Hey all. Ran into an issue putting the new fork oil in the forks of my 1997 FLHT

As per the service manual, I bled the air off, pulled banjo bolts from the top of the fork tubes, drained old fluid. Then replaced the drain plugs.

I have a funnel with a flexible tube on the end ( it does not fit too tight into hole preventing air from escaping ). When I slowly pour the fork oil into the funnel it goes down the tube, then comes out of the top of the fork. What am I missing?

 

You're missing doing it the easy way.

Put all the air stuff back together. Pull the drain plug out. Put a hose on a fitting (hollow bolt, etc.) in the drain plug. Put the end of the hose in your oil. Take the shrader valve out of the air fill port. Put a vacuum pump on the air fill port and pump away, sucking the fluid up into the fork tube. Repeat for other side.

 

What banjo bolts are you talking about?
I have drain bolts at the bottom back of the forks, jack up the bike, remove tops, remove those 1 at a time into a measuring container.
Reinstall the drain bolts, and refill the fork tubes with the same amount that drained out.
Reinstall the caps and lower the bike.

 

Air forks, never mind.

 

yea I got a FLHT too. Ok what doc said is the easiest. Now if no Vacuum Pump available you can use a big syringe like for turkey seasoning. Where you inject the seasoning into it before cooking. Put oil in syringe and rig a hose to push the oil into fork from the bottom.

If you can come with the vac pump thats the best way.

WP

 

I have a mityvac and will try that. I thought the service manual would steer me in the right direction.

 

I've followed the FSM directions to change the fork oil on my FLHS. Once.

I don't know of a single dealership or independent shop, that does it that way. It was a PITA on my bike. I could only imagine what it would be like with a batwing fairing.....

 

Most times it does Just not in this case

WP

 

I hear ya. After reading both methods in the fsm, Seemed simpler just to pour the oil in the top of the forks, I have most of the bike disassembled anyway. I'll get it done.

 

Yeah, that's most of the work.

Seems on a Harley, ya always got to take a lot of good 'stuff' off, to get to the issue. This winter I'll be upgrading the front springs to get rid of the anti-dive, adding a replacement set of bars, new grips, and replacing the original windshield 'glass'. I figure MAW 'do it all' since I'll have it all apart. If there is any money left upgrading the 24 year old OEM rear air shocks too. A better set of front/rear brakes is on my 'wish list', but probably aren't in the budget for another year.

Get 'er done, and get back in the wind.