pull the entire cartridge out? Then I can pull out the existing tube, install the new one, install the new seal, and reinsert the cartridge?

If you have any ?'s I can offer my services also, after having done it a couple of times myself I can vouch for the easiness of the job! And it is the least I can do since I am wearing a Laguna Seca 2010 t-shirt today :fing02: Thanks again Jamie

Gary

[Baileyrock]

As mentioned not a bad job!

A word of caution though, it's hard to believe that one fork is bent and the other is not tweaked some also! Have you checked it on some V-blocks and a dial gauge? :huh:

BR

I took it to a shop. They check the frame and the whole front end using a laser and v-blocks and a gauge. Apparently the only thing tweaked was the right fork tube. The triples looked bent, but they actually twisted off center. Once the top triple nut was unscrewed, they matched up.

That's cool and if it's not kinked fork tubes are fairly easy to straighten out small bends.

Check out this post for some guide for some help!

BR

[jaimev34]

So if I unscrew the fork cap and the bolt at the bottom of the fork, I can pull the entire cartridge out? Then I can pull out the existing tube, install the new one, install the new seal, and reinsert the cartridge?

In a nutshell, yes.

I recently had my forks done up by Racetech so I'm betting all the bushings are good. Won't know until I open it up. Since I don't need to disassemble the cartridge, that makes me more confident about doing this.

So if I unscrew the fork cap and the bolt at the bottom of the fork, I can pull the entire cartridge out? Then I can pull out the existing tube, install the new one, install the new seal, and reinsert the cartridge?

If you have any ?'s I can offer my services also, after having done it a couple of times myself I can vouch for the easiness of the job! And it is the least I can do since I am wearing a Laguna Seca 2010 t-shirt today :fing02: Thanks again Jamie

Gary

No worries! Thanks for the offer; I'll see how it goes. BTW, I wore my shirt yesterday. Haven't worn the hat yet.

As mentioned not a bad job!

A word of caution though, it's hard to believe that one fork is bent and the other is not tweaked some also! Have you checked it on some V-blocks and a dial gauge? :huh:

BR

I took it to a shop. They check the frame and the whole front end using a laser and v-blocks and a gauge. Apparently the only thing tweaked was the right fork tube. The triples looked bent, but they actually twisted off center. Once the top triple nut was unscrewed, they matched up.

That's cool and if it's not kinked fork tubes are fairly easy to straighten out small bends.

Check out this post for some guide for some help!

BR

Thanks for the link. I'm way more confident now about taking this on. I'm kind of hesitant now to do certain jobs, because not too long ago I attempted a valve check that didn't go too well. I thought a couple of valves were out of spec, so I removed the cam shafts. Turns out they were in spec, so I reinstalled the shafts, but the timing wasn't perfect, and I bent a valve. Unfortunately the manual doesn't tell you everything you need to know, and a lot comes from experience (e.g., remove the spark plugs to more easily turn the motor by hand) $1.2k later (mostly labor), I got my bike back from the shop. What would've cost me $300 had I taken it to a mechanic, ended up costing a lot more, so now I leave motor-related issues to the professionals. That one still hurts!

This shouldn't be a problem.

[spud786]

A shop can do it probably while you wait more than likely if you dont go at a busy time, do you know the oil height used are your race tech set up?

Now if you get some kind of thrill engaging your self, go for it.. But I hate painting and to compare the two is silly, Painting is an ART, and some people dont like tearing forks apart either, so if its simpler to take it down to the shop, Do it!

compared to valve check, half as much trouble, but you nick that chrome slider your SOL

Yes , you''l have to seperate the forks, remove and install telfon coated bushings and a new seal and pound into place without damaging, so it doesnt leak.

There are people on here that are big do it yourselfers, I'm an old dude, If too much hassle I'll gladly pay a son bitch who has the tools , the skill and the speed.

Not everyone should work on their bikes, yes you can Fuk em up, not knowing what your doing .

Dont let someone get you into something that still requires skill in the area

[jaimev34]

Disassembly was easy. Waiting on my fork tube to come in, then assembly should be easy. Gonna use a 1.5" diameter PVC pipe cut in half lengthwise to gently pound the old seal which in turn will drive the new seal into place. I'm going to make sure to not scratch the tube.

