Fork Seal Installation

In the past I've used a length of 1.5" PVC and a spare back up ring to install new fork seals. It seems that the tubes on my VF1000F have a larger ID that won't fit inside the PVC tube. Short of buying the special tool used to install fork seals, what can I use that's readily available? I'm ready to knock these back in and have reached an impasse. I don't have a spare backup ring either and don't want to damage a new seal in the process of installing it.

I think I can carefully grind out the ID of a slightly smaller backup ring with a dremel and smooth the edge out, and I have thin walled PVC used for central vac installations that will fit over the tube. I suppose this might be work a try unless someone has a better suggestion.

Thanks.

Buy a real Motion Pro 41mm fork seal driver for $40.00 shipped from eBay and then put it away for the next time which is gonna happen and you know it.

fasterspider

Buy a real Motion Pro 41mm fork seal driver for $40.00 shipped from eBay and then put it away for the next time which is gonna happen and you know it.

What about the adjustable ones that are on eBay? I have 7 different bikes and they all have different fork tube diameters.

Thanks!

7 bikes with 7 different tube diameters? That sounds fun

You can use the 43mm driver on the 41mm tubes if you use a shop paper towel to take up the extra 2mm on the tube. Does your PVC tool work on the other bikes and this one is the odd one out?

YoshiHNS

7 bikes with 7 different tube diameters? That sounds fun

You can use the 43mm driver on the 41mm tubes if you use a shop paper towel to take up the extra 2mm on the tube. Does your PVC tool work on the other bikes and this one is the odd one out?

I could be wrong and possibly two of the bikes have the same tube diameter, but 6 are definitely different. Mostly because of the wide age range of the bikes.

My PVC tool worked very nicely on the CB900F, CB1100F, and GL1000. I know that it will also work with the CB750F when I finally put it back together. I haven't touched the 750 Four yet, but I'm pretty sure it will work with that bike too.

I already opened up the ID of a spare backup ring, so now I have protection for the new seal. I think the thinner walled central vac PVC will probably work as long as I put a cap on the end and whack it squarely with a rubber hammer to drive in the seal. It's worth a shot since I have everything I need. The seals are in the freezer to help slightly shrink them for installation. If I have time tonight after work, I'll give this a try and report back with my results.

You can buy an adjustable driver and with 7 bikes, you should have the real tools and not tightwad make shift bullshit tools.

fasterspider

You can buy an adjustable driver and with 7 bikes, you should have the real tools and not tightwad make shift bullshit tools.

Some people actually enjoy coming up with homegrown solutions to everyday problems, it's the old "Necessity is the mother of invention" principle at work.

Not everyone has the cash nor the desire to own every super trick NASA specialty tool for every job. Might be nice to have, especially if you're a professional bike mechanic, but again, not everyone can afford specialty tools or justify their purchase for infrequent jobs.

Just like there are many who change their own tires using a bead breaker made from long 2x4's mounted with a hinge on the garage wall, and a steel drum with some rubber hose covering the sharp end of the drum, etc.

Buying a purpose built tire machine when you may only change your tires once every year, two years, etc, may not be feasable, especially to someone who has a large family and expenses that go with it.

So really, if you can't find something constructive to add, and further the discussion without making someone else feel inferior, then please refrain from commenting.

Let us know how it turns out. With 6 different tubes, that's $250 in fork seal drivers alone. I haven't looked at adjustable ones, so no suggestions there.

I turned my own fork seal driver a while ago from some stock I used to make a bunch of other tools. When you add in the time it took me to make it, I would have been not much more to just buying the Motion Pro tool instead of making my own based off of it. It came out pretty nice though.

I am done with this web site, you so called bikers that are sissies and cannot handle "brutal" criticism of "bull shit tools" from a real man make me sick.

Take your warnings and shove them where only your proctologist can find them.

Veefer800Canuck

fasterspider

You can buy an adjustable driver and with 7 bikes, you should have the real tools and not tightwad make shift bullshit tools.

Some people actually enjoy coming up with homegrown solutions to everyday problems, it's the old "Necessity is the mother of invention" principle at work.

