Wednesday, November 24, 2010

How to change fork seals on an xr400?

For future reference, always give year, make, engine size and model # when asking questions. We need all of that info to give an informed answer.

Sometimes the year can make a difference.



-%26quot;Loosen%26quot; the cap at the top of the forks before removing them.

-Place the bike on a stand to get the front wheel off the ground.

-Remove the F fender, brakes %26amp; wheel.

-Loosen the top %26amp; bottem pinch bolts on the steering stem.

-Remove the forks.

-With a screw driver and hammer, tap the dust seal off.

-Remove the snap ring (circlip).

-Remove the allen head bolt at the bottem of the forks. Very important - don't use an allen wrench. Use an allen %26quot;socket%26quot; (it's an allen bit on a 3/8 drive socket). Put the allen socket in the bolt and slam it a few times with a metal hammer to shock it loose. Then remove it with a hand held impact wrench.

Allen socket - http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/tools.asp

Imact wrench - http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item.asp?



-Drian the oil out of the hole you just removed the bolt from.

-Remove the top cap and fork spring. Take note as to the direction the spring goes. Some bikes have 2 springs. Others have a spring with tightly wound coils and wider spaced coils. With the spring removed, it's easier to compress the fork and yank it out with greater force

-Hold the lower fork leg with one hand and pull the fork tube out with the other. The seal is in tight, so you have to keep yanking them apart. Push the tube in an yank apart untill the seal is hit. In - OUT - in - OUT - in - OUT. Get a freind to help pull them apart. Remove the seal.

-Put the tube back in the fork leg and tighten the bolt at the bottem.

-Slide the new seal on the tube and install with a fork seal driver.

-Install the circlip and dust seal.

-Put in the correct amount of oil, spring and install the cap.

-Tighten the cap when the forks are on the bike.

Picture - http://www.bikebandit.com/parts/

Fork Seal Driver - http://www.motionpro.com/motorcycle/tool

Service manual - http://www.motocom.com/motorcycles/

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