| Author | Message | ||
     03firebolt |
Ok so what should I do? I could change my fork seals myself? Or I could pay nearly 500 for HD to change them? Has anybody done this? How hard is it? I heard there was a special tool you have to have to compress the spring? That would be one of the only things keeping me from doing it myself. But I was just looking for a little input. My seals are bad right now, they'll leave a puddle in my garage in the floor, I didn't even know forks could hold this much fluid and still Have more to leak. Haha. Whoops | ||
| Gentleman_jon |
1. If you have to ask, you probably don't want to change the fork seals yourself. Not the most complicated job in the world, but as one only needs to do it every 10,000 miles, it's hard to get much practice, and most folks don't have the tools. If you like to learn new skills, I believe Saintly posted a step by step on how to do it without buying a special tool. 2. Don't take it too your Harley dealer unless they have a very experienced Buell mechanic. Harley forks are nothing like Buell forks, and $500 bucks is about twice what it should cost. 3. Try to find an experienced suspension specialist like Triaxxion, or Computrak who work on inverted forks all the time. While you are at it, ask about respringing and revalving, which may make the bike handle better for your weight and riding style. | ||
| 03firebolt |
Well I mean I do all my own services and I can fix anything on it, I know I can do it, I was just wondering if it's worth paying somebody to do or just go ahead and do it myself. I'll proly end up trying to change them this weekend. Fun | ||
| New12r |
I do all my own, not hard but without the tools it can be difficult. If you had experience without the tools it makes it bareable. | ||
| Rsh |
You could take them to Traxxion Dynamics, they are only about 50 miles away from you. How much fork oil have you lost, sometimes a few drops on the garage floor looks worse than it really is. You could try the 35mm film negative trick. Pull/slide the fork wiper down and clean it out to remove excess debris. Cut a 2"strip off of a 35mm film negative strip and gently feed it between the fork seal and stanchion tube, gently move the negative around the stanchion and fork seal diameter to dislodge any trapped debris. I have done this in the past with good results. YMMV | ||
| Firstbuell |
rsh 35mm film - an awesome tip !! thx | ||
| Ochoa0042 |
what would a jap shop do the work for? may be cheaper | ||
| Altima02 |
^the cost of getting it there is the problem | ||
| 03firebolt |
yea well they been going out for a min. i tried the film trick, it worked for a while, but now it is just on its way down the toilet. i think im gonna try and tackle it myself. "I believe Saintly posted a step by step on how to do it without buying a special tool. " any one have a link maybe?}} | ||
| Bigredwood |
Do the fork service yourself. If just replacing the seals and wipers, it is a very simple process. If the bike is older I would recommend the bushings also.(the teflon wears over time) All the 10,000 mile service includes is a flush, wipers/seals, and bushings. The only tool you 'have to have' is common sense. Seal Drivers are worth the purchase because they are easy to use and guarantee that you wont have to do them twice. (only cost 35 bucks and idiot proof) A vice and impact are very convienent . . . and should be in every garage anyway. I personally like to wear surgical gloves due to the mess. Outside of these the rest of the suspension tools are mostly gimmick, they can be easily duplicated or unused. I just did two sets of KYB's and a set of Showa's on Sunday. I charge 50 bucks for labor and finished all three in two and half hours. If only changing oil/bushings/wiper/seal, first times should only take about an hour and a half per set. It is far easier then folks think. Revalves take more time and knowledge, but are unnessecary for most riders. These parts are all contained in the damping cartridge and can usually be serviced with a simple oil flush. I found that the stock 43's on my STT were more than adjustable. Being a avid dirt rider I changed some things . . . oil and springs, but left the standard valving. By doing you own forks you will gain a lot of knowledge about suspension. By just changing the oil type or level you can dramatically stiffen/loosen the riding characteristics of your bike. The possiblities are infinite and after working on them one time . . . you will be more than comfortable with doing it more often then needed to just change your ride. So enjoy the garage time and remember after you have finished . . . tell us how much fork oil ended up on the floor.  | ||
| Mtch |
http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/384 2/249047.html | ||
| Gentleman_jon |
Here is Saintly's thread on fork oil change. Note the way he uses a tie down instead of an expensive fork compression tool. I found this by typing "Saintly" into the search engine, authors only, then scrolled through a couple hundred posts till I found it. I only mention this, because this is just about the only way I can find posts, including my own. http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/327 77/153628.html?1178891937 Let us know how it goes. I apologize if I seemed flip in my first post, but the mechanical aptitude of members of the board varies a lot, with some guys having a real problem changing their oil, and other guys who are professional techs like Saintly, just breezing through some pretty complicated projects. | ||
| Dbird29 |
Not that hard to do it yourself. Here is a pictorial how to from Badweb. www.badweatherbikers.com/cgibin/discus/show.cgi?tp c=3842&post=802080#POST802080 | ||
| 03firebolt |
No dude, i completely understand. i know how that goes. i used to work at Hd and you get some people that are idiots, and some people that know what they are doing. But i am gonna do it as soon as i can get by the shop to get the parts | ||
| Panhead_dan |
While you are there, pick up the shop manual too. I would not attempt the job without it. Once you review the proceedure in the manual, you will see how easy it is. A few posts on this site and you will know how to get around the 3 special tools that the book says you need. (you don't need them) For example; One of the special tools is a fork tube holder. Use your tripple trees instead. | ||
| 03firebolt |
Got one. It always come in handy to have a manual | ||
| New12r |
I am in loganville if you need a hand. The Buell Barn had seen more fork rebuilds than you can know. | ||
| 03firebolt |
yea, man i might hit you up if need some help. I got a busy weekend though, i got that, gotta change my oil and plugs, and i got to paint my bro in laws xb wheels. there is never enough time in the day. |
