Help - Fork seals stuck

[emjay]

I'm in the process of replacing my fork springs, oil, and seals. Problem is I cannot get the seals out. I pulled the clips, then I tried picks to pry them out - no luck. I then removed the springs and re-installed the forks in the triple trees and tried pulling down hard on the forks, but nothing gives. Any ideas? Now that the rain has stopped I can't stand to have the bike idle.

 

[Cajun Cycler]

When I got to my fork seals they were "welded" in from old age. A flat blade screw driver leveraged in pried them out. Be careful not to scrape up the interior doing so but they will come out. there is nothing holding them in there but the clip.

 

[emjay]

Thanks Cajun, I haven't tried that, I will in the morning.

 

[TomK]

Did you remove the screw for the piston at the bottom of the fork?

Use an old broom handle to keep the piston from turning.

Tom

 

[Big T]

The proper way is to separate the inner and outer fork tubes, then pry it out with a seal remover, a tool that looks like a little ice ax.

When you pry on them , work around the edge. You can get them jammed in their groove and then you'll need that seal remover. If the old ones are more or less intact, they make great tools for driving the new ones in place without bending them

 

[emjay]

The proper way is to separate the inner and outer fork tubes, then pry it out with a seal remover, a tool that looks like a little ice ax.

So, how do you remove the inner and outer tubes? It seems like the seals are keeping them together.

 

[Cajun Cycler]

There is a bolt at the bottom of the fork tube. usually an allen head.

 

[frosty5011]

And when you have the tubes seperated, you can pry out the seal with one edge of a claw-tailed hammer. Not all work well, but I happen to have one that grabs the seal just perfect.............just take care not to damage the top surface of the slider..........protect it with something like a rag or piece of plastic.

 

[TomK]

My favorite fork seal tube protecter is a hose clamp, easy to bend but very durable.

Tom

 

[emjay]

Ok, so I finally got them out. I used half a broom handle (thanks Tom) in a vice on the floor with the fork tube over it upside down. That way I could secure the slider while using an Allen wrench to remove the bolt at the bottom.

I then pulled the seals out with the "ice ax" style seal puller (thanks Big T). They were stuck too much for the flat screw driver or the pick and hooks. I installed the new ones by using the old ones on top of the new ones with a short piece of PVC pipe on top and pounding on them with a rubber mallet.

So now to get it all back together. I've got new progressive springs to go back in. Am I correct in assuming the closer coils go on top? And when do I add the oil, when the whole assembly is back together (but not in the bike) or before?

Thanks again for all your help

 

[onchiman]

It doesn't really matter if the closer wound part of the spring goes top or bottom although the spring might be a little quieter if the closer wound coils are toward the bottom, thus submerged in fork oil (I've never observed this first hand though). It's easier to add the oil before you put the springs back in only because the opening is bigger when there's nothing in there. Make sure you know the proper amount to put in. I believe it's in the directions that cam with the springs or on the Progressive Web-Site. Good Luck.

 

[emjay]

It doesn't really matter if the closer wound part of the spring goes top or bottom although the spring might be a little quieter if the closer wound coils are toward the bottom, thus submerged in fork oil (I've never observed this first hand though). It's easier to add the oil before you put the springs back in only because the opening is bigger when there's nothing in there. Make sure you know the proper amount to put in. I believe it's in the directions that cam with the springs or on the Progressive Web-Site. Good Luck.

Thanks onchiman, that makes sense having the more closely wound end in the oil. And yes, I see, it would be easier to add the oil first, but I've seen it mentioned that it's easier to measure the distance from the top of the fork down to the top of the oil than it is to measure the amount of oil. In that case it would seem that the fork would need to be fully assembled.

 

[onchiman]

As I recall when I did mine, the directions said something to the effect that the fork oil level should be no higher than 5 1/2 inches from the top of the fork with the the fork completely compressed. You then extend the fork, and install the spring. If you do a search in this forum on "progressive", I think you'll find some of the detail I'm missing.

 

[kalessin]

The measurement down from the top of the fork tube with the fork compressed is done with the fork spring removed.

I wonder, does Progressive specify the distance-from-the-top-of-the-fork as different than the stock Suzuki measurement? You might be able to compare the specified fluid volume numbers, if they're the same, then it follows that the distance measurement should be the same. (a few millimeters up or down shouldn't be a problem, but get the fork oil fill within 1mm of each other if you can...)

 

[emjay]

So, the saga continues. I'm putting it back together when I realize that the Progressive springs are shorter than the ones that came out. Is this normal, or did they send me the wrong ones? If it's normal, do I take up the extra distance with a PVC spacer?

 

[onchiman]

Here's the stuff you're looking for. http://www.progressivesuspension.com/PDF/forkSprings/3055.pdf
It does say some bikes need a pvc spacer cut to length.

 

[yogib]

They should've provided the PVC with the springs when you got them.And dimensions as to what lenght to cut them for your bike.Don

 

[yogib]

The PVC is 1" outer with a 1/8 wall thickness.The lenght for your bike should be 1 3/4".You can shorten it to lower the front if desired but go 1/4 at a time.Don

 

[emjay]

Well, I finally got the forks done. I cut the spacers per the instructions from Progressive. I was almost finished getting it all back together when I broke the cotter pin for the axle nut! DOH! So I'm off to get a new one tomorrow, then the only thing left is to put the brakes on. I was hoping to finish tonight. Oh well, so it goes.

Thanks everyone for all your help. As usual, you're the best.