How often do you change your fork oil?
Thread Starter
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Road Captain
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 597
Likes: 1
From: Texas
How often do you change your fork oil?
My 2005 Touring Model service manual says to replace, disassemble, lubricate and inspect the front fork oil every 50,000 miles. I have approximately 45k on my FLHT and I am starting to plan to performthis myself or have the dealer do it.
How often do you change your fork oil?
3 out of 4 dealers I called today said it should be done at 20k intervals.Only onesaid tofollow the manual. I was quoted apriceof $320 for parts and labor because I have the "left forkcartridge" type setup. For the "non-cartridge" type I was quoted $120 for parts and labor.
Searching the archives,I see wheresomehave replaced the left forkcartridge.From what I can tell it will cost approximately $175to buy the parts to replace the cartridgeplus the cost of the oil and measuring containers (I don't have any) if I do it myself.
All 4 of dealers said they had never heard of "changing" out the cartridge, so I couldn't get a price for this.Yeah I know it's pretty frustrating!
TIA,
dave
How often do you change your fork oil?
3 out of 4 dealers I called today said it should be done at 20k intervals.Only onesaid tofollow the manual. I was quoted apriceof $320 for parts and labor because I have the "left forkcartridge" type setup. For the "non-cartridge" type I was quoted $120 for parts and labor.
Searching the archives,I see wheresomehave replaced the left forkcartridge.From what I can tell it will cost approximately $175to buy the parts to replace the cartridgeplus the cost of the oil and measuring containers (I don't have any) if I do it myself.
All 4 of dealers said they had never heard of "changing" out the cartridge, so I couldn't get a price for this.Yeah I know it's pretty frustrating!
TIA,
dave
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 4,722
Likes: 5
From: Biddeford, Maine
RE: How often do you change your fork oil?
I just swapped out my left fork cartridge and made it just like the right fork..............cost me about $150 in parts.
P/N: 45803-97 STOP, oil lock
P/N: 45838-77 BOLT, front fork
P/N: 45845-77 O-RING
P/N: 45859-77A RING, piston damper tube
P/N: 45890-97 TUBE ASSEMBLY
P/N: 45891-97 DAMPER tube assembly
P/N: 45892-02 SPRING, fork
P/N: 45933-86 SPRING, rebound
The sliders for 99 - 06 are all the same whether cartridge or non-cartridge.
In addition, you'll need two new seals, P/N 45857-84A and two containers of fork oil.
I'm going to be doing my fork oil every 20000 miles from now on..............after seeing what it looked like at 27000 miles there is no way I would ever wait for 50000 miles.
Steve
P/N: 45803-97 STOP, oil lock
P/N: 45838-77 BOLT, front fork
P/N: 45845-77 O-RING
P/N: 45859-77A RING, piston damper tube
P/N: 45890-97 TUBE ASSEMBLY
P/N: 45891-97 DAMPER tube assembly
P/N: 45892-02 SPRING, fork
P/N: 45933-86 SPRING, rebound
The sliders for 99 - 06 are all the same whether cartridge or non-cartridge.
In addition, you'll need two new seals, P/N 45857-84A and two containers of fork oil.
I'm going to be doing my fork oil every 20000 miles from now on..............after seeing what it looked like at 27000 miles there is no way I would ever wait for 50000 miles.
Steve
Thread Starter
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Road Captain
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 597
Likes: 1
From: Texas
RE: How often do you change your fork oil?
MaineUltraClassic, Thanks for the information. It is very helpful. Did you use any special tools to remove the cartridge or to reassemble the non-cartridge?
stro1965, You are right. That is what I meant.
Dave
stro1965, You are right. That is what I meant.
Dave
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 4,722
Likes: 5
From: Biddeford, Maine
RE: How often do you change your fork oil?
ORIGINAL: cardboard
If yer fork seals ain't leakin there is no use to change yer fork oil . This is something the dealer come up with to make more money.
If yer fork seals ain't leakin there is no use to change yer fork oil . This is something the dealer come up with to make more money.
Steve
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 3,909
Likes: 6
From: Livingston, Texas
RE: How often do you change your fork oil?
ORIGINAL: maineultraclassic
Then you have never seen fork oil after 20000 miles or so......if you did you would be changing it.
Steve
ORIGINAL: cardboard
If yer fork seals ain't leakin there is no use to change yer fork oil . This is something the dealer come up with to make more money.
If yer fork seals ain't leakin there is no use to change yer fork oil . This is something the dealer come up with to make more money.
Then you have never seen fork oil after 20000 miles or so......if you did you would be changing it.
Steve
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Elite HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 4,722
Likes: 5
From: Biddeford, Maine
RE: How often do you change your fork oil?
ORIGINAL: EastSideBikerTrash
MaineUltraClassic, Thanks for the information. It is very helpful. Did you use any special tools to remove the cartridge or to reassemble the non-cartridge?
Dave
MaineUltraClassic, Thanks for the information. It is very helpful. Did you use any special tools to remove the cartridge or to reassemble the non-cartridge?
Dave
Steve
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Road Warrior
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,785
Likes: 4
From: Oklahoma
RE: How often do you change your fork oil?
If you get rid of that cartridge, changing the fork oil on a tourer isa very easyjob. You don't have to unload the spring tension orremove the fork tubes, justdrain through the bottom drain plugs. Like Maine says, that stuff is filthy at 20k. I'm figuring on every 10-15k.
