Fork seals without removing

[Kuba]

Hi. Do you guys have any experience with replacing fork seals without removing the whole forks, just a bottom part of it? I think it may be a good idea so I don't have to deal with an air equalizer and triple trees. I can easly make a tool to slide new seals and then take the tool off the forks. Any difference in amount of fluid? Or it just drain fully, same as with removing spring caps? Thanks.

[Bike...and Dennis]

A lot of people do it that way. However, I believe you have to take the tube out of the tree to fill it, if you don't want to uncap the spring. You don't have to deal with the air lines to get the tube out.

[two_wheeled]

Wait a minute. Hold up. Replace fork seals without removing the whole fork? What magic is this? I need to hear more. How do you do it?

[Kuba]

You just remove lower tubes and leave the top in a triple trees. I am just concerned if I can fill the lowers right before I install the seals when they're just tighten at the bottom and kinda fill them thru the gap where seals go... Or do I need to remove spring caps? And also my other concern is, if I don't remove caps... Will old fluid drain good as well and amount of fluid added will be correct then?

[Shadowjack]

As hard as it is to get the caps DOWN on a 1200, I would not want to try pushing the lower leg UP far enough to get the bolt in the bottom. And IIRC, the recommended oil level (as measured from the top of the tube with the fork leg fully compressed without the spring) is well up into the tube. I don't believe you could get it all in just the lower with the spring installed.

[NuAngel]

If someone does this, they should definitely post a tutorial video on YouTube, this could be a huge time saver for people who don't know any other method (or have never done it / don't know any method at all, like me!! ).

[biguns]

Here ya go


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[two_wheeled]

Wow! I had never thought that would be possible. I watched the video. I've rebuilt a bunch of forks in the past. I haven't done a GL1800 yet, but it seems like the same amount of work to just pull the forks off the bike. Unfortunately, both of the fork seals on my 2002 gave up the ghost recently and puked fluid all over my front brake pads so I think I'll be doing this job myself soon.

[Bike...and Dennis]

On the 1200 you take the upper tubes out too. Pretty easy.
Then fill the fork from the bottom so you don't have to remove the cap and fight the spring to put it back on.

[Kuba]

How hard is it to remove and reinstall that air pressure equalizer? This is my main concern to remove the whole forks now. I know you can just undo them as a triple tree and slide down off of it but what about that o-ring thing? It needs to get back at the same spot at upper fork, how hard it is to realignment it?

[Bike...and Dennis]

The air lines don't play any role in the removal of the fork.
The hardest part on the 1200 is the lower clamp bolts are a very tight fit.

[Kuba]

But there's an air equalizer just bellow the upper triple tree so how do you wanna remove the fork without loosen the equalizer? Also as far as I know there's an o-ring on each clamp of the equalizer and there must be a corresponding hole on each fork so they do need to line up. Please someone explain it to me, because all I see everyone is talking about a situation where there is no air susspension at all. At least that's how I get it.

[Bike...and Dennis]

All I can say is; trust me. The air line doesn't effect removing the fork tube. You'll see how it works when you get it apart.

[Wreckster]

Let me just chime in. Removing and replacing the cap is not at all as difficult as it's made out to be. Done it twice, get up in the bike and use your own body weight, not even all that much of it. It's just different using weight and turning a ratchet.

Let me just add, you have to use your weight while taking them off as well. I out a towel over everything in case there's a mess or it pops off on me. If you don't have some pressure on the caps they will definitely shoot off once loosened. It's not a tremendous amount of force though.