Author Topic: Wrong fork seals (Read 1673 times)

egar · « **on:** December 31, 2008, 11:36:25 AM »

everything has been going better than expected with the forks. Polishing up nice and came apart easily. The problem is that the old seals were so bad they had to be scraped out and the new seals I bought from Z1 don't look anything like the old seals. The back of the package says it should fit the 77 cb550 but I don't see how it could fit in there because the sides of the new seal are solid and theres a ledge or lip inside the fork top that would prevent you from getting in down in there. ... Any thoughts? Order new seals from somewhere else?http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr218/egar_photo/forkandseal2.jpg[/img][url=http://[URL=http://s485.photobucket.com/albums/rr218/egar_photo/?action=view&current=forkandseal3.jpg]

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egar · « **Reply #1 on:** December 31, 2008, 12:01:40 PM »

I also wrote to Z1. They have an e-mail address for technical questions. I will share their answer when they respond if anyone is interested. The part number is 16-1020.

TwoTired · « **Reply #2 on:** December 31, 2008, 12:10:31 PM »

The outer rim of the seal is a steel band embedded in the rubber.

Did you remove that part of the old seal in the fork tube? If not, it will block installation of the new seal.

Also, when installed, you should be able to read markings on the installed seal. Markings out.

Cheers,

egar · « **Reply #3 on:** December 31, 2008, 12:38:31 PM »

TT,
I basically had to scrape off the old seal. I took out the clip that held the old seal in. But the new seal is smooth on the outside. There is no way I can figure to wrap it around that "ledge on the inside of the fork tube. Does that make sense?

TwoTired · « **Reply #4 on:** December 31, 2008, 05:03:33 PM »

No.
You don't scrape off the old seal. You pry it out pretty much intact, if not distorted.
The seals are normally smooth on the outside. That rubber covers an embedded steel band. The clip retainer is NOT part of the seal. The metal band inside the seal rubber is.

Further, I can't see any detail in those small pictures that show where the seal seats as they are so small. So, I'm guessing you still have part of the old seal still in the fork tube.

Can you see steel still in the aluminum fork tube?

Cheers,

Bodi · « **Reply #5 on:** December 31, 2008, 07:04:42 PM »

Well - your post is pretty messed up, but I dug out one pic at
http://s485.photobucket.com/albums/rr218/egar_photo/?action=view&current=forkandseal3.jpg
and it looks like you do still have the outer ring from the old seal still in the fork tube.
You have to get that out. The fork seal recess in the fork will be a stepped bore with the groove for the retaining ring near the open end. You should have only one step, not the extra one I see that is probably part of the old seal. As TT has said, the seal consists of a steel ring coated with rubber - the rubber cast around this ring also forms the lip and recess whare the tension spring sits. You probably scraped out all the rubber inside the steel ring but the ring and the rubber between it and the fork tube are still in there.

754 · « **Reply #6 on:** December 31, 2008, 07:36:51 PM »

Part of the seal??

Looks like MOST of the seal is still in there.

Question,
how much reading or research did you do before you started this seal pulling?

05c50 · « **Reply #7 on:** December 31, 2008, 08:26:31 PM »

A suggestion......see if a magnet will stick to the inside of the fork tube where seal was (is). If the magnet sticks, as everyone else has indicated, you haven't removed all of the old seal.

........Paul

egar · « **Reply #8 on:** January 01, 2009, 12:07:38 AM »

It is 3 am and I am drunk. I will read these suggestions tomorrow.

754 · « **Reply #9 on:** January 01, 2009, 12:10:50 AM »

HAAAAaaaaaaAAAaaaaaYYYYYYYYYyyyyyYYYY @#$%^&*&^%$

Better finish them forks tonight...

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOOL......

HavocTurbo · « **Reply #10 on:** January 01, 2009, 12:42:54 AM »

All joking aside....

WTF are you doing drinking to oblivion whilst working on your bike??

Are there friends there to drink with you? And...

If so...

Why aren't they helping and getting drunk also?

Sheesh....

Kids these days!!!

Johnie · « **Reply #11 on:** January 01, 2009, 07:09:28 AM »

Quote from: egar on January 01, 2009, 12:07:38 AM

It is 3 am and I am drunk. I will read these suggestions tomorrow.

Or maybe the day after tomorrow...

egar · « **Reply #12 on:** January 01, 2009, 10:39:40 AM »

I am sober and hung over. I am not a big drinker, but I recall last night during a party we hosted that I snuck in here to check responses. It all makes sense to me now. The old fork seal ring is still in there. I thought it was part of the fork tube after I scraped the rubber out.
I did quite a bit of reading in the shop manual and on the site before attacking the forks. The broom handle trick worked like a charm to get the bottom screw out. My problem now is figuring a trick to get the old seal out. I am so happy that the new seals I have are the right ones. I was thinking of using the new Dremel I got for Christmas to kerf it and pull it out in pieces. The metal band is in there rock solid....

05c50 · « **Reply #13 on:** January 01, 2009, 10:59:43 AM »

Use caution with the Dremel, you don't want to damage the aluminum.

........Paul

Spikeybike · « **Reply #14 on:** January 01, 2009, 11:10:39 AM »

let it sit in boiling water for a few minutes then it should pry out fairly easily. But when doing that , it will get pretty hot, make sure you let it cool on it own, dont try and run it under cold water to cool it down , it may distort the metal

Johnie · « **Reply #15 on:** January 01, 2009, 11:15:13 AM »

You have to be sure you do not scratch the surface the seal mates too. If you do that you could continue to have leaking seals and would possibly need new tubes. I would not use a Dreml or you will damage the surface. Try the hot water trick. I have heard that before on this site. Seems to work nicely.

754 · « **Reply #16 on:** January 01, 2009, 11:21:53 AM »

I AWLways use a sharp AWL. I poke in 2 tiny holes about 180 degrees apart..(you could use a tiny drill).

Then I screw in 2 small screws. Then use a claw hammer to pull them out, but you have to be carefull and use a shim between the outer edge of the fork and the hammer to protect it..aluminum works good.

An alternate method, clamp visegrips to the screws, hit the visegrips..

Another alternate, clamp the 2 screws in a vise an wiggle the tube off, by pulling upward..

egar · « **Reply #17 on:** January 01, 2009, 12:06:11 PM »

Thank you for all of the suggestions! It's funny that I worried about getting the bottom screw out - which was a snap - and the old fork seals ended up being the obstacle. Will let you know how I fare. Wanted to post new photos of my unpolished fork and polished fork, but the digital camera went haywire. It may be dead.

egar · « **Reply #18 on:** January 01, 2009, 12:52:09 PM »

I went back out to the garage and heated up the fork tube under hot water. I drilled a tiny hole in the metal band that was part of the old seal and put a screw in it, pulled it out with the claw hammer in no time flat.

My last 550 taught me a lot, but this bike is new territory because I'm starting from the frame up. Replacing forks seals was something new for me. Thanks again everyone and Happy New Year.

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Author Topic: Wrong fork seals (Read 1673 times)