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Fork oil change tips?

A

angelo

Guest
Guest
Hi all.  It is past due.  Have changed fork oil on several other bikes.  Also have a factory manual.  BUT almost always learn more in this format from folks with experience. 

Pretty happy with performance so thinking same weight oil.  Thoughts?

I understand later models than my 08 have more oil.  Worth doing or stay at stock 08 oil level height? 

Plan on using pump to drain and refill.  Any tips for removal of springs, parts?  Any special tools needed if not doing seals?

As I said, have done this job on several bikes but not that often and it’s been several years.  Any tips ideas time savers welcome. 
 
Really not too bad of a job. If you’re changing oil, it’s not much further to just change the seals. One the top cap is off, the halves separate. You’ll need a spring compressor tool and a ratchet strap to compress the spring enough to get the top cap off the cartridge. If you don’t want to go that far,that’s fine. As long as your seals aren’t leaking at all.

Before you remove the front tire, loosen the pinch bolts on the top and break the torque on the top cap. It’s a 24mm. Once it’s a bit loose, proceed, as normal, remove the tire, the fender, the calipers (they don’t have to come off the bike entirely, just off the fork). I believe the bottom triple tree pinch bolts are 11 or 12mm. Loosen them and pull the forks out. Loosen the tube from the top cap, it should spin by hand if you broke the torque while everything was still assembled. Dump and allow to drain. Refill to proper level.

I would suggest removing the top cap altogether though so you can actuate the cartridge and bleed the system out. And if you’re removing the top cap, might as well change the seals. If you’re a paying member, I have a set of tools belonging to Old Man on a Connie (Mark Hartman) that is available for member use. I can ship them to you. Has everything you need to change the seals, minus a ratchet strap.
 
I might take you up on the tool loan sometime this winter. Going to bookmark this thread!
 
ghostrider990 said:
Whats the FSM recommended Service Interval for changing the Fork Oil??

I'm too lazy to go pull mine out.  ::)

gr
Click to expand...

Doesn’t give one. For what it’s worth, I’ll be doing mine every 30k miles. Probably do the seals at the same time too.
 
I realize that Fred outlines this in his videos, which I make plenty good use of.  If there's no schedule specified in the owners manual, why should it be done? Can one really feel when it needs it?  Or is there even any perceptible change after changing it?  This sounds like one of those "way back burner" jobs, compared to everything else you can (and need) to do, and I imagine many people put tens of thousands of miles on their bike never performing it.
 
Syxxphive said:
Really not too bad of a job. If you’re changing oil, it’s not much further to just change the seals. One the top cap is off, the halves separate. You’ll need a spring compressor tool and a ratchet strap to compress the spring enough to get the top cap off the cartridge. If you don’t want to go that far,that’s fine. As long as your seals aren’t leaking at all.

Before you remove the front tire, loosen the pinch bolts on the top and break the torque on the top cap. It’s a 24mm. Once it’s a bit loose, proceed, as normal, remove the tire, the fender, the calipers (they don’t have to come off the bike entirely, just off the fork). I believe the bottom triple tree pinch bolts are 11 or 12mm. Loosen them and pull the forks out. Loosen the tube from the top cap, it should spin by hand if you broke the torque while everything was still assembled. Dump and allow to drain. Refill to proper level.

I would suggest removing the top cap altogether though so you can actuate the cartridge and bleed the system out. And if you’re removing the top cap, might as well change the seals. If you’re a paying member, I have a set of tools belonging to Old Man on a Connie (Mark Hartman) that is available for member use. I can ship them to you. Has everything you need to change the seals, minus a ratchet strap.
Click to expand...
Glad to see these tools making the rounds. Pay it forward  :beerchug: :great:
 
No ones requested them from me yet, but I do the make offer!

BTW, if I remember before someone requests them, the syringe needs to be replaced. The seal on the plunger is totally shot. Had a hard time making it work. I think the rubber just dried out. I’ll see what I can find.
 
Syxxphive said:
No ones requested them from me yet, but I do the make offer!