Thanks for all the info, guys. You helped me save at least $160.

[jaimev34]

A shop can do it probably while you wait more than likely if you dont go at a busy time, do you know the oil height used are your race tech set up?

Now if you get some kind of thrill engaging your self, go for it.. But I hate painting and to compare the two is silly, Painting is an ART, and some people dont like tearing forks apart either, so if its simpler to take it down to the shop, Do it!

compared to valve check, half as much trouble, but you nick that chrome slider your SOL

Yes , you''l have to seperate the forks, remove and install telfon coated bushings and a new seal and pound into place without damaging, so it doesnt leak.

There are people on here that are big do it yourselfers, I'm an old dude, If too much hassle I'll gladly pay a son bitch who has the tools , the skill and the speed.

Not everyone should work on their bikes, yes you can Fuk em up, not knowing what your doing .

Dont let someone get you into something that still requires skill in the area

My free time does not cost $90/hour so I don't mind doing the work if I have the appropriate tools and parts. Plus, I do enjoy working on my bike when I have some idea of the process. The valve check was over my head. Had I seen it done before or chatted with someone pripr to tearing into it, I think it would've gone much better.

[jaimev34]

A shop can do it probably while you wait more than likely if you dont go at a busy time, do you know the oil height used are your race tech set up?

Now if you get some kind of thrill engaging your self, go for it.. But I hate painting and to compare the two is silly, Painting is an ART, and some people dont like tearing forks apart either, so if its simpler to take it down to the shop, Do it!

compared to valve check, half as much trouble, but you nick that chrome slider your SOL

Yes , you''l have to seperate the forks, remove and install telfon coated bushings and a new seal and pound into place without damaging, so it doesnt leak.

There are people on here that are big do it yourselfers, I'm an old dude, If too much hassle I'll gladly pay a son bitch who has the tools , the skill and the speed.

Not everyone should work on their bikes, yes you can Fuk em up, not knowing what your doing .

Dont let someone get you into something that still requires skill in the area

Seb only mentioned the painting because he was helping me via PM to repair and paint my plastics. He pretty much walked me through the process, so he was saying that if I could do that, I could surely rebuild my fork.

[SEBSPEED]

A shop can do it probably while you wait more than likely if you dont go at a busy time, do you know the oil height used are your race tech set up?

Now if you get some kind of thrill engaging your self, go for it.. But I hate painting and to compare the two is silly, Painting is an ART, and some people dont like tearing forks apart either, so if its simpler to take it down to the shop, Do it!

compared to valve check, half as much trouble, but you nick that chrome slider your SOL

Yes , you''l have to seperate the forks, remove and install telfon coated bushings and a new seal and pound into place without damaging, so it doesnt leak.

There are people on here that are big do it yourselfers, I'm an old dude, If too much hassle I'll gladly pay a son bitch who has the tools , the skill and the speed.

Not everyone should work on their bikes, yes you can Fuk em up, not knowing what your doing .

Dont let someone get you into something that still requires skill in the area

My free time does not cost $90/hour so I don't mind doing the work if I have the appropriate tools and parts. Plus, I do enjoy working on my bike when I have some idea of the process. The valve check was over my head. Had I seen it done before or chatted with someone pripr to tearing into it, I think it would've gone much better.

Yes, comparing painting to a fork may seem silly to an outsider breezing through this thread, but I DID just talk Jaime through repainting some of his parts via PM over the last several weeks. So it was a bit of an inside joke when I said the forks would be easier. :fing02:

Looks like it came apart easy enough, take your time and clean everything nice-nice while you have the down time. :beer:

[jaimev34]

A shop can do it probably while you wait more than likely if you dont go at a busy time, do you know the oil height used are your race tech set up?

Now if you get some kind of thrill engaging your self, go for it.. But I hate painting and to compare the two is silly, Painting is an ART, and some people dont like tearing forks apart either, so if its simpler to take it down to the shop, Do it!

compared to valve check, half as much trouble, but you nick that chrome slider your SOL

Yes , you''l have to seperate the forks, remove and install telfon coated bushings and a new seal and pound into place without damaging, so it doesnt leak.

