I need to at least clean my left fork seal with one of those Seal Mate things if not replace it. I'll try cleaning first and replacing the fork oil. But the previous owner removed the air system and I'm pretty sure it's just oil and springs now. With the set up in the photos, do you think I just remove those sunken Allen key bolts and squirt in the oil there? On the right fork top cap where the valve used to be is just a cap screwed into a hole (it looks like he made a cap out of the valve). I'd think to put the oil in there but the left fork cap doesn't have that 'feature.' So does the oil go in the horizontally aligned plugged holes?
82 fork oil change question
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kotkinjs1
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82 fork oil change question
Question for fork experts (and not so expert, I'll take any advice lol)....
I need to at least clean my left fork seal with one of those Seal Mate things if not replace it. I'll try cleaning first and replacing the fork oil. But the previous owner removed the air system and I'm pretty sure it's just oil and springs now. With the set up in the photos, do you think I just remove those sunken Allen key bolts and squirt in the oil there? On the right fork top cap where the valve used to be is just a cap screwed into a hole (it looks like he made a cap out of the valve). I'd think to put the oil in there but the left fork cap doesn't have that 'feature.' So does the oil go in the horizontally aligned plugged holes?
I need to at least clean my left fork seal with one of those Seal Mate things if not replace it. I'll try cleaning first and replacing the fork oil. But the previous owner removed the air system and I'm pretty sure it's just oil and springs now. With the set up in the photos, do you think I just remove those sunken Allen key bolts and squirt in the oil there? On the right fork top cap where the valve used to be is just a cap screwed into a hole (it looks like he made a cap out of the valve). I'd think to put the oil in there but the left fork cap doesn't have that 'feature.' So does the oil go in the horizontally aligned plugged holes?
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WingAdmin
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Re: 82 fork oil change question
Those holes are where an air hose used to connect the two together, to balance the pressure. You should be able to unscrew those plugs and inject oil into the shock through them.
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kotkinjs1
- Posts: 58
- Joined: Thu Jul 01, 2021 8:26 pm
- Location: Wesley Chapel, FL
- Motorcycle: 1982 GL1100
Re: 82 fork oil change question
Got it done, thanks for the input. I got a 100ml graduated syringe and squirted atf through the holes where the Allen set screws were. It was kinda hard because it kept wanting to squirt back out the same hole but slowly and surely I got 270ish ml in each tube.
And the fix seemed to work as far as cleaning the oil seal vs replacing it. I didn't use a Seal Mate but the kind that wraps around the fork with the little scooper on one end sliding down into the seal and you just twist it around the tube. You can find them on Amazon. Going to take it on a test ride now but eyeballing it I think it sits a little higher which is good. I should've measured the fork extension before I started to be sure. Oh well.
And the fix seemed to work as far as cleaning the oil seal vs replacing it. I didn't use a Seal Mate but the kind that wraps around the fork with the little scooper on one end sliding down into the seal and you just twist it around the tube. You can find them on Amazon. Going to take it on a test ride now but eyeballing it I think it sits a little higher which is good. I should've measured the fork extension before I started to be sure. Oh well.