Fork oil

[SeanMora77]

I'd like to add fresh fork oil but have never done so. Can anyone tell me an easy way to do this?

[Steve]

Do you want to simply "add" or do you want to do it properly?

You have to KNOW how much oil is in there, and the manual says that the proper way to measure the oil is to have the spring removed and the fork fully-collapsed and vertical. The only way to do that is to have the forks off the bike.

You can probably get quite close if you leave the forks in the bike, but you still need to remove the caps and the springs so you can measure the oil level to make sure they are the same.

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[SeanMora77]

The forks are off the bike, I want to remove any old and fill with new. I want to do everything properly.

[Nessism]

Remove the top cap. Extract the spring and spacers. Dump out the oil. Add fresh oil per the amount listed in the Suzuki factory service manual.

[Steve]

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[koolaid_kid]

Are you going to tell him what happens when he removes the top cap?
I also prefer to flush out the stuff in the bottom of the forks using ATF until it becomes ATF fluid color instead of that yucky, smelly grey.

[Steve]

Are you going to tell him what happens when he removes the top cap?

Nah. It doesn't usually fly very far.

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[chuck hahn]

With the fork fully extended it will only pop up about 1/2 inch ( 12 or 13 MM at the best..easily puhed back on by hand to start the threads.

[koolaid_kid]

Nah. It doesn't usually fly very far.

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Steve, you made me fall out of my chair. Shame on you!
Sean, the cap will pop up when you finish unscrewing it. How much it pops up depends on the amount of preload is in the spring and a possible spacer that may (or may not) be in there with the spring. If you have never had the cap off before be prepared for it, keep the pressure on it and let it up slowly. It may not be much at all, but you will not know until you remove it.

[koolaid_kid]

And I am serious about flushing it. There will be a tiny (usually Phillips) screw at the bottom of the fork. If you remove it a bit of gunk will flow out. I like to pour some ATF in the tube and let it dribble out the bottom. At first, it will be a yucky grey color.keep flushing it until it comes out ATF red. Let that drain completely and then reinstall the screw. Be careful with the screw; there is a tiny o-ring there and you do not want to damage it.

[chuck hahn]

Runs some diesel or kerosene and it will flush and clean a bit better than just ATF. Ane even put it in and put the cap back on and turn the fork end for end a bunch to swish it around and scrub it out a little bit.

[Steve]

Here is a tip for putting the cap back on:

Before putting the spring in, put a mark on the cap (a Sharpie works well), start threading the cap on just a little bit. Unscrew it VERY SLOWLY and note exactly where it dis-engages the threads. Mark the tube with a line that aligns with the mark on the cap. Verify (by threading the cap back in) that that is where the threads will engage. Now put the spring back in, along with any preload spacers that you might need, you will know exactly where to place the cap so it starts to engage threads with the first turn.

OK, K_K, does that make up for it?

3

[7981GS]

Runs some diesel or kerosene and it will flush and clean a bit better than just ATF. Ane even put it in and put the cap back on and turn the fork end for end a bunch to swish it around and scrub it out a little bit.

Good idea Chuck.
I just use solvent.
Same results... CLEAN.

Eric

[Billy Ricks]

When flushing with solvent stroke the fork a few times to run it through all the little orifices the oil goes thorough.

[Steve]

When flushing with solvent stroke the fork a few times to run it through all the little orifices the oil goes thorough.

When you put fork oil in, do the same thing to get all the air out of those passages before trying to measure your oil level.

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