Changing fork oil "by the book"
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Road Master
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 1,115
Likes: 69
From: Bay Area, NorCal
Changing fork oil "by the book"
I replaced the std fork oil on my F-Bob yesterday afternoon with the SE fork oil, using the procedure outlined in the SM. Two things I noticed:
First, the OEM spacers that preload the springs are 8" long paper-thin tubes that just don't look like they belong in 49 mm forks. I replaced those with sturdier 1-1/4" ID x 1-11/16" OD pvc pipe that I carefully cut down to 6-3/4" to drop the front end a tad.
Second, at the bottom of the right side fork is an axle cap secured by two 5mm allen bolts. That cap is machined flat on one side so that when bolted to the fork tube there is no gap, while on the other side there is a "cast in spacer" that allows for a small gap after proper torque is applied. The SM is very clear: the flat side faces the front, and the spacer side faces the rear, but the cap on my fork had been installed exactly the opposite by the MoCo. Hmm. I decided to reinstall the cap "by the book" and hope for the best.
It's raining now so don't have a chance to test the effects of the SE fork oil, but pretty confident it will yield the same good results as when I did this on my old FXR. Ride safe, guys.
First, the OEM spacers that preload the springs are 8" long paper-thin tubes that just don't look like they belong in 49 mm forks. I replaced those with sturdier 1-1/4" ID x 1-11/16" OD pvc pipe that I carefully cut down to 6-3/4" to drop the front end a tad.
Second, at the bottom of the right side fork is an axle cap secured by two 5mm allen bolts. That cap is machined flat on one side so that when bolted to the fork tube there is no gap, while on the other side there is a "cast in spacer" that allows for a small gap after proper torque is applied. The SM is very clear: the flat side faces the front, and the spacer side faces the rear, but the cap on my fork had been installed exactly the opposite by the MoCo. Hmm. I decided to reinstall the cap "by the book" and hope for the best.
It's raining now so don't have a chance to test the effects of the SE fork oil, but pretty confident it will yield the same good results as when I did this on my old FXR. Ride safe, guys.
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Road Master
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 1,115
Likes: 69
From: Bay Area, NorCal
SuperglideKen - "So do you see or feel much difference between the stock oil and the SE oil?"
Bad weather is forecast until Friday - as soon as it clears and the roads dry up I'll go for a ride and post my impressions.
PowderPro - "I recommend Spectro 15 w..."
Will give Spectro (and other brands) some thought at my next change.
RockOn - "wish there was an easier way to do this..."
Definitely agree with you on that - I miss those drain screws that my FXR had on its forks. But the tedious and time-consuming process does allow an owner to get "up close and personal" with some of the parts and workings of the bike that he /she would otherwise not pay attention to. In my case, as stated in the original post, I discovered something that needed correction, so I benefited by draining the forks "by the book."
Bad weather is forecast until Friday - as soon as it clears and the roads dry up I'll go for a ride and post my impressions.
PowderPro - "I recommend Spectro 15 w..."
Will give Spectro (and other brands) some thought at my next change.
RockOn - "wish there was an easier way to do this..."
Definitely agree with you on that - I miss those drain screws that my FXR had on its forks. But the tedious and time-consuming process does allow an owner to get "up close and personal" with some of the parts and workings of the bike that he /she would otherwise not pay attention to. In my case, as stated in the original post, I discovered something that needed correction, so I benefited by draining the forks "by the book."
Road Warrior
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 1,382
Likes: 4
From: Kennewick, WA
There is an easier way, even Brian at Ricor confirmed my thoughts on it as their chosen method.
Suck that stuff out. I took an 18" long piece of steel automotive brake line that I had lying around, attached some fuel hose to it and used an old gear oil extractor (looks like a huge syringe) to suck it out. The small diameter brake is to reach the bottom of the forks and around any internals. A Mityvac would also work as a vacuum source, even a turkey baster.
Suck that stuff out. I took an 18" long piece of steel automotive brake line that I had lying around, attached some fuel hose to it and used an old gear oil extractor (looks like a huge syringe) to suck it out. The small diameter brake is to reach the bottom of the forks and around any internals. A Mityvac would also work as a vacuum source, even a turkey baster.
Tourer
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From: Los Angeles
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Road Master
Joined: Nov 2010
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From: Bay Area, NorCal
Ride safe, guys.
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