BTW, if I remember before someone requests them, the syringe needs to be replaced. The seal on the plunger is totally shot. Had a hard time making it work. I think the rubber just dried out. I’ll see what I can find.
Click to expand...
I think I put a big O ring on there. Have some more if you can measure. Dia and cross section. Usually the fork oil gets contaminated with itty bitty pieces of the bushings.
 
ghostrider990 said:
Whats the FSM recommended Service Interval for changing the Fork Oil??

I'm too lazy to go pull mine out.  ::)

gr
Click to expand...


As with the rest of the group, I was very surprised there was not any mention of it in the end-user manual that comes with the bike, or the SERVICE MANUAL.


But as another poster said, 30K may be the general area I do mine.  Sometimes it's obviously needed like when the bike front end bounces.  But it's probably OVER DUE by that point.


So once again it was very disappointing theres no interval set by KAW, yet they want you to change the spark plugs at 7500 miles.  So, one ride and I have to change the spark plugs???????



 
I waited almost 50,000 miles to change my fork oil. I removed the forks and shipped them off to Traxxion for the AK-20 upgrade. Fresh oil and new suspension.
 
4Bikes said:
I waited almost 50,000 miles to change my fork oil. I removed the forks and shipped them off to Traxxion for the AK-20 upgrade. Fresh oil and new suspension.
Click to expand...


What'd that cost?
 
Thanks for the info guys.  Yes I guess just feel the need to change out of past habits.  Valve adjust last winter so never got to this. I am at somewhere around 42k miles.  So just assumed past due.  No negative warning signs but you know how wear items - like fork oil- kind of steadily degrade and it creeps up on us without noticing.  Until one addresses and we hear singing in the vast improvement. 
 
JTX said:
4Bikes said:
I waited almost 50,000 miles to change my fork oil. I removed the forks and shipped them off to Traxxion for the AK-20 upgrade. Fresh oil and new suspension.
Click to expand...


What'd that cost?
Click to expand...
If I remember correctly, it was around $2,100 with a 10% COG discount.  I also got the Rear Penske 8983 at the same time, and it totally transformed the ride.  I had basically the same question as Angelo in his first post, and ended up going with the upgrade.  Since I'm keeping my C-14, I figured why not make it better, along with addressing a maintenance item.

Here is the thread that has all of the details.
http://forum.cog-online.org/tires-suspension-c14/forked-up-service/
 
4Bikes said:
JTX said:
4Bikes said:
I waited almost 50,000 miles to change my fork oil. I removed the forks and shipped them off to Traxxion for the AK-20 upgrade. Fresh oil and new suspension.
Click to expand...


What'd that cost?
Click to expand...
If I remember correctly, it was around $2,100 with a 10% COG discount.  I also got the Rear Penske 8983 at the same time, and it totally transformed the ride.  I had basically the same question as Angelo in his first post, and ended up going with the upgrade.  Since I'm keeping my C-14, I figured why not make it better, along with addressing a maintenance item.

Here is the thread that has all of the details.
http://forum.cog-online.org/tires-suspension-c14/forked-up-service/
Click to expand...

Super jealous of that setup. Hopefully I’ll be able to upgrade my suspension soon.
 
Hey Angelo, if you use a pump, you will have to remove the innards from the shock. No need to but you will need to pull the forks out to invert and drain. manual says to remove caps and using the rod, push completely down and pump at least ten times.. I left the caps on and pumped the tube 30 times ( just expels oil faster) My 2012 calls for 15 fluid oz.'s. After filling pump fork tube up/down a few x's in the uprigt position. You will hear lots of gurgling until bubbles work out. Tighten cap by hand, wipe down, re install. KJ
 
I changed my fork oil at around 50k miles. All looked good. Sort of wished I hadn't bothered. Did not replace the seals. 5k miles later I am replacing the seals. My two cents if your going to change it go ahead and replace the seals. I personally would wait till the seals need replaced. But piece of mind is priceless.
 
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