Fork bolts

[Buda]

Note: Only 15 ft-lb, so don't over-tighten.
Sequence 1-2-1 followed by 4-3-4

I am definitely NOT a person to rely on for FJR facts, yet (if ever).

If what I reread more than a half dozen times is truly what my brain is deciphering than someone would have already pointed this out and not given a ‘Dead On’ rating.

I am not trying to be the grammar police or start an argument. I am concerned about my mental faculties; are they deteriorating at a more accelerated pace? (This is when acceleration is not a good thing)





b. Appears to me as a 2-1-2 followed by 4-3-4 not 1-2-1





Please Advise





2GENAE, I envy you and hope you realize how fortunate you are to have one of the best FJR gurus come help you. Not only is a he wealth of FJR knowledge, he is willing to share it. Which is pointless if who he is sharing it with does not understand. His ability to ‘read’ the person asking for guidance and explain to them in terms they understand is priceless!





After riding last evening I discovered fork oil on a fork tube this morning. I ended up on this thread while researching what can be done to resolve this. I planned on leaving for Baker City Tuesday to introduce myself to 30 or so folks in this group. The idea was to ride my new to me 04 FJR and not my trusty lil 04 SV.


Maybe if I lift the dust cap and fabricate a Seal Mate device, I can clean it up enough to get a good seal? The bike supposedly has newer seals and RaceTech springs that were installed about 2 years ago and 2k miles ago.

The trails (streets) of New Seattle are jarring and will cause harm to most vehicles. Is it possible rough road surfaces could damage a newer fork seal(s)? Or possibly an inhabitant of New Seattle may have done something to it when I left it parked on the street unattended Friday night for a few hours? Would messing with the adjusters at the top of the tubes allow fork oil to escape? The top of the right adjuster had a bit of oil on it and the left tube had oil on it with a bit above the triple clamp. Or debris got under the dust cap that I can clean out good enough to keep the fork oil where it is suppose to stay.

I know the hours spent trying to post this only to have it disappear has done nothing to remedy the fork oil situation. I now type responses in a program separate from this forum. I can’t tell you how many times I have tried to contribute to this forum only to have it disappear before I finish. This has been extremely frustrating.





It happens with the PM’s as well. Today I found a solution to my FJRForum frustrations!

 

[RossKean]

b. Appears to me as a 2-1-2 followed by 4-3-4 not 1-2-1

You are absolutely correct. (I always look at the instruction because I never remember.) I will correct my previous post. That said, I doubt it makes a lot of difference.

Regarding leaky forks, a SealMate (or reasonable facsimile) can very often stop a fork oil leak. If the seals have more than 60-80,000 miles on them, there is less likelihood of a long-term fix. Yours would seem to be low mileage so unless there is a scratched fork tube or the installer nicked the sealing surface, there is a really good chance it will work out OK. I always carry a SealMate.

 

[92XJXJWHEELER]

I am definitely NOT a person to rely on for FJR facts, yet (if ever).

If what I reread more than a half dozen times is truly what my brain is deciphering than someone would have already pointed this out and not given a ‘Dead On’ rating.

I am not trying to be the grammar police or start an argument. I am concerned about my mental faculties; are they deteriorating at a more accelerated pace? (This is when acceleration is not a good thing)





b. Appears to me as a 2-1-2 followed by 4-3-4 not 1-2-1





Please Advise





2GENAE, I envy you and hope you realize how fortunate you are to have one of the best FJR gurus come help you. Not only is a he wealth of FJR knowledge, he is willing to share it. Which is pointless if who he is sharing it with does not understand. His ability to ‘read’ the person asking for guidance and explain to them in terms they understand is priceless!





After riding last evening I discovered fork oil on a fork tube this morning. I ended up on this thread while researching what can be done to resolve this. I planned on leaving for Baker City Tuesday to introduce myself to 30 or so folks in this group. The idea was to ride my new to me 04 FJR and not my trusty lil 04 SV.


Maybe if I lift the dust cap and fabricate a Seal Mate device, I can clean it up enough to get a good seal? The bike supposedly has newer seals and RaceTech springs that were installed about 2 years ago and 2k miles ago.

The trails (streets) of New Seattle are jarring and will cause harm to most vehicles. Is it possible rough road surfaces could damage a newer fork seal(s)? Or possibly an inhabitant of New Seattle may have done something to it when I left it parked on the street unattended Friday night for a few hours? Would messing with the adjusters at the top of the tubes allow fork oil to escape? The top of the right adjuster had a bit of oil on it and the left tube had oil on it with a bit above the triple clamp. Or debris got under the dust cap that I can clean out good enough to keep the fork oil where it is suppose to stay.

