1982 kz550 fork seal

I ordered what I thought was the correct size of fork seals from All Balls Racing. However, when i try to install them they won't budge.

The size I ordered was 36 X 48 X 10.5 mm

I'm guessing I need 1 mm smaller? so 35?

I can't find the size in my manual, if anyone can direct me to where I can find fork diameter sizes, it would be helpful.

Thanks.

Why not simply buy the genuine Kawasaki fork seals; then you'll know they will be the correct size. Forgive me, but I have difficulty understanding why folks go aftermarket for small parts that are still available; is there a reason? Ed

Edit: What KZ550 is it?
36mm might be correct. not sure about the other dimensions, but the 10.5 might be wrong.
Made in Japan seals are preferable --- oem or K&L. The All-balls may be fine, but some aftermarket fork seals that are not made in Japan leak.

Edit: the 82 550H GPz fork seals are 35mm -->> from OhioCafeRacersForkTubeConversionChart

Oh great.... I just got talked into buying and having shipped (they are here)
a set of All Balls 36mm-48mm-10.5mm seals for my 77" KZ1000. Is there a consensus that they are inferior...??

I don't know if they are inferior; I installed All-Balls steering stem tapered roller bearings and they are great. However, if the seals are still available from Kawasaki that's what I would use simply because I would be positive they would be the correct fit and a good product. They may or may not be available for your bike; a dealer could check. Ed

Why not simply buy the genuine Kawasaki fork seals; then you'll know they will be the correct size. Forgive me, but I have difficulty understanding why folks go aftermarket for small parts that are still available; is there a reason?

Probably various reasons. No dealer nearby. Expensive dealer parts. Poor customer service for obsolete models. OEM fork seals are preferable, but it has been my experience that K&L parts are oem-quality, as their stuff is made in Japan.

Unfortunately, Z1Enterprises no long sells K&L fork seals. Instead they have k&s which are probably made in china. They switched fork seal brands because of price --- apparently, customers want a cheap price which gets them a cheap part.

If ordering online I guess aftermarket seals may be a few dollars cheaper, but considering that the original seals last 30 - 40 years I wouldn't think a couple dollars should be a show stopper. The odds are pretty good that they won't need to be replaced again for a very long time; if ever. Ed

Another problem is that finding oem on-line might be difficult?

Maybe for some models, but it appears the KZ550 seals are still active. They were used on much later models. Ed

www.partzilla.com/parts/detail/kawasaki/KP-92049-1226.html