Fork oil change tools

[Random_Rockfish]

I want to dump the old fluid, measure it and replace it with new fork oil (rather than disassemble the whole fork tube).

Is there a special spanner recommended or technique needed to open the top cap of the tube without damaging the large aluminum nut?

Since it's in plain view I don't want to bugger it up.

 

[OldRider]

Make sure to loosen the clamp around the top of the tube and all you can do is use a good 6 point socket and hope for the best. Those aluminum nuts scratch up so easy, so just do the best you can. I'm sure the factory has a million dollar perfect socket they use, but we don't get to have that good of a socket.

 

[BWC]

I found this wrench works well for removing the fork cap without damaging it. It's made of some kind of hard plastic and has done a few sets of forks without any damage to the caps. A good six point socket can also work well, just make sure it's held firmly down while loosening.
You do want to be extra carefull breaking them loose, if you mess up the caps they run about $300.00 a piece. ???

 

[RCinNC]

I think the caps are closer to $400.00. I checked, because I'm one of the guys that did damage that aluminum nut a little when I did my fork maintenance. It's not bad enough to keep me from getting it off again, but it's really easy to do if you aren't careful. Make sure the socket is seated totally on the nut, and that you can turn the ratchet without any restrictions (i.e. remove everything that might get in the way when you turn the ratchet).

It did make me start thinking about a possible solution to what seems to be to be a less than ideal design. I was considering taking the fork cap off, and having two small shallow holes drilled into the cap that would fit a pin wrench. The risky thing is that I don't know how thick the metal is on the fork cap, so I don't know how deep a couple holes could safely be drilled. Anyone here have any idea? I'd appreciate anyone here with more machining experience than I have weighing in on whether that sounds feasible or not.

 

[RCinNC]

I found this wrench works well for removing the fork cap without damaging it. It's made of some kind of hard plastic and has done a few sets of forks without any damage to the caps. A good six point socket can also work well, just make sure it's held firmly down while loosening.
You do want to be extra carefull breaking them loose, if you mess up the caps they run about $300.00 a piece. ???

Where did you get yours? I found one on line from TGR Technix Gear, but the company is in Japan.

 

[BWC]

Where did you get yours? I found one on line from TGR Technix Gear, but the company is in Japan.

http://www.partsnmore.com/parts/?filters[category]=tools&q=Fork+cap+wrench+tool

Found it here awhile back while rounding up parts for my 81 Honda 900-F.
Most 6 point sockets will work but if you look at the inside edge of them they are usually rounded and if that surface was ground or turned flat it sit would down better on the the rather shallow alluminum fork cap nut.

 

[Cycledude]

I wish Yamaha would have chosen to use steel nuts, yes they would weigh a little more but that really wouldn’t bother me at all.

 

[RCinNC]

I've been discussing this on another forum, and I may try fabricating a much larger aluminum nut with a lot more meat to it, boring out the center (like a big hex sided donut), slipping that over the existing nut, and having the new nut welded to the fork cap. Maybe something like a 40mm nut, made from 1/4" thick aluminum. And I do agree that I wish they'd used steel in the fork caps.

 

[Don in Lodi]

Being a total and complete rookie to fork internals, aren't those fork caps under a fair amount of internal tension? I've always thought it took more than just a wrench to keep that cap from exploding across the shop in some random direction.

 

[RCinNC]

Not in the USD forks, like in an S10. The fork cap just unscrews (or rather, you can unscrew the fork tube from the cap once you get it loose). The tube just slides down, exposing the internal parts of the fork. The fork cap is screwed onto the damper rod assembly, and that's where all the pressure is. You have to compress the spring in order to unscrew the fork cap from the damper rod assembly, in order to remove the spring.

That's a photo of my homemade fork spring compressor in action. The upper tube is loosened and moved down out of the way, but all the tension is still in the fork spring because the cap is still screwed onto the damper rod assembly.

 

[Don in Lodi]

Not in the USD forks, like in an S10. The fork cap just unscrews (or rather, you can unscrew the fork tube from the cap once you get it loose). The tube just slides down, exposing the internal parts of the fork. The fork cap is screwed onto the damper rod assembly, and that's where all the pressure is. You have to compress the spring in order to unscrew the fork cap from the damper rod assembly, in order to remove the spring.

That's a photo of my homemade fork spring compressor in action. The upper tube is loosened and moved down out of the way, but all the tension is still in the fork spring because the cap is still screwed onto the damper rod assembly.

