BR's Vtec fork seal replacement!

[Baileyrock]

I guess one to many accidental wheelies had done it's toll on my fork seals as the right one failed after some 40k miles so it was time to replace them.

I ordered a set of aftermarket seals and had a left over bottle of Ohlins fork oil so I put the Viffer up on the lift and got started. I was thinking about modifying my "30 Min fork oil change" thread to do the seals, but the forks were so dirty on the outside I decided to just pop them off!

Once on the lift I removed both bars and just hung them over the sides of the fairings.

I removed the rear wheel to make jacking up the front end easier.

I removed the calipers & front fender.

Now I pulled the front wheel, loosened the upper and lower triple clamps and 20 minutes after starting the forks were off the bike!

I used my Impact wrench to remove the bottom bolt while fully loaded

Then pulled the caps and removed the entire cartridge assembly

I pried off the dust seals

and removed the seal clip

Now I just used the fork as a slide hammer and beat the seals out by sliding the upper tube against them. Once they are separated the cleaning and inspection can begin.

All clean, now reassembly. Pretty much just reverse the operation with the exception of using some type of driver to install the new seals, I use a piece of heavy wall tubing. Seals in and I temporally reinstall the spring & cap assembly so that I can tighten the bottom bolt.

Then remove the cap and spring, Collapse the fork and add oil. This is where you measure the air gap, I set them at 100mm.

I reinstalled the spring, spaced and cap then slid the tubes back into the triples and set height! I'm running 49mm(stock 41mm)

Forks reinstalled

Now just install wheel, calipers, bars, torque and adjust everything.

Time to ride!

I left two days later for a 3 day 1200 mile twisty trip to the Fall Meet! :fing02:

BR

[jaimev34]

Yo, BR, can you please post a pic of what you used to pound in the bushings and washer, which lie directly under the fork seal? I presume you hammered those in, then gently hammered in the seal, correct? When I was trying to hammer the bushings and washer in using a PVC pipe, I had a hard time and had to take it to a shop to have them use their driver tool.

[Baileyrock]

Yo, BR, can you please post a pic of what you used to pound in the bushings and washer, which lie directly under the fork seal? I presume you hammered those in, then gently hammered in the seal, correct? When I was trying to hammer the bushings and washer in using a PVC pipe, I had a hard time and had to take it to a shop to have them use their driver tool.

Here is my simple seal driver!

I think it's just a piece of 2"(OD) exhaust pipe, it works like a charm as I've used it for years w/o issue! :biggrin:

[jaimev34]

Yo, BR, can you please post a pic of what you used to pound in the bushings and washer, which lie directly under the fork seal? I presume you hammered those in, then gently hammered in the seal, correct? When I was trying to hammer the bushings and washer in using a PVC pipe, I had a hard time and had to take it to a shop to have them use their driver tool.

Here is my simple seal driver!

I think it's just a piece of 2"(OD) exhaust pipe, it works like a charm as I've used it for years w/o issue! :biggrin:

Thanks! I'll have to get something like that for future work. Like a true moron, I hammered the bushings, washer, and seal in simultaneously. It's what the manual said to do. That's probably why it didn't work so well.

[kaldek]

Yo, BR, can you please post a pic of what you used to pound in the bushings and washer, which lie directly under the fork seal? I presume you hammered those in, then gently hammered in the seal, correct? When I was trying to hammer the bushings and washer in using a PVC pipe, I had a hard time and had to take it to a shop to have them use their driver tool.

Here is my simple seal driver!

I think it's just a piece of 2"(OD) exhaust pipe, it works like a charm as I've used it for years w/o issue! :biggrin:

Thanks! I'll have to get something like that for future work. Like a true moron, I hammered the bushings, washer, and seal in simultaneously. It's what the manual said to do. That's probably why it didn't work so well.

PVC plumbing pipe also works well, and is soft so it doesn't damage the seals!

[Switchblade]

Awesome Dude, I think I'm gonna try it !!!!!!!

[SEBSPEED]

Here is my simple seal driver!

I think it's just a piece of 2"(OD) exhaust pipe, it works like a charm as I've used it for years w/o issue! :biggrin:

It helps that you have the motion down pat.

:goofy:

Did you take the cartridge apart and pump the oil out of it?

[Baileyrock]

Here is my simple seal driver!

I think it's just a piece of 2"(OD) exhaust pipe, it works like a charm as I've used it for years w/o issue! :biggrin:

It helps that you have the motion down pat.

:goofy:

Did you take the cartridge apart and pump the oil out of it?

(master stroker icon)

I'm not usually that ruff! :491:

No, just pumped some cleaner thru them. Maybe next time! :blush:

[MisterBill]

Thanks for the tips and pictures.

[skuuter]

Just curious...what weight fork oil are You usin', and are the cartridges stock in the VFR...???.....THANKS...Great "Play-by-Play" by the way.. :fing02:

[SEBSPEED]

Just curious...what weight fork oil are You usin', and are the cartridges stock in the VFR...???.....THANKS...Great "Play-by-Play" by the way.. :fing02:

Knowing bailey, probably a "special" blend of vegetable and olive. :laughing6-hehe:

[skuuter]

Just curious...what weight fork oil are You usin', and are the cartridges stock in the VFR...???.....THANKS...Great "Play-by-Play" by the way.. :fing02:

Knowing bailey, probably a "special" blend of vegetable and olive. :laughing6-hehe:

I need the ratio of the vegetable to the olive, and was wonderin' if He adds any Peanut Oil.....sure felt like it the last time I rode His VFR..... :laughing6-hehe:

[wagzhp]

Thanks for this write up. Between this and a couple of YouTube videos I was able to install new seals and oil, and raise the tubes in the triples. Wow, what a difference!