fork oil level

[chadams66]

it's time to replace the seals in my forks...i think i'm ready to go..except..when checking the specs for the oil level i came up stumped...i have a 1981 gs450t..the table in the clymer manual list all sorts of 450t's..450tz..450tzx...all have different levels for the oil...how do i find out which is my model? or is there another reference i can use besides clymer? or best of all ..does anyone know what the oil level is? finally..for tapping the seal in a "appropriate" sized socket was recommended...anyone got that size...it's got to be cheaper than a specialized seal tool...wish me luck in breaking out the allen bolt in the bottom of the fork...

[Guest]

Not sure of the oil level but a piece of PVC pipe works great as a seal tool.

[megatwin]

Pretty good rule of thumb,with the springs out,and the forks collapsed,fill to 5.5" from the top,and should work fine.

[tkent02]

Fork level, if you find a spec in some manual remember that spec is derived for the standard 150 lb Japanese test rider.

[Steve]

... i have a 1981 gs450t..the table in the clymer manual list all sorts of 450t's..450tz..450tzx...all have different levels for the oil...how do i find out which is my model? ...

The 450T will remain constant, the next letter is the designation for the model year.
Since you have an '81, the letter is X, making your bike a GS450TX.

Since the X says that it's an '81, it would be redundant to say that you have a 1981 GS450TX.

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[chadams66]

thanks for the replies...if i have this figured out right..my oil level is 8.2" or 208mm..with the oil amount being somewhere between 4.8 to 5.2 oz.
the cylmer table 2 list gs450TXZ and gs450TXD with different amounts..but with the same level...i'm not sure what the Z OR D refer to..but the level is the same so i'm happy with that...
i saw the pvc pipe trick on a youtube video and it is pretty trick..i like it...
once again..thanks

[Nessism]

Fork oil height is not critical, or even that important. As long as the damper rods are covered the forks will function fine. More oil volume means there is slightly less trapped air inside the fork. With less air there will be a greater increase in the pressure when you bottom out the fork, which may provide a minor level of increased stiffness. Honestly, the oil level doesn't matter much. Just pick a number and go.

[GateKeeper]

Fork oil height is not critical, or even that important. As long as the damper rods are covered the forks will function fine. More oil volume means there is slightly less trapped air inside the fork. With less air there will be a greater increase in the pressure when you bottom out the fork, which may provide a minor level of increased stiffness. Honestly, the oil level doesn't matter much. Just pick a number and go.

I am glad you confirmed my thoughts on this.....as I was filling up my forks after a rebuild and unfortunately I had a mishap and I lost oil in both forks, maybe a few cc's but everything is still covered well down there, so maybe once riding season starts I will drain both and measure and put in the correct amount, just because,,,,,but for now I will leave them as is, with the little bit missing in each....

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[Agemax]

i have always maintained that fork oil level is not critical. as long as you get the same amount in each leg, close enough, it will be fine and you can play about with levels to get the feel correct for your own taste.
the sticklers for putting EXACTLY the right amount of oil in each leg to the exact same cc are wasting their time..........

[RichDesmond]

i have always maintained that fork oil level is not critical. as long as you get the same amount in each leg, close enough, it will be fine and you can play about with levels to get the feel correct for your own taste.
the sticklers for putting EXACTLY the right amount of oil in each leg to the exact same cc are wasting their time..........

Yeah, for average street use most damper rod forks are fine with an air gap anywhere from 115mm to 130mm.