changing front fork oil

[lucky13]

Can anyone tell me what I have to do to in regards to removing the caps etc. on the front forks so I can change the fork oil? Do I need any special tools or??

[Van Voyager]

Make sure you have the front of the bike jacked up with the front wheel off the ground.

[VoyKimmer]

I remove the forks one at a time to change my fork oil. That’s how the manual suggest you do it and that’s how you get the most accurate measurement. That’s the proper way and how I do it. For me that’s also the easiest way.

[lucky13]

Okay thanks. Taking off the forks seems to be the way. Another member suggested switching to progressive shocks while I am at it. I think the jury is in...Thanks for all your help everyone.

[Van Voyager]

Another member suggested switching to progressive shocks while I am at it. I think the jury is in...Thanks for all your help everyone.

I'm curious to see how this works out for you. I've replaced worn out and sagging OEM springs with Progressive brand springs in many bikes over the years and have been very happy with the results but have often wondered if just replacing with new spec OEM springs would have yielded the same or possibly better results (probably wouldn't go OEM because of the cost - even if they were available - but still curious).

I have an 86 ZN1300 and have always thought it odd that the Progressive replacement spring is the same one they specify for a 83 CB1100F which weighs approximately 1/2 what the Voyager weighs. They work well in the 1100F but it seems to me they may not be heavy-duty enough for the Voyager.

[voyager55]

Here's a simple way to change fork oil & front springs

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

[SgtSlag]

I do not remove my forks, nor do I disassemble them... Too much work! I open the tops, pull the drain screws, manually compress them several times, then I replace the drain screws, and I refill them.

If I got the volume of fluid wrong, the seals would blow. I've changed my fork oil twice, about to do it again, with the same Progressive Springs I installed shortly after I bought the bike, in 2012. I also add some SeaFoam to them, before draining, then I compressed them fully, several times, to allow the SeaFoam to dissolve any varnish which might be hiding in them (will not repeat this, but I did it in the past two changes).

I use Dexron VI Automatic Transmission Fluid: very high in detergents (why I will no longer use SeaFoam, before draining), fully synthetic (will last twice as long as conventional Dexron ATF), and it is a viscosity weight of 8, which I like the feel of. It costs less than half of what Fork Oil costs, and it is fully synthetic. It does the job quite well, for me. YMMV. Cheers!

[lucky13]

Thanks!

[mayhem8]

I'm about to do this (fork oil change only). A question was asked earlier that was never answered. Do the dust caps that cover the tubes at the very top of the fork just pry off or do I need to loosen the bolt at the top of the fork, or both? If I get an answer in time, great. If not, I'll probably post the answer to my own question later.

[mayhem8]

So the dust caps are just plastic that sit in place and can easily by pried up with a fingernail. I haven't yet figured out how to get the retaining clip out, but this whole thing could have been sooooo much easier if they just used a standard snap ring in place of this round clip. It will be a miracle if I don't lose one of them in the process.

[mayhem8]

Got that done. I did not pull the forks. I just did it as a couple others had suggested, and the link in this thread had some good pictures. I did use the full synthetic tranny fluid. Not sure I will really notice any difference.

To get the ring clip out, I pushed the center cap down with a phillips screw driver and was able to pry out one of the ends with a very small flat blade screwdriver. Once I got one side popped out I stopped pushing down on the center and, using my fingernail, was able to pry the ring out enough to grab it with some needlenose pliers so it didn't go flying.

Once I grabbed the ring with the pliers, I again pushed down on the center cup and was able to pull the ring out the rest of the way and release the pressure on the center cap.

The part below the sleeve (filter?) was a bit of a PITA to get out. I used my small shop vac with a piece of rubber hose taped to the hose end to get that out.

Putting it back together was of course much easier as the hardest part of the whole job was getting that ring clip out. The fork oil did look a little dark but not too bad. It's possible that it could be that this was the first time it was done.

I of course released the air pressure in the forks and pumped it back up when I was done. Based on a suggestion in another thread I run with 50 PSI in the front.

[triton28]

With all due respect to you, it seems as though you haven't yet become familiar with the manufacturer's suggested air pressures as published in the Owner's Manual or Chapter XII, Suspension, page 12-5 of the MSM wherein the usable range of front fork air pressure is between 5.7-8.5 lbs of air pressure.
50 lbs pressure WILL cause the seals to leak prematurely when under operation on the road at the very least. In fact there is a WARNING that "Pressure too high or too low can produce a hazardous riding condition". As well, I suspect that with 50 lbs of pressure the suspension aspect of the front forks would be very stiff and rigid if it worked at all.
Should you need any of the manuals go to the Tech Center of the Home page and there is a link to what you may not already have. Knowledge is priceless.
Regards,
Dave

[mayhem8]

I went back and checked and I was getting the rear shock pressure valve confused with the front fork pressure valve. I have not driven the bike anywhere and released the pressure and reset it back to 8 PSI. Thank you for posting that. Hopefully I didn't damage the seals

[cushman eagle]

I have tried several oils for my stock forks on my'99 in the 11 years I have had it,and have not been satisfied,until a couple weeks ago,I tried 0-16 synthetic engine oil It was always too harsh on rough roads, and now handles those rough areas much better
I have only had a chance to put about 250 miles on it since the change.

[Barry]

I have tried several oils for my stock forks on my'99 in the 11 years I have had it,and have not been satisfied,until a couple weeks ago,I tried 0-16 synthetic engine oil It was always too harsh on rough roads, and now handles those rough areas much better
I have only had a chance to put about 250 miles on it since the change.

Are you running factory or progressive springs? Over the last 20+ years I've tried just about every suggested oil in the front with progressives and am still not happy. If I rode more I would be seriously be thinking about getting emulators.

[cushman eagle]

I am running stock springs.I thought about installing emulators also,then decided to try the 0-16 synthetic oil,now I have no desire to dial in emulators
Before the 0-16,when I hit a short, sharp,bump in the road,it felt like I had a rigid front end,now it is very acceptable,you still feel it,but it does not jar the bike like it did before

[GrandpaDenny]

when I hit a short, sharp,bump in the road,it felt like I had a rigid front end,now it is very acceptable,you still feel it,but it does not jar the bike like it did before

I've had the same problem with the Progressives. Adding some air to the front end was like a miracle.

[2wrems]

Has anyone tried to use air pressure to blow the fork seals out? Instead of disassembling the forks to replace the seals. I have a KLR650 that has shrader valves on the top of the fork tubes and i use that to add a bunch of air to and it pops the fork seals out to replace them. Works great cuts the seal replacement time in half.

[Bonnie and Clyde]

Here's a simple way to change fork oil & front springs

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

Any chance of getting this link refreshed?

[GrandpaDenny]

Here's a simple way to change fork oil & front springs

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

Any chance of getting this link refreshed?

abbikeboard.com is dead, pushing up daisies, gone to meet its maker, joined the choir invisible.