Topic: Is fork seal replacement really this easy?

[754]

I use 2 srews and usually a claw hammer, and a block of softwood (or plywood).. just pull a bit move to the other, then repeat..
 

 Only real problem, is to be carefull drilling or punching hole for the screw.. most of the time, I can do it with a sharp awl..

 I had to figure that out for Kayaba forks Harley used before they went to Showa.. there was only about 2 or 2.5mm aluminum around the seal.. a lot of people broke them..

 I figured out that method after seeing HD using 4 screws on a puller to get the main transmission seal out..

[Old75_ratafe]

Handy tool for removing the allen bolt in the bottom with the forks left in the triple tree:

That is a handy tool, though the impact wrench is even handier. 

What do you use to keep the lower from spinning?  Being an aircraft mechanic, I shy away from pneumatics and use only as a last resort.  I know how seized they can be.  After stripping the head, I have driven a six point torq bit into the head with a hammer and extracted the bolt with heat applied.  That is bench work though, and a wood jaw vise is the tool of choice.

I've NEVER stripped one with the appropriate sized allen socket. The process is simple... loosen fork caps (but leave them on so that the springs maintain tension on the little piece that holds the upper and lower together), drain fork oil, remove the retaining screw with impact driver, drop lower leaving fork tube in trees. The lower doesn't even begin to spin when using the impact wrench. In fact, you don't even need to hold it with your hand.

+1 on 754's recommendation to use woodscrews to remove the seals, though they're sometimes in there a little too tight. My slide hammer will clamp directly onto the screw, then it's just alternate between one and the other, and it's out. That said, I've used the claw end of my shop hammer many times and it doesn't mar the surface... you just have to be careful not to gouge the inner surface of the fork with the claw. The claw grabs two places instead of the single point a seal remover tool does. I set it on the end of the work bench so that the top of the hammer is contacting the workbench rather than the top of the fork lower... pry, rotate, pry, rotate, etc. and it'll always work when the screws don't.

Excellent description and that video above helped me put it to visual even if using the screwdriver was a bad idea.  I have a question though... why not just used a seal removed their like dirt cheap at any auto parts store and rounded on the edge to not gouge into the metal if you press against it.

[paulages]

Handy tool for removing the allen bolt in the bottom with the forks left in the triple tree:

That is a handy tool, though the impact wrench is even handier. 

What do you use to keep the lower from spinning?  Being an aircraft mechanic, I shy away from pneumatics and use only as a last resort.  I know how seized they can be.  After stripping the head, I have driven a six point torq bit into the head with a hammer and extracted the bolt with heat applied.  That is bench work though, and a wood jaw vise is the tool of choice.

I've NEVER stripped one with the appropriate sized allen socket. The process is simple... loosen fork caps (but leave them on so that the springs maintain tension on the little piece that holds the upper and lower together), drain fork oil, remove the retaining screw with impact driver, drop lower leaving fork tube in trees. The lower doesn't even begin to spin when using the impact wrench. In fact, you don't even need to hold it with your hand.

+1 on 754's recommendation to use woodscrews to remove the seals, though they're sometimes in there a little too tight. My slide hammer will clamp directly onto the screw, then it's just alternate between one and the other, and it's out. That said, I've used the claw end of my shop hammer many times and it doesn't mar the surface... you just have to be careful not to gouge the inner surface of the fork with the claw. The claw grabs two places instead of the single point a seal remover tool does. I set it on the end of the work bench so that the top of the hammer is contacting the workbench rather than the top of the fork lower... pry, rotate, pry, rotate, etc. and it'll always work when the screws don't.

Excellent description and that video above helped me put it to visual even if using the screwdriver was a bad idea.  I have a question though... why not just used a seal removed their like dirt cheap at any auto parts store and rounded on the edge to not gouge into the metal if you press against it.

Because they're cheap..  I've bent too many and they never seem to have enough leverage. Once when this happened, I looked up and saw the hammer... I've never bought another seal puller. You just have to be VERY careful not to scratch the inner surface of the fork leg where the outer part of the seal touches, but the same goes for a seal puller.

[climbingaz]

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[Old75_ratafe]

Yea gotta say I know a few mistakes in the video but I'm not afraid to do it now that I have seen it.