I know the hours spent trying to post this only to have it disappear has done nothing to remedy the fork oil situation. I now type responses in a program separate from this forum. I can’t tell you how many times I have tried to contribute to this forum only to have it disappear before I finish. This has been extremely frustrating.





It happens with the PM’s as well. Today I found a solution to my FJRForum frustrations!

I have an 04. New to me. About 2500 miles. My. When I bought the bike one of the first things I did was crank those damping knobs way down they were cranked all the way out and I then did notice over the course of a sometime during my first week that I had oil coming out of those things which are an unserviceable part. I have everything to rebuild the forks along with some new springs and I will do that when it cools off and see if there's some o-ring to replace on the damping and adjustment but it no longer leaks .If I make an adjustment it may leak for a day or two and then stop. Possibly the previous owner overfilled them ,again I will address all that when I rebuild them. What I'm getting at is crank crank the damping adjustment rods in and out of time or two ride it around wipe it down see if that might do it for you it did it for me. Or maybe it is your seal that's an easy job itself.

 

[2GENAE]

I am definitely NOT a person to rely on for FJR facts, yet (if ever).

If what I reread more than a half dozen times is truly what my brain is deciphering than someone would have already pointed this out and not given a ‘Dead On’ rating.

I am not trying to be the grammar police or start an argument. I am concerned about my mental faculties; are they deteriorating at a more accelerated pace? (This is when acceleration is not a good thing)





b. Appears to me as a 2-1-2 followed by 4-3-4 not 1-2-1





Please Advise





2GENAE, I envy you and hope you realize how fortunate you are to have one of the best FJR gurus come help you. Not only is a he wealth of FJR knowledge, he is willing to share it. Which is pointless if who he is sharing it with does not understand. His ability to ‘read’ the person asking for guidance and explain to them in terms they understand is priceless!





After riding last evening I discovered fork oil on a fork tube this morning. I ended up on this thread while researching what can be done to resolve this. I planned on leaving for Baker City Tuesday to introduce myself to 30 or so folks in this group. The idea was to ride my new to me 04 FJR and not my trusty lil 04 SV.


Maybe if I lift the dust cap and fabricate a Seal Mate device, I can clean it up enough to get a good seal? The bike supposedly has newer seals and RaceTech springs that were installed about 2 years ago and 2k miles ago.

The trails (streets) of New Seattle are jarring and will cause harm to most vehicles. Is it possible rough road surfaces could damage a newer fork seal(s)? Or possibly an inhabitant of New Seattle may have done something to it when I left it parked on the street unattended Friday night for a few hours? Would messing with the adjusters at the top of the tubes allow fork oil to escape? The top of the right adjuster had a bit of oil on it and the left tube had oil on it with a bit above the triple clamp. Or debris got under the dust cap that I can clean out good enough to keep the fork oil where it is suppose to stay.

I know the hours spent trying to post this only to have it disappear has done nothing to remedy the fork oil situation. I now type responses in a program separate from this forum. I can’t tell you how many times I have tried to contribute to this forum only to have it disappear before I finish. This has been extremely frustrating.

I am definitely NOT a person to rely on for FJR facts, yet (if ever).

If what I reread more than a half dozen times is truly what my brain is deciphering than someone would have already pointed this out and not given a ‘Dead On’ rating.

I am not trying to be the grammar police or start an argument. I am concerned about my mental faculties; are they deteriorating at a more accelerated pace? (This is when acceleration is not a good thing)





b. Appears to me as a 2-1-2 followed by 4-3-4 not 1-2-1





Please Advise





2GENAE, I envy you and hope you realize how fortunate you are to have one of the best FJR gurus come help you. Not only is a he wealth of FJR knowledge, he is willing to share it. Which is pointless if who he is sharing it with does not understand. His ability to ‘read’ the person asking for guidance and explain to them in terms they understand

I am definitely NOT a person to rely on for FJR facts, yet (if ever).

If what I reread more than a half dozen times is truly what my brain is deciphering than someone would have already pointed this out and not given a ‘Dead On’ rating.

I am not trying to be the grammar police or start an argument. I am concerned about my mental faculties; are they deteriorating at a more accelerated pace? (This is when acceleration is not a good thing)





b. Appears to me as a 2-1-2 followed by 4-3-4 not 1-2-1





Please Advise





2GENAE, I envy you and hope you realize how fortunate you are to have one of the best FJR gurus come help you. Not only is a he wealth of FJR knowledge, he is willing to share it. Which is pointless if who he is sharing it with does not understand. His ability to ‘read’ the person asking for guidance and explain to them in terms they understand is priceless!





