changing fork seal

[Mikef5000]

I was halfway tempted to start building a DYI fork compressor and work on it this weekend.

I'm confused, sorry.

I've done dirt bike fork seals, and used that video (on page 1) to do them. What is this fork compressor you speak of? Short of a cut piece of PVC pipe for a seal driver, I didn't see/need anything out of the ordinary.

 

[zedXformer]

Manual calls for a fork spring compressor. I haven t had it apart yet, so I was assuming that was necessary for the ST.

 

[bloodline]

It's not. Pull the spring down with your hand.

 

[zedXformer]

Sweet. Someone on here had built one for their spring upgrade. Their pics made it look important. Thanks for the info.... Forks are one of those maint tasks I have somehow avoided on my own steed. Weird how that works.

 

[3putt]

Let us know how it works out for you pulling the spring down by hand! ::015::

I have been using the fork protectors recommended by Jaxon and no problems. I'm at 28,000 miles and will change my seals when I go back into my forks to replace springs and new valves by Stoltec.

http://www.kriega.us/off-road-enduro-motorcycle-fork-seal-covers/

 

[zedXformer]

Update: Dealer covered for seals and replacement under warranty. Parts took two weeks to get in though. Otherwise all is smooth. I am now sporting Shock Sox for protection.

 

[Chickengrease]

Well I'm hear to tell ya' that changing the fork seals on my 2013 ST, although similar in style, were in no way as simple as my cr250 dirtbike. Did the job at local Yamaha dealer and yes a fork spring compressor of some kind is necessary to gain access to the jam nut in order to loosen the top cap. There is a pvc looking sleeve that is not on a dirtbike that blocks easy access to nut. Two guys couldn't compress spring enough for a third to get wrench on it. The manual references a puller that clamps to plastic sleeve which I didn't deem stout enough so my rig clamped on spring. I'll attempt pics...

 

[Duconce]

Spring compressor that goes into the holes on the plastic sleeve works fine. The main 2 tools needed are the spring compressor[ about 50 bucks] and damping rod holder about 25 bucks.

 

[yukondood]

how muck fluid or what is measurement from top of shock?
thanks

 

[BWC]

Old metal slide on left with some of the failed coating that was behind the seal New slide on the right

Seal as removed from the fork


Thought I would add this to the fork seal thread as it looked it might be of some interest to someone doing theirs. Short story, two bikes leaving for Colorado on Monday and one of them discovers a leaking fork seal. Helped him disasemble the forks and this is what we found. Appears as though the metal slide bushing that fits directly under the fork seal has had the anti-friction coating fail. The inner fork tube looks fine with no wear, rock chips or damage that we can see. Other side fork showed no damage and no leaking.
A good cleaning,replaced both fork seals and the one failed metal slide, new fork oil and good to go. So if your doing yours have a good look at the metal slides for damage. Bike has approx. 35,000km with the use of the Kreiga fork seal covers and no issues till this point.

 

[avc8130]

Just about every time I have dealt with a leaking fork seal the bushing was shot also. They should ALWAYS be inspected when the fork tubes are separated, especially if the seal is leaking.

Good catch!

ac

 

[fredz43]

One of my fork seals was leaking at 20,000 miles. The bushing for that fork was also flaking like the one in the pic above. Seals and bushings were then changed in both forks. Perhaps the fork seal problems we have seen are related to them being contaminated by the material coming off of the bushings? We noticed that the part number for the seals had been updated, by the way.

I agree that if you have the forks apart for maintenance, such as seals, it is good practice to change the bushings also. Not that hard to do and not that expensive.

 

[avc8130]

One of my fork seals was leaking at 20,000 miles. The bushing for that fork was also flaking like the one in the pic above. Seals and bushings were then changed in both forks. Perhaps the fork seal problems we have seen are related to them being contaminated by the material coming off of the bushings? We noticed that the part number for the seals had been updated, by the way.

I agree that if you have the forks apart for maintenance, such as seals, it is good practice to change the bushings also. Not that hard to do and not that expensive.

Once the bushing starts flaking, it will eat the seals. The question is why the bushing flakes in the first place.

Bushings, seals and the required oil is ~$100.

ac

 

[fredz43]

Bushings are $10.79 each and seals $12.76 each at my dealer's on line store (niehauscycle.com) . Total of $47.10 plus oil is cheap insurance while you are in there, it seems.

 

[avc8130]

Bushings are $10.79 each and seals $12.76 each at my dealer's on line store (niehauscycle.com) . Total of $47.10 plus oil is cheap insurance while you are in there, it seems.

There are 4 total bushings and 2 seals.

My $100 isn't far off using a quality oil.

$40 in bushings
$25 in seals
$30 in oil

= $95 plus tax and/or shipping

ac

 

[fredz43]

Maybe we missed something when Nick rebuilt my forks. I only see items 5 and 25, part:

METAL, SLIDE 1
5EB-23125-00-00 in this diagram

http://www.niehauscycle.com/fiche_section_detail.asp?section=2916867&category=Motorcycles&make=YAMAHA&year=2012&fveh=141266

That is the bushing that was flaking off.

What did we miss?

Thanks

 

[fredz43]

Never mind, I see them now that I look in the manual. Item 19 on page 4-83 is the inner tube bushing. We changed item 18, outer tube bushing along with the seal and that is what was flaking. Guess we'll change them all next time.

 

[RockyDS]

On the subject of warranty, the dealers attitude helps but generally if it's only one seal then the warranty should cover it but if it's both seals at the same time, Yamaha are going to assume it was your abuse.

 

[avc8130]

Never mind, I see them now that I look in the manual. Item 19 on page 4-83 is the inner tube bushing. We changed item 18, outer tube bushing along with the seal and that is what was flaking. Guess we'll change them all next time.

Nick doesn't miss things! That is why your bushing was changed in the first place! I believe I was actually there drinking beer while he was working on your forks. I may have been the one that even found it! LOL

There really is no reason to change the bushings unless their is wear or they have failed. They appear to be a teflon impregnated metal. They could last forever, or they could fail in a mile. Simply putting a new version of the same component on doesn't necessarily move the point of failure out. Same with an oil-bathed seal...

ac

 

[fredz43]

Nick doesn't miss things! That is why your bushing was changed in the first place! I believe I was actually there drinking beer while he was working on your forks. I may have been the one that even found it! LOL

ac

Thanks for looking out for my forks.

Nick changed the bushings and seals because I sent him new ones with the forks and paid extra for him to change them. He said all else looked fine. He did point out to me that the bushing that was with the leaking seal was flaking, which brings me back to my suspicion that there may be a problem with the bushings that is contaminating the several seals that we have heard about failing.