Fork oil topping

before i look into the book of lies, can anyone enlighten me on the procedure for checking/topping up the fork oil ? it looks really straight forward (remove big bolts, top up, refit big bolts..) is it that simple ?

I think you remove the big bolts, then remove something else, then make sure it does'nt explode...if it is that easy, let me know as mine are leakier than a tramps gusset.

You'll need to drop the legs out, and pull the springs and spacers out from inside so you can measure the oil levels properly - not worth guessing (imho). It's a bit of a pain, but should only take 1-2 hours to do.

Originally Posted by The Kevlar Kid

You'll need to drop the legs out, and pull the springs and spacers out from inside so you can measure the oil levels properly - not worth guessing (imho). It's a bit of a pain, but should only take 1-2 hours to do.

that sounds a right pain without a center tand..

so darling...but do you listen? I mean do any of you bloody listen?! with your "oh its Yerbury with his marginally offensive, never been out with the the nottingham massive, getting all laa de daa with that Richard girl....and occasionally being a bit technical" ways, damned bloody fools the lot of you, many of you as ugly as geese and as bloated as last weeks ham hocks, by god damn you all to high heaven.... Apart from you stef. Get a jack and take the bas tards off that way? its easy. Does it really need doing though cher steph? or are you being a bit of a worry merchant?
All the noise.
AY.
salut.

Too right, it DOES need doing, since i have bought a litre of fork oil !
why would have i bought the oil, if it didn't need topping up ? do you think i am a fool ? french maybe, but a fool ? am i wearing a joker's hat with little bells on the ends ??? i think not.
umm.. seriously, i get the idea.. messy.
The only reliable way to find out if it needs doing is by checking it.. I havent checked it since i bought the bike, and i feel a bit of a "glitch" on pressing the brakes hard when stationanry (the classic fork press test)..

If you're going to go to the trouble of taking the forks out and removing the springs, etc..., you may as well change the oil completely for the new stuff. According to the maintenance schedule for my bike it should be changed every two years anyway. Put in the amount it says in the manual and use a dipstick to check the levels.

"The only reliable way to find out if it needs doing is by checking it.. I havent checked it since i bought the bike, and i feel a bit of a "glitch" on pressing the brakes hard when stationanry (the classic fork press test).."


err see below..! they are a bit "glitchy" as standard or so I hear.

[spacemonkey]

Now listen up: it is possible to change the fork oil and replace without removing the forks. I've seen/had it done. Firstly be very wary when you undo the top bolts of the fork caps, as when they go the bike drops suddenly on the forks and the bike will fall over due to the new unbalanced status of the bike to the right. Not good... Anyway, back to the plot. You remove the oil with a syringe and tubing. Easy. Then you phone someone like http://www.davewoodracing.com/ who has experience in such matters (in fact it was he who demonstrated this to me...) to find out how much oil to put in. If you can't get oil volume then he did once rebuild a fork with oil correctly, then he measured the oil level when the fork was compressed in the bike as I have described. He got a metal rod and put a zip tie on it tight and set it to the correct oil level height. He then used it as a dipstick to get the correct oil level, sucking excess out with the aforementioned syringe. Remember to compress and uncompress the forks a few times before measuring the level to allow the oil to circulate and not give a false reading. Worked for me!

More tube and syringe fun from space! top tip, so in theory a padddock stand and a jack/bit of wood combo would be just the ticket?

[QUOTE=spacemonkey]Now listen up: it is possible to change the fork oil and replace without removing the forks.QUOTE]

Spacemonkey does not lie - indeed it is possible and this is the way race bikes are usually set up when they are playing around with oil levels etc to change the damping properties (somebody please correct me if I am wrong).

From a novice point of view (and I've only done four or five changes / strip and rebuilds myself so I'm no expert) if you do it this way, make sure you get the oil level measurement from someone reliable - as you wont find this in a Ducati or Haynes manual. When getting this level, ensure to check where it should be measured (e.g. front / back / centre of forks) as they will not be vertical whilst they are still mounted in the yokes, so the height of the oil will vary in these positions. Realise in advance that to get the tops back on afterwards you will need to lift the front of the bike up the sliders with one hand, whilst trying to screw the top back on with the other (without cross threading it) - might be best to get some help with that bit. Finally remember to syringe out all the old oil, including compressing the damper rod a few times to expell it from there - probably also best to tie a bit of cable round the top of this so you can get it back when its slid down into the tube.

As an aside from the above - I use an engineers sliding set sqare to measure the level (available B&Q etc). Most books show a standard steel rule, but I don't trust the opportunity for paralax error, with the set sqaure you can set the height precisely, it provides a perfectly flat surface to rest on the fork tops, and you just add oil until you see it meet the bottom of the rule - any over filling will measure as with a dipstick.
If your feeling flush, you can buy syringe type levelers that have a straight metal tube with a platform that can have its height set as required, you then simply overfill, insert your tool (oo-er misses) and suck out the unwanted fluid.

I've always found it easier to just remove the legs. Providing you have a centre stand or a jack it only takes a few minutes - but does mean you have to take the front wheel off etc - I use this as an opportunity to give the front end a good check (brakes bearings etc) especially as this would be done as part of a service.

I'm waffling now.......

If anyone disagrees - please tell me and hit me over the head with something blunt.......

Originally Posted by A Yerbury

I think you remove the big bolts, then remove something else, then make sure it does'nt explode...if it is that easy, let me know as mine are leakier than a tramps gusset.

Alex - go on get them off (the fork legs that is.....) If your seals are leaking they are easy to do..... (use the old seal as a seal driver if you dont have one.)

Originally Posted by stef

I havent checked it since i bought the bike

If its not been leaking then I would presume the level is ok.

If the oil hasn't been changed for the last couple of years it probably needs changing anyway. If you have the tools, space and time its not as difficult as it may sound. Just give yourself plenty of time to do it.

Originally Posted by The Kevlar Kid

Alex - go on get them off (the fork legs that is.....) If your seals are leaking they are easy to do..... (use the old seal as a seal driver if you dont have one.)

Well they were done in January, I had to sign a disclaimer as the tubes themselves are pittied (although you need ninja mechanics fingers to feel it as it seems as smooth as a babies bottom to me?!) 6 weeks later they were both dripping again.

Originally Posted by A Yerbury

Well they were done in January, I had to sign a disclaimer as the tubes themselves are pittied (although you need ninja mechanics fingers to feel it as it seems as smooth as a babies bottom to me?!) 6 weeks later they were both dripping again.

If your forks are slightly pitted but you don't want to pay for re-chroming, an old trick is to fill the pits with araldite and smooth off with very fine abrasive paper (obviously taking care not to sand off the chrome). You will probably need to renew the seals again afterwards.