After riding last evening I discovered fork oil on a fork tube this morning. I ended up on this thread while researching what can be done to resolve this. I planned on leaving for Baker City Tuesday to introduce myself to 30 or so folks in this group. The idea was to ride my new to me 04 FJR and not my trusty lil 04 SV.


Maybe if I lift the dust cap and fabricate a Seal Mate device, I can clean it up enough to get a good seal? The bike supposedly has newer seals and RaceTech springs that were installed about 2 years ago and 2k miles ago.

The trails (streets) of New Seattle are jarring and will cause harm to most vehicles. Is it possible rough road surfaces could damage a newer fork seal(s)? Or possibly an inhabitant of New Seattle may have done something to it when I left it parked on the street unattended Friday night for a few hours? Would messing with the adjusters at the top of the tubes allow fork oil to escape? The top of the right adjuster had a bit of oil on it and the left tube had oil on it with a bit above the triple clamp. Or debris got under the dust cap that I can clean out good enough to keep the fork oil where it is suppose to stay.

I know the hours spent trying to post this only to have it disappear has done nothing to remedy the fork oil situation. I now type responses in a program separate from this forum. I can’t tell you how many times I have tried to contribute to this forum only to have it disappear before I finish. This has been extremely frustrating.





It happens with the PM’s as well. Today I found a solution to my FJRForum frustrations!

Ive know Dan for 40 years Ive always done my own maintance too but not on a FJR1300 Yamaha. Dan and I and several others use ride FJ1100/1200
( I still have my 86 FJ1200) we had big fun learning how to degree the cams, re installing the head after having them ported etc. Dan moved on to sport touring C10 Kaw then a Gen I FJR1300 in early 2000s. while the rest of us still played with sport bikes trying out run each other.

Arthritis in my hands from decades of working in a Tool&Die shop/Machinist forced me to sell my ZX14 Ninja. Dan found a 2008 AE and he showed me all the maintance tricks from 20 years experience on several different FJRs. Yes sir I am VERY lucky to have known him all these years. I hit the ground riding again thanks to Dan these last 4 years of riding and touring with him vs Drag Racing most of my life. Dan use to say every car that pulls up beside you at a red light you like them like its a challenge LOL he was correct . LOL

 

[Dan Cooper]

Buda and 92xjxjwheeler,
Concerning the oil leakage at the top of the fork caps around the rebound and / or preload adjuster shafts.

First the disclaimer:
I have not personally performed the disassembly / reassembly (hopefully) of a FJR fork cap.
I'm just trying to find information where others have had the same problem and their findings and / or solutions.
Use the following information at your own risk !!

This is a poor photo that was sent to me from the Facebook chaty group (I don't FB) showing the disassembly of the fork cap rebound adjuster. The poster indicated there is a pressed in retainer (that aluminum looking ring between the black knob and the rebound adjuster stem in the photo). The poster indicated he un-screwed the stem using the black knob until it topped out then continued turning (counterclockwise) until it partially pushed the retainer ring up until the adjuster ran out of threads. Then he removed the knob and using some pliers or vice grips he pulled the stem and retainer ring the rest of the way out. Inside he found a couple of o-rings that he replaced then re-assembled the cap.

I haven't done this little job personally, but I think it might be possible, with the cap removed from the fork tube, to push the partially extracted rebound adjuster and pressed in retainer ring out from the bottom of the cap, instead of pulling it out with pliers and the possible damage to the top of the stem. I could be wrong about that.




There is also a discussion on another forum about the fork cap leakage and disassembly with a very good photo in the last post of the fork cap internals showing where the 0-rings live. There is no advice on disassembling / reassembling those parts from the fork cap to go along with the photo.
https://www.fjrowners.com/threads/oil-leak-rh-top-fork.155056/

dan

You can't believe everything you hear, but you can repeat it. -- Anonymous

 

[Archer]

first INCLUDING the caliper bolts. Not a bad idea to also loosen the bolts holding the fender on and if you really want to complete a whole front end "alignment", also the bolts on the lower triple tree. Then compress the front end a few times by pushing down on the tank with 2 hands. This will let everything "settle" into it's natural position. Then tighten everything up to spec and don't forget the caliper, fender and triple tree bolts.

I used this method yesterday reinstalling my tuned forks cuz I remembered reading your suggestion this summer, and it worked, and proved itself quickly on the road test. Thanks.

( note to self, again, next time squeeze front brakes a few times before coming off center stand )