Fork-Oil Change in 20 Minutes

Started by Pete, July 09, 2020, 04:04:35 AM

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Old Drifter

Gene

1999 Drifter

Pete

M12 button-head screw - ebay (but could have got it from any number of online suppliers of threaded components)
Peg-spanner / circlip-pliers - my toolbox.

Ride safe, live long and prosper.

mittico68

Quote from: Pete on July 09, 2020, 04:04:35 AM

M12 drain/filler-screw and a couple of blind 6mm holes for a peg-spanner or circlip-pliers to stop the seat rotating when removing or replacing the filler-screw.

That.

I love my swingin' bike!

Pete

Ride safe, live long and prosper.

mittico68

I love my swingin' bike!

Pete

#1

I've modded the spring seats in the front-forks by adding an M12 drain/filler-screw and a couple of blind 6mm holes for a peg-spanner or circlip-pliers to stop the seat rotating when removing or replacing the filler-screw. The screw is an SS button-head milled down a smigeon so that the trim sits properly.
The old oil is extracted using a syringe connected to a length of straightened copper brake-pipe, and refill is via a small funnel.
I've tested it out, and brake-pipe reaches to the bottom of the sliders and extracts all but a couple of drops of the old oil. The photo shows testing it with the fork-leg off the bike, but in future I will do the oil changes with the fork-legs still on the bike.
I won't have to dismantle the front of the bike again unless I want to adjust or re-grease the head-stock bearings.
Edit
p.s. I forgot to mention that with this mod you can't follow Kawasaki's procedure of over filling the fork with oil and then sucking out the surplus down to a level. What I have done is to measure exactly how much oil is needed to get the right level and then next time I change the oil I'll refill with that precise amount.

Ride safe, live long and prosper.

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