- Posts: 56
- Thank you received: 0
fork oil change
- Patton
-
- Offline
- KZr Legend
28 May 2007 14:18 #144302
by Patton
1973 Z1
KZ900 LTD
Replied by Patton on topic fork oil change
Booncha57 wrote:
Hoping the very fine threaded fork caps were not cross-threaded when last installed by Godzilla.
It is usually the soft male threads on the cap that get stripped, and not the female threads inside the steel fork tubes. If stripped, should replace the caps.
If dry ice is available, could "freeze" the cap before immediately attempting to unscrew. (Regular ice with salt might work but not be as cold).
Hope others may have better suggestions, but if brute force, pipe wrench, and all else fails, may require carefully hack-sawing caps vertically through the middle (use vacuum cleaner to constantly suck away filings and keep filings from falling inside the fork tube). Or some other destructive
method while avoiding damage to fork tubes.
Do not use any type of sealer or locking agent when re-installing the caps. The fine threads are designed to prevent leakage. It is sometimes difficult to get the cap started just right when beginning to screw it onto the fork tube. Especially where the spring must be compressed while starting the thread. Just be very careful and go slowly and deliberately. This is the maneuver where cap threads are often stripped from being improperly started.
Good luck!
im going down to deal's gap tomorrow and i wanted to change my fork oil today before i left. it looks like somebody before me had a hard time taking off the fork caps, they are a little chewed. i got the front wheel off the ground and now i cant get these caps to budge. the metal seems very soft and i dont want to mess them up. do i have to take the forks off to do this job or am i doing something wrong?
Hoping the very fine threaded fork caps were not cross-threaded when last installed by Godzilla.
It is usually the soft male threads on the cap that get stripped, and not the female threads inside the steel fork tubes. If stripped, should replace the caps.
If dry ice is available, could "freeze" the cap before immediately attempting to unscrew. (Regular ice with salt might work but not be as cold).
Hope others may have better suggestions, but if brute force, pipe wrench, and all else fails, may require carefully hack-sawing caps vertically through the middle (use vacuum cleaner to constantly suck away filings and keep filings from falling inside the fork tube). Or some other destructive
method while avoiding damage to fork tubes.
Do not use any type of sealer or locking agent when re-installing the caps. The fine threads are designed to prevent leakage. It is sometimes difficult to get the cap started just right when beginning to screw it onto the fork tube. Especially where the spring must be compressed while starting the thread. Just be very careful and go slowly and deliberately. This is the maneuver where cap threads are often stripped from being improperly started.
Good luck!
1973 Z1
KZ900 LTD
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
- rstnick
-
- Offline
- User