QuestionThe right front fork leg is leaking oil just above the
outer tube. I need to replace the Oil Seal in the top end
of the piston and cylinder unit. This is a pressurized
system. The fork leg removal seems easy to do, but I was
wondering about the replacement of the Oil Seal. Any special tools required? Is this a straight forward job or
better left to an expert?
AnswerBill, this is something you can do but I would advise getting a Clymer's manual or similar service manual and they will go over the procedure in better detail than I can.
I few tricks I've found useful: save the old seal and use it as a tool for tapping the new seal into place. Replace any bushings at the same time as replacing the seals. When reassembling the forks, install everything loose, compress the forks all the way up (springs are out) and then tighten everything. This gives the best alignment. Have an old hanger ready to hook through the brake calipers so they don't hang from the hose. You should find the rest in the manual. Come back if you have further questions.