There are people on here that are big do it yourselfers, I'm an old dude, If too much hassle I'll gladly pay a son bitch who has the tools , the skill and the speed.

Not everyone should work on their bikes, yes you can Fuk em up, not knowing what your doing .

Dont let someone get you into something that still requires skill in the area

My free time does not cost $90/hour so I don't mind doing the work if I have the appropriate tools and parts. Plus, I do enjoy working on my bike when I have some idea of the process. The valve check was over my head. Had I seen it done before or chatted with someone pripr to tearing into it, I think it would've gone much better.

Yes, comparing painting to a fork may seem silly to an outsider breezing through this thread, but I DID just talk Jaime through repainting some of his parts via PM over the last several weeks. So it was a bit of an inside joke when I said the forks would be easier. :fing02:

Looks like it came apart easy enough, take your time and clean everything nice-nice while you have the down time. :beer:

Thanks, Seb. For the record, I want to nominate you for the VFRD Citizen of the Year Award. :biggrin:

[spud786]

Oh I get it now Seb

you guys got it covered

[jaimev34]

The manual states that the fork fluid capacity is 457cc + or - 2.5cc and that the oil level should be 130 mm from the top of the fork tube. I presume this is measured without the spring and spacer, right?

One more question: Racetech uses 5 weight oil. What would using 10 weight do?

[SEBSPEED]

One more question: Racetech uses 5 weight oil. What would using 10 weight do?

It will slow your damping action from the previous setup. Racetech setups rely more on actual valve setup than oil weight for tuning the damping action(oil flow control).

[wera803]

The manual states that the fork fluid capacity is 457cc + or - 2.5cc and that the oil level should be 130 mm from the top of the fork tube. I presume this is measured without the spring and spacer, right?

One more question: Racetech uses 5 weight oil. What would using 10 weight do?

Might want to call Racetech and see what they recommend for the oil level. IIRC it isn't the stock level listed in the manual. When I put in Racetech springs, the level was also changed. I'm pretty sure I have it written down at home, just don't remember off the top of my head what it should be.

I used 7wt in mine, but then again I have AK-20 cartridges and not gold valves. Going from 5wt to 10wt would be a pretty big switch as far as feel.

[YoshiHNS]

The stock 5th gen oil level is 130mm from the top, which should be about 15-15.5 fl-oz.

[jaimev34]

The manual states that the fork fluid capacity is 457cc + or - 2.5cc and that the oil level should be 130 mm from the top of the fork tube. I presume this is measured without the spring and spacer, right?

One more question: Racetech uses 5 weight oil. What would using 10 weight do?

Might want to call Racetech and see what they recommend for the oil level. IIRC it isn't the stock level listed in the manual. When I put in Racetech springs, the level was also changed. I'm pretty sure I have it written down at home, just don't remember off the top of my head what it should be.

I used 7wt in mine, but then again I have AK-20 cartridges and not gold valves. Going from 5wt to 10wt would be a pretty big switch as far as feel.

Great idea! I just emailed one of the people who had helped me in the past. I wonder if Racetech's oil level varies from rider to rider, or if a certain oil level is used for each bike model.

[SEBSPEED]

I wonder if the oil level varies from rider to rider, or if a certain oil level is used for each bike model.

Since you seem so interested... read this. http://www.peterverdonedesigns.com/oilheight.htm You may want to grab some coffee before diving in. :biggrin:

[jaimev34]

I wonder if the oil level varies from rider to rider, or if a certain oil level is used for each bike model.

Since you seem so interested... read this. http://www.peterverdonedesigns.com/oilheight.htm You may want to grab some coffee before diving in. :biggrin:

Interesting. But unless you take your bike to Racetech and they pour in some oil, you ride around and feel how the suspension reacts, give them the feedback, and they modify it accordingly, they pretty much give you some standard level depending on your bike's characteristics and the parts you had them install. How else would they know what oil level to use?