Not everyone has the cash nor the desire to own every super trick NASA specialty tool for every job. Might be nice to have, especially if you're a professional bike mechanic, but again, not everyone can afford specialty tools or justify their purchase for infrequent jobs.

Just like there are many who change their own tires using a bead breaker made from long 2x4's mounted with a hinge on the garage wall, and a steel drum with some rubber hose covering the sharp end of the drum, etc.

Buying a purpose built tire machine when you may only change your tires once every year, two years, etc, may not be feasable, especially to someone who has a large family and expenses that go with it.

So really, if you can't find something constructive to add, and further the discussion without making someone else feel inferior, then please refrain from commenting.

Thanks - well said and exactly along my same train of thought. I'm a big fan of universal tools, but not of buying something that I'll use once every 5-10 years. Every tool I have (and I have many) is used often. I do enjoy making my own tools when I can, because the challenge and results are very satisfying. Now if it means spending 3 hours to make a tool that can be had for $40, I'll buy it and use the time for more productive work. Same thing regarding a homegrown tool that will take 3 hours to do the job vs. a specific tool can accomplish the same task in a quarter of the time. I'll buy the tool then since my time is valuable.

Many of the guys I know from the CB1100F forum and NGW forum all use the same method for seal installation and generally encourage it. I'll let you all know how it goes - I will probably have time tonight to try.

fasterspider

I am done with this web site, you so called bikers that are sissies and cannot handle "brutal" criticism of "bull shit tools" from a real man make me sick.

Take your warnings and shove them where only your proctologist can find them.

Ride safe now.

fasterspider

I am done with this web site, you so called bikers that are sissies and cannot handle "brutal" criticism of "bull shit tools" from a real man make me sick.

Take your warnings and shove them where only your proctologist can find them.

Why don't you go and suggest a good 7 size fork seal driver for the man if it's the way to go? I made my own manometer for $15 with gas, and it's more sensitive than the $70+ units with mercury. DIY tools have their place.

I enjoy machining. Get to do very little nowadays, and almost none for myself. It took a little over two hours to make that driver 100% complete, so yeah, not entirely worth it, but hugely satisfying when the turning was done on an old manual lathe with no indicators and 0.040" backlash, and still managed to get every critical dimension within half a thou.

"I am done with this web site, you so called bikers that are sissies and cannot handle "brutal" criticism of "bull shit tools" from a real man make me sick.

Take your warnings and shove them where only your proctologist can find them."

Wow! Sounds like the forum will be better off without "fasterspider". Rarely does someone show how big a dick they can be without some unfair provocation, but in this case it was totally deserved.

It seems the irony here is that the person incapable of tolerating even minor criticism (let alone "brutal") is fasterspider!

I am sure he will find much greener pastures with more like minded individuals.

i have one of these..

but i just realized its over $200 :blink:

[image: driver_zpsde25f058.jpg]

try cyclegear.com

It's a shame that he reacted that way because it was totally uncalled for. Besides, my home-made seal installer worked perfectly, quickly, and with very little effort.

I took a spare backup ring that I had from a CB900F and put it in a vice. Using my Dremel with a sanding drum attachment, I was able to enlarge the ID to approx. 41.5 mm - plenty big enough to slide over the 41mm tubes on my VF. Then I removed the springs and with the tubes down into the legs as far as they could go, I determined how long my PVC tube needed to be. 16" left a little room to spare. So here are my high tech installation tools:

[image: Sealinstall1_zps769dfbd3.jpg]

The coupling on one end is there to give a little more strength for when it gets whacked with the rubber hammer.

As you can see in this next picture, the PVC wall is thin enough so that it can easily slip over the fork tubes. This was a spare piece of central vac tubing that I had hanging around.

[image: Sealinstall2_zpsb1f4a326.jpg]

I applied some fork oil to the outer surfaces of the fork pipe bushes (these go just below the fork seals) and fork pipe sleeves (at the bottom of each tube) and slid the tubes into the legs. The upper bush needs to be pushed into the leg and fully seated else the fork seal can't seat properly. (I used the modified backup ring and the tube to knock it all the way in. - You can look in from the top and tell when it's fully seated.)

