Front fork questions - '90 XII

[Eydugstr]

Getting ready to install a set of progressive front fork springs. Is there any other seals, rubber pieces or O-rings that's recommended to be replaced as well?

[Mr Jensee]

Depends on the quality of your fork and dust seals. If they are fine no. If not you might as well remove the forks and install them. I will warn you that if you dont have a fork seal driver take them to your Kawasaki dealer to have them put them in. It is worth the $20 to have it done. No PVC pipe doesn't work. Just remember when you install the new springs to leave out the oil seal and the spacer.

[voyager55]

Easiest Install guide

http://www.abbikeboard.com/jeff/spring/spring.html

[ghostler]

When I installed Progressive Springs on my 2001 XII, I replaced the seals and reused the existing dust covers. I made a "sliding hammer" tool to seat both from plumbing supplies from a home improvement center. These were: 1) 2"x1-1/2" cast iron plumbing reducer bushing; 2) 1-1/2" dia x 2" long pipe nipple. Made tool by screwing both together. I used the nipple reducer end to seat the seal, the bushing end to seat the dust cover. Tool worked like a charm and cost me less than $12 several years ago.

Improvised tool:

Seating shock seal:

Seating dust cover:

[Eydugstr]

TY for the responses & links, everyone.

According to the link that voyager55 posted, does that mean the springs can be changed without removing them from the triple tree?

ghostler - On your tool, did you use anything to protect the fork tube (like a plastic pipe or bushing)? That looks like a good idea. Mine aren't leaking but I want to make sure I have all bases covered before I take things apart.

[ghostler]

On your tool, did you use anything to protect the fork tube (like a plastic pipe or bushing)? That looks like a good idea. Mine aren't leaking but I want to make sure I have all bases covered before I take things apart.

Didn't find a need to. The amount of force to seat the seal and dust cover is basically a light tap with my tool, remember these items are covered in rubber. A rap or two is all it took to seat.

[Mr Jensee]

Yes the springs can be changed out without removing the forks from the triple tree. However unless you have a way to leverage the compression, it is going to be very difficult to get the caps back on. We rigged up a paddle board that we tied to the handlebar to compress the springs back in. You have to get creative.

[Mr Jensee]

When I installed Progressive Springs on my 2001 XII, I replaced the seals and reused the existing dust covers. I made a "sliding hammer" tool to seat both from plumbing supplies from a home improvement center. These were: 1) 2"x1-1/2" cast iron plumbing reducer bushing; 2) 1-1/2" dia x 2" long pipe nipple. Made tool by screwing both together. I used the nipple reducer end to seat the seal, the bushing end to seat the dust cover. Tool worked like a charm and cost me less than $12 several years ago.

Improvised tool:
2014-09-11 XII Front Shock Tool.jpg
Seating shock seal:
2014-09-11 XII Seating Front Shock Seal.jpg
Seating dust cover:
2014-09-11 XII Seating Front Shock Cover.jpg

Where were you when I was fighting to get them in a month ago??

[ghostler]

Where were you when I was fighting to get them in a month ago??

Sorry, but for the past couple months, I hadn't visit Voyager Forums, had other things going on. I did post my work in one of the threads back in 2014.

How I compressed the spring to remove and reinstall wire retainer "C" clip using a carpenter's clamp:

[Nails]

I got the springs back in by putting the handlebars back on and then leveraging against them using a 1/2" drive breaker bar. I had to install the handlebars a little off center, and I used only the middle part of the bars -- the end parts with the grips was removed. I had all this apart anyway because I replaced the handlebars with something simpler and narrower. So, I didn't care if the breaker bar scratched them (it didn't anyway). I found that it fit pretty well, pushing the 1/2" drive part onto the cap. Not effort-free, but not heinous; I got it done without another set of hands; and it wasn't too much stress on the handlebar mounts. Your mileage may vary.

[Mr Jensee]

Where were you when I was fighting to get them in a month ago??

Sorry, but for the past couple months, I hadn't visit Voyager Forums, had other things going on. I did post my work in one of the threads back in 2014.

