Changing fork seals without stripping forks?

[tim8061]

Is it possible to change the fork seals in an SV1000SK3 without stripping the forks down completely, i.e. just dropping them out and sliding the seals etc off without dismantling inner/outer? I just changed the springs and fork oil a couple of thousand miles ago and now one side has started weeping slightly so it would be nice if it's possible!

[rictus01]

I've seen it tried a couple of times, one resulting in a right mess the other in a new lower fork leg needed, so no I'd say, after all how good is a "seal" going to be if it just slides out :smt102.

Do it properly, it shouldn't take much more time and you'll only need topup oil for any you spill.

Cheers Mark.

[Sid Squid]

Are you suggesting that you might attempt to get the seals out without removing the stanchion from the tube?
If yes then I strongly advise against it - I've seen the results of this more than once and it's been expensive, the last time was someone on here and their SV650, the inevitable gouging had ruined both sliders and stanchions.
If you're thinking that you could leave the stanchion in place in the yokes and slip the lower off of it, then yes, you could, but you're not going to be able to refill the forks with damping oil with any sort of accuracy, and the SV1000 forks are good quality units and deserving of getting it right so they work as well as they can.
It really isn't much work to do it correctly. You'll likely need to fabricate a damper holding tool, which is very simple and cheap and won't take long - if you need to do so I can provide details and dimensions.

[beabert]

Heres a tip, worked a treat for me.

http://forums.sv650.org/showthread.php?t=144935&highlight=seal

[Sid Squid]

You don't need to buy a seal replacement tool - use the old seal.

Rub it down a bit on it's outer face so that it's no longer a fit in the recess and use it to press the new seal in.

[beabert]

naa my link was to a £1.28 plumbing coupling i used as a slide to hit them in easier.

[Sid Squid]

naa my link was to a £1.28 plumbing coupling i used as a slide to hit them in easier.
Yes, I understand, my suggestion is still £1.28 cheaper though :D.

[Bibio]

there is a tool for doing exactly what you want but i have not seen one in ages. its a pair of funny looking pliers with 'hooks' on the end that you press and twist into the old seal then lift out. years ago i used self tappers to good effect but it takes practise.

[yorkie_chris]

Yes, I understand, my suggestion is still £1.28 cheaper though :D.

That's my sort of accounting :)

[yorkie_chris]

there is a tool for doing exactly what you want but i have not seen one in ages. its a pair of funny looking pliers with 'hooks' on the end that you press and twist into the old seal then lift out. years ago i used self tappers to good effect but it takes practise.

Sounds dodgy to me.

You can use oil pressure in fork to remove them, take clip and dust seal out and compress leg.

But, still preferable to take leg out and do job right, IMO.

[Spanner Man]

Good morning all.


I'm tempted to yell 'NAY NAY & THRICE NAY'! :D

All of us in the trade have seen the results of people attempting this on many occasions. It usually results in new stanchions being required.

On occasion I have had a set of forks to do where the seal is corroded into the top of the slider, & it wont budge using the normal 'slide hammer' method.
One then has to use a pointed pin punch to weaken the metal of the seal, before levering it out. Normally this entails that the job takes about twice as long than it should have, had the forks come apart in the normal fashion. Also, there is inevitably some marking on the slider, which requires making good before re-assembly can commence.

In short, do it properly.


Cheers.

[Lozzo]

You don't need to buy a seal replacement tool - use the old seal.

Rub it down a bit on it's outer face so that it's no longer a fit in the recess and use it to press the new seal in.

I use the old seal but turn it the other way up to give a larger area to knock the new one in with, but to keep the whole shebang square on the job I have a piece of 2" domestic waste pipe about 12" long cut down its length. There are two reusable cable ties round it to make it adjustable for whatever diameter forks I'm working on. I use it like a slide hammer with the lower end inside the upsidedown old seal that's been trimmed slightly smaller, and being plastic waste pipe it doesn't damage the stanchion.

It's dead useful on USD forks too. When you're building the fork leg up you put the new seal in the right way up and the old one in upsidedown then you put the pipe on as you can simply prise it apart and clip it around the stanchion once the cable ties are off, knock the seal in then undo the cable ties and remove it. All you have to do then is carefully cut the old seal with tin-snips to remove it from the stanchion. Simples and free as any plumber will donate a 12" section of waste pipe left over from a job.

[mikerj]

Sounds dodgy to me.

You can use oil pressure in fork to remove them, take clip and dust seal out and compress leg.

Sounds potentially messy :D

Stripped down my forks last night to fit a new fork tube to one and new seals etc. and it was a very quick process. I'd say you could strip and rebuild them in under an hour if you didn't mess around.

[yorkie_chris]

I'd say you could strip and rebuild them in under an hour if you didn't mess around.

Yup :)

[tim8061]

OK it's a full strip then. Just have to knock up the tools and bingo. Wrt relocating the cartridge; there's a post on the sv-portal.com which says take care in locating it correctly, what does that mean exactly? How does it locate in the fork?

[yorkie_chris]

It should just drop into bottoming cone inside bottom of slider, if bottom bolt threads in then it is aligned. Hard to get that part wrong TBH.