Removing old fork seals?

Okay, I've got my KZ750H fork tubes apart. What's the best way to pull the old seals without scratching up the tubes? They are in there tight and I can't move them with my fingers....cut them out?

Also, what's the best way to press the new seals in? I was thinking of using a piece of PVC pipe. Bad idea?

I use a seal puller with a paint stiring stick on the leverage side. Works good. You can wrap the fork tube with rags and put in vice if needed. On my 1000's I use a 36mm socket and hammer to install the seal. Works great.

Thanks for the info! I wonder if a 36mm socket would be the right size for KZ650/750 seals as well?

I use an off the shelf $10 seal puller from the auto parts store & do it at the end of a work table w a small scrap of wood blocking (1x2) to protect the tubes. The pointed hook does a good job of grabbing the seal. Just in case - there's a metal ring encased within the rubber.

I tried cutting out a seal once - bad idea.

Seal driver: 1-1/2" male, pvc pipe & cap. If one of your old seals came out in good shape, you can use it to protect the new seals when driving them. Reassemble the damper rods & upper tubes, then install the seals by sliding them down the tubes & driving them in.

yeah -just did it on my kz 650-my biggest problem was stopping the damper rod from spinning while trying to loosen the allen bolt on the bottom-itryed to cut a seal out once 'do not do it 'buy a seal puller or if you have a bear paw or cats paw nail puller is what i used-to drive in a new seal i just turned the old one upside down on top of the new one an tapped the new one in[they uasually have a metal collar on the topcovered by the rubber]the socket thing works real good too -just look 4 one that fits on top right-sometimes its sugested to heat the area if you have a real stuborn seal but i didnt need to do that-make sure its properly seated or else you will leak[dont ask how i know for risk of embarassment\ hope this helps mike

Okay, got the seal locks out and went to seperate the tubes. No go with gentle pressure, so I yanked them out hard. Pop! Out the inner tube comes knocking the seals out with it!! Cool! But...looking at the design, there is an inner bushing that rides on the inner tube and a flat washer riding above it. Neither of these can be inserted once new seals are installed. So this tells me that the fork tubes must be fully assembled...and then the seal is slid down the tube and installed. Right? [This is a KZ750H fork]

If that's the case, then driving the seals in with a socket won't work, as a socket would never slid down over the inner tube. A piece of PVC pipe was mentioned. Is that the way to do this? Am I making sense here? Help? Thanks!

I used a piece of 1 1/2 inch CPVC to drive in the new seal. Basically I took the seal in to Home Depot and found the closest one that fit.

I simply remove the allen bolt at the bottom of the fork and use the fork tube as a slide hammer by pulling hard on the fork tube. The seal comes out with the fork tube. It works great

You are correct sir. PVC pipe will work for inserting the new seals since you have to have them pretty much assembled when you insert the seals. The older forks you could pull apart and then remove/insert the seals but the newer ones (along with most newer bikes) have an inner bushing that pulls the seal out (as you described). They make special seal drivers that press the seals in and they come in various sizes and even some that split in half for inverted forks. They are made out of metal and are heavy so you can use them like a slide hammer. But they're expensive so only really worth it if your gonna do a bunch and get paid so I say go for the pvc. Just be careful what you cut it with so the ends aren't sharp or abrasive, that way they won't rough up the seals or leave a bunch of shavings behind.

Thanks for the info. Now, I feel kind of stupid asking this, but I can't remember the orientation of the seals when installing them. Which side is up and which is down? There is an opening on one side (with the little spring that goes around the rubber seal). Is that the down side as I suspect? And should I put some kind of sealer on the outside surface of the seals? Thanks!

Spring goes down. I didn't use any sealer on the outer rim, just made sure it was nice and clean.