Finally doing the fork seals

[Ansimp]

I am currently cleaning up the front end of the Rats Nest for this weekends VJMC national meet here on the Gold Coast. I have been putting this off for ages as I have only been using the Rats Nest for local rides and a weeping fork seal seemed like a minor issue for local rides. This also meant that the 82 twin pot caliber brake conversion, Gl1100 chrome front guard and progressive front springs was also being avoided. Finally on Saturday I managed to get the Rats Nest up onto the lift in reverse by myself which was pretty difficult. I had to reach down and hit first to hold it from rolling back off. I then jacked up the ramp which allowed me get the bike onto the centre stand. To get it back into the wheel clamp which would then allow the front wheel to come out through the wheel plate window once it was removed.

Finally all the way back onto the ramp

• Ansimp
• May 14, 2019

Fairing and front fender and wheel off

• Ansimp
• May 14, 2019

Forks out

• Ansimp
• May 14, 2019

Better bracket out

• Ansimp
• May 14, 2019

I also pulled the Vetter bracket so that I could give it a quick clean (paint) up and replace the hose clamps with some full stainless ones. I had to loosen the radiator mounts so that I could remove the stainless scoop which allowed me to remove the Vetter bracket.

 

[julimike54]

Busy bee

 

[desertrefugee]

For whatever reason, fork seals are my least favorite maintenance task to do on a motorcycle.

I would have put it off, too. In fact, I have had one seal on my 78 weeping for a year now. Not horrible yet, and not enough to force me do the job. I'll have to see a drip for that.

The Valkyrie went from a slight weep like that to a full-blown gusher in a day. So I am keeping an eye on it.

 

[mcgovern61]

We found that doing the forks seals on the 1100 was not nearly as daunting as we thought. My daughter did the ones on the "Slug" and I did the '81. Fairly straight forward.

 

[Steve83]

Seeing the Rat's Nest all apart brings back some fond memories. Time flies!

I hope those forks are cooperative, and come apart easily!

 

[Ansimp]

Steve83 » Wed May 15, 2019 6:00 am[/url]":17z86txk]
Seeing the Rat's Nest all apart brings back some fond memories. Time flies!

I hope those forks are cooperative, and come apart easily!

Will find out today Steve. :yes:

 

[Ansimp]

mcgovern61 » Wed May 15, 2019 1:47 am[/url]":1xwoal8k]
We found that doing the forks seals on the 1100 was not nearly as daunting as we thought. My daughter did the ones on the "Slug" and I did the '81. Fairly straight forward.

Did you completely disassemble them Gerry? I am going to have a go at just pressing the seals out using hydraulic pressure from filling the tubes with atf as per the manual. I need to make up a seal press tool from some pvc plumbing fittings that I picked up yesterday first.

 

[mcgovern61]

If I recall, we removed the allen bolt in the bottom of the fork and just used the fork bounced up and down to pop the seals. Drained and replaced the fluid and used a PVC pipe to install the new seal. It took about 15 minutes per side.

 

[Ansimp]

One job leads to another, painting the Vetter mounting bracket meant that while the radiator scoops were off that meant some cleaning up and some new stainless dome nuts.

Stainless dome nuts instead of the old rusty nuts

• Ansimp
• May 15, 2019

With the bracket reinstall I also decided to change the bottom hose clamps to some 316 full stainless clamps.

Sandblasted before tepainting

• Ansimp
• May 15, 2019

Sandblasting then painting the choke bracket and bar clamps.

Disc in the lathe while the other one waits

• Ansimp
• May 15, 2019

82 disc in the lathe and it’s mate waiting showing some past wear

Looking much better and still 0.6 mm to wear limits

• Ansimp
• May 15, 2019

Discs looking much better now :clapping:

 

[Ansimp]

mcgovern61 » Wed May 15, 2019 9:50 am[/url]":3factxps]
If I recall, we removed the allen bolt in the bottom of the fork and just used the fork bounced up and down to pop the seals. Drained and replaced the fluid and used a PVC pipe to install the new seal. It took about 15 minutes per side.

:good:
I used the press and it was nice and smooth and didn’t take much effort just a little messy but that was more my inexperience. :hihihi:

 

[Ansimp]

More clean up with the fan shroud and fork tubes.

Radiator shroud and screen can do with a clean up

• Ansimp
• May 16, 2019

Forks scotch brighted to clean them up

• Ansimp
• May 16, 2019

Plenty of jobs tomorrow. Need to tighten steering head bearings, remove the false tank to check and change coolant, abs repairs to Vetter luggage and of course reinstall everything.

 

[Ansimp]

I didn’t end up tightening the steering head bearings as I didn’t have the tool available and there wasn’t enough time to put into making one. I decided to leave the 81 discs on when I tried the 82 twin pot front calipers in case they had faulty seals etc and I had to swap back to the 81 single pots. Which is exactly what I had to do as the pads were hanging off the disc by about 10mm?

82 calipers sit further past the 81 disc

• Ansimp
• May 17, 2019

82 calipers sit further past the 81 disc

• Ansimp
• May 17, 2019

It was pretty disappointing as it took a while to bleed up the calipers and flush all the old fluid out. I still have the CBR master cylinder installed and the lever felt great. I went back to the original calipers and had to bleed them now and the lever is a lot more spongy than with the 82 calipers. :head bang:

Getting there

• Ansimp
• May 17, 2019

I did ABS repairs on the Vetter panniers and trunk ( missed a few! :doh and also polished up the new grab/protector rails for the trunk.

The top rail is polished and side rails before polishing

• Ansimp
• May 17, 2019

 

[Ansimp]

Also decided to wire up the 2 accessory wires to the Windjammer and add a battery earth.

Added 2 power feeds and a battery earth to the Windjammer

• Ansimp
• May 17, 2019

and installed the Gl1000 chrome front guard.

VJMC 2019 Gold Coast

• Ansimp
• May 18, 2019