| Author | Message | ||
     Kaese |
I am probably going to get blasted because of an earlier post, but has anyone tried the fork oil change? Tips or recommendations? I have the Service Manual, looking for some shortcuts. | ||
| Darthane |
I just did it this past weekend. Took me a little while, but I wanted to be sure I got it right the first time. It's not all that difficult, and I could probably do it in a couple hours now. Go to www.traxxion.com ... you'll need the fork compresser tool and I would recommend the fork oil level gauge as well. Something like $70 for both including shipping (beats the hell out of the Harley tools - they're well over $300!). Some soft jaws for a bench vise are a good idea, too (I used my hitch bike rack that has rubber clamps...same principle). Don't take any shortcuts - these are your forks your talking about. Spend an afternoon on them, and make sure it's right. You'll need a second person at points to compress the springs for you while you get something done, but other than that it's a one man job. You may also need a 32mm wrench to get the fork cap off. You could use a really big crescent wrench or even some big pliers, but you'll probably gouge them that way. ...and it's messy, so don't wear good clothes! LOL | ||
| Fullpower |
darthane: what parts did you replace while forks were disassembled? any way to put a drain plug in? | ||
| Darthane |
All I replaced was the oil itself. My seals are still good, although I have all the parts to replace them in the future. Next time I have them apart I probably will whether they're leaking or not, plus my preload pins on one fork are wonky...not sure how it happened, but my front end doesn't do anything funny so for the moment I'm not concerned. If your seals aren't leaking and you're careful and don't destroy anything taking them apart, you shouldn't need to replace anything other than the oil and perhaps an o-ring or two. I don't think there's any point to a drain plug, since you need to disassemble the fork to get all the fluid out of the damping assembly. I'm sure you could rig a small one, but how would you get the fluid back in and at the proper level then? | ||
| Glitch |
Hand operated vacuum. (Message edited by glitch on September 16, 2004) | ||
| Keith |
I did the same thing as Darthane regarding tools and did not replace the seals as they were not leaking. Keith | ||
| Kaese |
Checked around the dealers and they only wanted a hours worth of labor. Sounds like a deal to me. Am I wrong? | ||
| Wyckedflesh |
I was quoted 1.75 hours EACH off the bike already. | ||
| Darthane |
I think 1.75 hours apiece is gouging. It took me 3 in my garage having never done it before and babying my right hand. With proper shop tools, I can see it being done in an hour - though I wouldn't trust my forks to any dealer I've ever been to. | ||
| Honu |
Darthane, what brand/type oil did you use? I have heard there is a synth fork oil available but have not found any. | ||
| Darthane |
I used the HD Brand Type E Fork Oil because I already had a pint of it. There is synth fork oil available, yes. Next time I'll probably talk to the guys at Traxxion and take what they recommend. I think Keith did. | ||
| Fullpower |
what is the viscosity of E type oil? | ||
| Darthane |
I thought I remembered someone saying it was 15 weight? Not sure though. The racing fork oils, IIRC, were lower weight (7?). I've already tossed the containers, sorry. | ||
| Keith |
The racing fork oil from Traxxion Dynamics is "125-150" but in small print it says "7 wt". It works really well for me in the forks of my XB9 with stock (recommended) preload and damping settings. I'm comparing my XB's suspension to my race prepped Honda F3's suspension which was revalved by Traxxion Dynamics and set up by a professional (Marcus McBain). Keith | ||
| Honu |
Marcus is the person who recomended using synth oil in the forks at a demo he was giving at a track day. Do you have to order it from Traxxion Dynamics? I have not found any at the local dealers. Thanks. Craig | ||
| Wyckedflesh |
Honu the fork oil Traxxion uses is made by Maxima, its their 125-150 Racing Formula that equates out to 7wt. You can find it at most import bike shops that carry Maxima products. | ||
| Keith |
Hhmmmm. I don't know if the Traxxion Dynamics (Maxima) racing fork oil is synthetic or not. I would prefer synthetic. Keith |