How I compressed the spring to remove and reinstall wire retainer "C" clip using a carpenter's clamp:
2015-08-28 Front Fork Compressed.jpg

No worries. I took the forks to my local Kawasaki dealer and for $20 they pressed the seals in. Just knowing about your make shift tool would have been helpful though. The PVC idea Carl mentioned just doesnt work.

[ghostler]

No problem.

PCV pipe for setting seals works on some bikes. It's how I set the seals on my 1987 Suzuki LS650 Savage. The Voyager is a slightly larger diameter, no Schedule 40 PVC diameter equivalent will work, so in my searching found the aforementioned cast iron pipe fittings worked. It may be that SD-21 PVC (sewer drain piping) might work as wall is thinner, but didn't check, plus home improvement center only sells in 10 foot lengths.

Did the same for setting auto transaxle seals for driveshafts on my 1992 Dodge Caravan mini-van. Found a cast iron plumbing cap of the right diameter instead of the special MOPAR tool spec'd in the mechanics manual. Under $5, a couple whacks with a hammer set both seals.

[VoyKimmer]

As Mr. Jensee mentioned PVC pipe will not work. I went thru the battle and frustration he did quite a few years ago trying to use PVC to drive them only to find out after installation that they leaked. Even if you can get the PVC to work the plastic peals off from hitting the outer tube getting between the seal. Well worth the money if you ever plan on doing the job more than once to purchase the motion pro seal driver. Under $40

[ghostler]

Trick to using PVC or any other method depends on getting a good fit with the surface to be pressed into place. This I could do with the Savage's seals, because the 1-1/2" dia. x 2' long Schedule 40 PVC fit the seal's edges perfectly. At the time I still had this section of pipe, but found that it did not work with the XII, whose shock diameter is larger than the internal diameter of the 1-1/2" PVC pipe, so I had to find something else that would work.

It is also why I mentioned that although I did not try it, perhaps that Carl whom Mr. Jensee mentioned, might have been referring to another type of PVC pipe not Schedule 40 referred to as SDR-21. It has slightly different dimensions, is larger in internal diameter and wall is slightly thinner than Schedule 40. It may or may not work.

I was able to set my 1992 Dodge Caravan's transaxle seals with a 1-1/2" cast iron plumbing cap, because the edges fit it perfectly. (I took the old seal to the hardware store, where I was able to find the right item.)

Same goes for the tool I manufactured from a 1-1/2"x2" cast iron plumbing reducer bushing and 1-1/2" dia. x 2" long threaded Schedule 40 steel pipe nipple. It matched the XII's shock seal and dust cover perfectly.

You can improvise to make tools that work. Major thing it is must work without harming the items involved and do the job intended. One thing I did do is dress the surfaces squaring with the part to be "pressed" with a file, so it was flat, burrless and smooth. Some prefer to use a genuine tool. Nothing wrong with that, but personally I have managed to get along when needed to by improvising, which still did the job properly and saved money and time. YMMV (your mileage may vary).

[Eydugstr]

Well, I'm knee deep in this project and still have some questions...Have gotten the front forks offs the bike after learning the hard way that the upper circlips are frickin' impossible get back together by myself with the new progressive springs. So went ahead and removed the forks, and will try ghostler's method of using a carpenter clamp to get them back together.

My next question is this...How critical is the small ring clip that goes outside of the fork? When I went to remove the right side fork, found it was missing altogether!

[voyager55]

Just use a large Phillips screwdriver and push down on the caps, Have a helper put the clip in, Easy peasy, japain easy.

[VoyKimmer]

The ring clip is important to maintain the integrity of assisting in holding the air manifold in place. I would order a new one.

[ghostler]

My next question is this...How critical is the small ring clip that goes outside of the fork? When I went to remove the right side fork, found it was missing altogether!

Most likely it is there to prevent any possibility of creep from vibration and road jolts, and ensure proper alignment during strut reinstallation.

[Eydugstr]

Thanks again for all the responses, everyone. After shooting one of the top circlips into parts unknown of the garage, went ahead and bought a carpenter's clamp similar to ghostler's and just removed the forks. Worked like a charm. Unfortunately I didn't have a second set of hands available at the time I had to work on it in. KC's weather took a turn for the worse over the past couple of days, but did get to ride it around the block and the handling is way more stable with the new progressive front springs.