::008::

 

[greg the pole]

there ya go:
https://thetenerist.wordpress.com/2014/10/18/fork-rebuild-v3-0-including-fork-seal-and-bushing/

from the post:
you will need these tools:

You…the biggest spanner of all
Yammie manual, must have!
Spring compressor is a must for USD forks. $40 from Traxxion dynamics
Level cyringe $20-30 from the local bike stealer. You can make your own if you’re a cheapskate
43mm fork seal driver. Roughly $50 from the stealer. Again, you can make your own…see cheapskate comment above.
1L of fork oil. 5w is OEM recommened. If you’re errmmm big boned, try 7.5W
Electrical tape!!! trust me, it’s needed
Two tie wraps, again read on.
Beer, or girly drink of choice, once manly job is done. For the love of god…do not drink prior to finishing job, or you will screw it up

 

[WJBertrand]

Cyringe?? = cringe?? , Syringe??

 

[RCinNC]

Greg's tutorial is part of my service manual; I printed it out and made it a part of my "streamlined maintenance" section. It was a big help the first time I took my forks off to service them.

 

[greg the pole]

Cyringe?? = cringe?? , Syringe??

tomato, tomado...I usually do my write ups after drinking copious amounts of beer

 

[SparrowHawkxx]

I have studied the service manual and several write ups on removing and dissembling the forks.
Thanks Greg for all your pictures and notes. Really just one thing that concerns me and that is loosening the top cap.

Not much there to grab on the top cap. Is it safe enough to use a regular 6 pt 24 mm (or 15/16”) socket with a chamfered bottom? (I know Greg also says to use electrical tape to protect it.)
Or should you get a socket with a non-chamfered (flat) bottom. I found one made for bicycle forks, here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072FCK567/ref=olp_product_details?_encoding=UTF8&me= $24 on Amazon with shipping. I do not know if it is deep enough for this top cap.

I know this is probably just common sense but nothing I have seen, in the service manual or write ups, say anything about removing the handlebars. I do not see how you can break the top cap loose with a socket and ratchet without removing them. Am I missing something here?

The plastic wrench also looks like a good way to break it loose but you would still need to use a socket if you are going to use a torque wrench to tighten it back down. Like most anything else I would guess it takes more torque to break it loose than to torque back to spec so maybe that could be done before you put the fork back in the clamps.??

I will be removing fork legs soon on my 2013 Tenere. I got all the tools and parts to replace seals, bushings, and oil.

I had a fork seal leak last May (2017) at almost 50,000 miles. Cleaned it out with a Seal Doctor and got a few very small black specs out and it never leaked again, only lost about 1 oz of oil. Probably some of the Teflon coating on the bushings. It has not leaked anymore since then. Currently 64,000 miles on the bike.

 

[OldRider]

The plastic wrench also looks like a good way to break it loose but you would still need to use a socket if you are going to use a torque wrench to tighten it back down. Like most anything else I would guess it takes more torque to break it loose than to torque back to spec so maybe that could be done before you put the fork back in the clamps.??

No torque wrench needed, just get it good and snug and it will be fine.

 

[SparrowHawkxx]

Thanks OldRider!
So I should be able to just break it loose with a wrench and leave the handlebars alone. Not that it's a big deal but just something else you don't have to mess with.

 

[Blind Squirrel]

What about using one of the sockets that grips the flats and not the corners?

https://www.homedepot.com/p/TEKTON-1-2-in-Drive-24-mm-6-Point-Shallow-Socket-14297/206110542?cm_mmc=Shopping|THD|google|&mid=sOLbdKDdQ|dc_mtid_8903tb925190_pcrid_195274179091_pkw__pmt__product_206110542_slid_&gclid=Cj0KCQiAyszSBRDJARIsAHAqQ4pvi_ZaZdXIjGleUSb-Xb1xn2SUFpyZPJyk8BVPJb91qtZUyxe7xIgaAsrAEALw_wcB

 

[greg the pole]

The more area the socket has, the better it will work. The electrical tape helps.
it's stupid soft metal, so may marr a bit.
My tops looked like a hamster chewed on them after 5 or six oil changes ::025::

Take your time, and all will be good.
You can also take the bars off, slide the forks up enough to fit the wrench on the top cap, and snug up your bottom fork pinch bolts, and undo it on the bike.
It's a bit more dodgy in the vice.
Once you put it back together, just snug up the top cap. The top fork triple pinch bolts will hold all of it in place,



G