I took one of the seals out of the freezer and lubed it up with some fork oil and slid it down the tube. Next went the backup ring and then the PVC.

[image: Sealinstall3_zps8b261684.jpg]

The seal starts to slide in quite easily just by pressing with your fingers. Once I had it part of the way, I slid the tube down on top of the backup ring and gave it a few whacks.

[image: Sealinstall4_zps17c72470.jpg]

After several firm whacks, the sound changed and I could tell that the seal was fully seated. An easy way to confirm that the seal is all the way in is to get the snap ring started so that it's just inside the bore of the fork leg.

[image: Sealinstall5_zps816cd8d0.jpg]

Then slide the PVC down and just give if a couple easy taps. You'll hear a distinctive sound when the ring snaps into the groove.

Here are the forks, just about ready to go back onto the bike:

[image: Sealinstall6_zps130a3f02.jpg]

For many of you, this technique is nothing new and you've probably done it this way yourselves. But for anyone who hasn't done this job yet and is planning to - let me ask you this - would you bother spending $40 for a fork seal installation tool now that you know how easy it can be done with a piece of PVC and a big washer?

If this helps just one of the members, I'll be thrilled.

fasterspider

I am done with this web site, you so called bikers that are sissies and cannot handle "brutal" criticism of "bull shit tools" from a real man make me sick.

Take your warnings and shove them where only your proctologist can find them.

Sounds like someone couldn't "handle 'brutal' criticism."

fasterspider

I am done with this web site, you so called bikers that are sissies and cannot handle "brutal" criticism of "bull shit tools" from a real man make me sick.

Take your warnings and shove them where only your proctologist can find them.

Awwww....don't go away mad.

I appreciate that you have your own opinion and I especially like that you don't let the fact that you are full of shit get in the way offering stupid advice.

[image: IMG 0391[1]]

[image: IMG 0392[1]]

The PVC is 2" and the fitting is a bushing that I spent about 10 minutes with a rotary sanding wheel in my drill clearancing the inside of for a good snug fit over the tubing.

[image: IMG 0394[1]]

Save the $40 and use it get a proper set of JIS screwdrivers (unlike that dastardly Phillips that Spider probably uses to strip out his Honda + screws in the brake and clutch cover as well as other parts.)

CornerCarver

Save the $40 and use it get a proper set of JIS screwdrivers (unlike that dastardly Phillips that Spider probably uses to strip out his Honda + screws in the brake and clutch cover as well as other parts.)

:1: :1: :1: :1: :1:

Seb turned me on to Vessel screwdrivers. Screwing has never been more pleasing with a proper fitting head.

Yoshi flirting with rules violation, itchy trigger finger hovering over ban button. :goofy:

You better tighten up Yoshi !

Guys they are some great bullshit tools you have engineered there, and I bet they work just as well as the Motion Pro jobbie. I can really appreciate the value of "Bullshit tools" since I live about 45 miles from the nearest town and often you need to fabricate the tools needed and more often than not they not only work just as well, but can be made from scrap laying around so cost is minimal. As mentioned earlier, "the mother of all invention" is never truer than being faced with a problem and fixing it without having to drive for an hour and a half only to find out that they don't have the tool you need.

I would happily use either of those "Bullshit" tools to replace my fork seals.

Veefer800Canuck

Yoshi flirting with rules violation, itchy trigger finger hovering over ban button. :goofy:

I think Dutchy got a hold of my account. :comp13:

If any of you are planning to rebuild your forks in the near future, note that the left side (anti-dive side) has a different oil lock piece from the right side. It has an O-ring on it, Honda part # 91353-MB4-003. When I removed my oil lock piece, the O-ring stretched out beyond and was no good. Then I found out that the part was discontinued and NLA. Fortunately, I found an exact replacement made with the proper material for oil applications. Since I had to buy 50 and only needed one, I have more than a lifetime supply. If anyone needs one, drop me a line and you can have one for $2 shipped.