Motorcycle Repair: Fork Seals, 2004 gsxr 600, fork seals


Question
I am wanting to replace the fork seals on my 2004 GSXR 600. I have never messed with fork seals before but do all my repairs, if you could give a brief explanation of tear down and replacing the seals and bleeding forks it would help a lot. Thanks

Answer
I'm a Harley mechanic but I'll tell you the general basics.  Remove drain screw on lower legs.  Pump forks to get most of oil out.  Raise bike to get front wheel off ground.  Remove top caps to drain rest of oil.  Remove front wheel and fender (caliper if necessary)  Loosen triple-tree pinch bolts.  Spray tubes with lubricant and slide them out of trees.  Pop off dust boots.  Remove retaining ring/clip.  Remove dampener screw with hand impact driver from up inside bottom end of fork tubes.  Usually takes a 6mm allen.  Use bottom leg as a slide hammer up and down to remove top tube with seal.  Slide off old seal and slide on new one.  Put top and bottom tubes back together and replace bottom allen bolt with sealing washer.  Use piece of tubing just large enough to slide over top tube to smack seal down into lower leg.  (There is a tool made for this.)  Replace retaining clip and fill fork leg with oil and replace cap.