in bike fork oil change

Id like to flush and fill the fork, can this be done without removing each from the bike?

Or is it half assed and i should just tear it apart.

http://www.vfrdiscus...change-on-bike/

Its half assed, take em off.

^^ +1

Its not that hard to take off the tubes. Plus, once they're off you don't have to worry about getting the bike dirty or damaged.

Fork tube removal is pretty simple.  If I can do it anyone can..... :tongue:

[image: View Post]kc5555, on 20 April 2012 - 02:57 PM, said:

Id like to flush and fill the fork, can this be done without removing each from the bike?

Or is it half assed and i should just tear it apart.

In normally just remove the forks and turn them upside down, then you can pump them easily and get all the air out, and prescisely measure the oil height you want.

I think most shops, just break down the fork still on the bike and remove the lower leg, which I dont like seperating unless Im replacing the seals.

Ive had the front end apart half dozen times in a month trying to fix a steering stem issue so any chance to skip some steps.....I tried the shortcut method. Wow  super essy to do  no fairing removal and especially no triple tree retorqing brake removal etc... took maybe 30 min both sides.

I skipped the measure from top tube and just refilled with 16oz each side.

Found an issue when i went to replace the axle, the left bottom allen bolt did not fit in as deep as the   right. Seemed to seal ok. Will take it apart tomorrow and see whats what.

But for sure this is a great way to go about a basic  fluid flush.

removing the fork and replacing oil is quicker and makes the job complete

I dont see how it can possibly be quicker or any more complete.

[image: View Post]kc5555, on 21 April 2012 - 03:37 AM, said:

I dont see how it can possibly be quicker or any more complete.

if you know how - it is quicker...i have changed my fork oil under an hour...

If you know how?.....
Gimme a break. How can not removing front wheel, both calipers, 4 trple tree bolts and handlebars be quicker than not.....then reinstalling all of the above.....

Bah

This method isn't perfect, but if you go ahead and pull out and clean the cartridge assmebly you'll get at least 90% of any old crap out and in a fraction of the time and labor.

BR

Far more complete replacement of oil... as when doing it with forks on bike you never get all the old oil out.

Once you've done it a couple of times, removing wheel, brake callipers, handelbars, fender and finally the forks themselves doesn't really take long and another advantage besides knowing you've got 100% new oil in there with no contamination from old oil is knowing you've got the forks filled to exactly the right height of oil and that both forks are filled to exactly the same height.

If you don't check the height and just throw in the same volume of oil in both, how do you know that:

a) You removed exactly the same amount of oil from each fork in the first step??
b) You now have the same amount of oil in each fork??
c) They are filled to the specified height according to service manual??

Answer:

You don't.

So you've most probably now got:

a) Contaminated oil
b) Different amounts of oil in each fork.. and thus different heights of same.

I've tried the no-removal method and as a quick fix it's ok but, like you ask in your first thread: it's half-assed!!

It's messy and fiddley and you run the risk of screwing up the paint on your bike as fork oil is corrosive to paint. It's much more comfortable to work with forks when they're off the bike.

Plus even if you do check the height, the forks aren't vertical.. so you've got to use Pythagorus' theorem to come to a guestimate on oil height.

I fully agree with Anik... but so would most of us here on VFRD.