Topic: Fork seal question

[Laids]

Working on a 750 K1. Ordered new fork seals appropriate to a K1, but comparing to the seals that came out are a different size. The originals are 35x48x13. New and according to most of the parts books is 35x48x11. I measured the fork leg and it is from the seat 13mm to the cir clip. I don’t see a possible washer in the parts diagram. Any ideas?

[Oddjob]

I’ve often wondered why the 550f for instance has thinner seals than the distance between the bottom of the seat and the circlip, like yourself. I’ve wondered does the seal move up and down for example. This time I found some seals for another Honda that were the same width as the seal area, oddly they came with spacer washers as well, but the bike they are off is a sort of off road motocross type bike. The washers are the exact thickness to work under the parts book seal, which could come in handy.

[seanbarney41]

I think honda has superceded the part number on 35mm fork seals at least a few times now...so what you get is a comprimize to work with several different model forks.  Fortunately, whatever they give you works just fine.  I have been just pressing the seal in far enough so that the circlip has just enough room to snap into it's groove.  The seals stay put and seal the oil in just fine.  You will also notice that it is more difficult to determine which side of the seal faces out.  Hopefully someone will be along shortly with a good tip on that.

[Nurse Julie]

They were originally 11mm, part number 91255-300-023. They were 35x48x11,with a spacer on top then the clip.

[Oddjob]

They've superceded the fork seal part number quite a few times, CMS list it as 025 for the original part number, and then it's superceded to 91255-434-013, same for the 550F, which incidentally never seemed to get the packing ring as Honda call it, why, if the 750K needed it why not the 550F which uses the same slider machining in that area. I just decided to find an alternative seal that does fit as it should, one you just tap down till it bottoms and the circlip fits as it should.

[scottly]

The K0-K2 forks are different than the later forks. The early forks have a proper circlip on top of the seal, rather than the wire clip used on the later forks. The circlip is what keeps the lowers from sliding off the fork tubes, instead of the damper rods. You can remove the lowers with the damper rods installed by removing the clip and using the lower like a slide-hammer to remove the seal and slide the lower off the tube. I believe there was a thin washer under the clip to protect the seal?