Fork oil change??

[FJR919]

I like the upside method of draining and use the same new fork oil to flush until it's clean. It gives me the peace of mind that there is no dilution of the final fill.

 

[radman]

I would definitely go with the fork up side down, drain method, over sucking out the fork oil. In fact it's suggested to let it drain several hrs or over night.

You can also use some cheap transmission fluid to flush after hanging. It is a lot cheaper than using the expensive fork oil. If you use this method than a couple hours of hanging is sufficient. Ample time to chill and have a couple beers!

Agree. I change yearly, and if appearance is an indicator, it's time. The trannie fluid works great, I use 3M 8880 brake clean, as I get it cheap enough where using several cans is no biggie. Pump the forks a couple times, use the rod to cycle the valving, both with fluid in and dry-no more draining is needed-you'll get a few drops at most.

 

[JamesK]

A friend put me onto using Kerosene to flush the forks, since Kero will not damage the rubber seals and helps to wash out the sludge. Typically takes about two or three flushes (with some pumping and shaking) to get a relatively clean Kero coming out. After that use fill the forks with about 30% of the same fork oil that will be used and again pump and shake. Then fill with the oil to spec. Seems to work pretty well. I'm yet to see anything but swamp sludge come out of the forks after some 20k+ miles.

 

[dcarver]

A friend put me onto using Kerosene to flush the forks, since Kero will not damage the rubber seals and helps to wash out the sludge. Typically takes about two or three flushes (with some pumping and shaking) to get a relatively clean Kero coming out. After that use fill the forks with about 30% of the same fork oil that will be used and again pump and shake. Then fill with the oil to spec. Seems to work pretty well. I'm yet to see anything but swamp sludge come out of the forks after some 20k+ miles.

Is diesel fuel ok to use?

 

[JamesK]

I don't know about diesel fuel, as I have only used the K1 Kerosene they sell in places like Lowes for under $10 - with good results. One can typically lasts me 3 or more fork oil flushes.

 

[Bugnatr]

Is diesel fuel ok to use?

No.... stay with kerosene

 

[Zorlac]

Is diesel fuel ok to use?

No.... stay with kerosene

It's really not that much different, I flushed my forks with diesel fuel.1-K Kero in a gallon can is way more spendy than DF by the gallon at the pump, you can even use the cheaper off road DF if you can find it local, no road taxes.

The grade of kerosene required by modern kerosene appliances is No. 1-K, which can be either red or clear. The red dye was added by a Clinton Administration edict in July, 1998, so people using kerosene to fuel their diesel engine vehicles would be easy to spot by the police for not paying the road tax on motor fuels.

 

[Further]

I thought my fork oil was original because it was a 1-owner bike when I bought it last year with only 9000kms on it.
But even if it had been changed just as the guy decided to sell (would you?), I've ridden her up to 30000kms now. From what I read, particularly in my post yesterday, I was expecting to empty out black bilge water with gobs of crud. In fact, the oil that came out was bright, clear and because of my oil-sucking rig (basically a big turkey baster bulb with a clear vinyl tube, I was able to inspect each load that I pulled out. Even the oil at the very bottom was clear and contained no sediment of any type?

I refilled and pumped them over and over but could not suck out any type of crud. Could the difference be related to climate? Whatever, I'm not complaining about that.

But I am ticked-off as hell right now. I put her all back together, wiped her down and she's looking pretty. I came inside and on the table where I had cleaned and set aside all the pieces that came out, there's one of the dampening rods. :******:

So I've been goin' back and forth on this fork issue for a while now. I've got 14K on an 08. For many, many years with my 2, K100RS's I changed fluid every other year. But it was a breeze on the KRS, with a drain screw at the bottom of the fork and a cap-within-a-cap at the top, swappin' fluid was a 15 min. job.

Now I'm faced with, what looks to my limited abilities, like major surgery to pull the forks off, or pay my dealer very large green bills to do it for me.

So Leskid, tell me, it looks like you were able to drain the fluid w/o pullin' the forks. Right? I thought about trying to get a tube down the tube, as it were. But after looking at the shop manual, thought there would be obstructions to limit how far down the tube you could get the drain tube. Is that not the case?

Could you briefly outline the process for us brain dead folks? Once you get the wheel off the ground, can you simply uncap the top of the fork and remove all the inner apparatus including the springs? Personally, I'd be fine with doing this kind of fluid swapping every 2 years, then maybe a more thorough fork removal every 4 years. Isn't it weird that Yamaha seems to give the impression that the fluid NEVER needs changing, since it gives no such directions?

Thanks,

Chris

 

[Leskid]

So Leskid, tell me, it looks like you were able to drain the fluid w/o pullin' the forks. Right? I thought about trying to get a tube down the tube, as it were. But after looking at the shop manual, thought there would be obstructions to limit how far down the tube you could get the drain tube. Is that not the case?
Could you briefly outline the process for us brain dead folks? Once you get the wheel off the ground, can you simply uncap the top of the fork and remove all the inner apparatus including the springs? Personally, I'd be fine with doing this kind of fluid swapping every 2 years, then maybe a more thorough fork removal every 4 years. Isn't it weird that Yamaha seems to give the impression that the fluid NEVER needs changing, since it gives no such directions?

Sorry for the lat reply but I just got back-in this morning from another run around the Cabot trail.

About getting all the way down to the bottom, that I cannot confirm. All I can say is that based on the clarity, color and absence of any goop in the oil I pulled-out, in MY case, I have no worries about the quick & dirty method. YMMV of course.

As for providing a step by step walkthrough:

considering I found a 'spare' dampening rod on the table after the job was done, forcing me to repeat the entire process again, I think it's best for all concerned if I don't even take a stab at writing it up for you

 

[Bungie]

Tried to do mine this morning. Took off the lower fairings, inner panels, horns, broke loose the caliper bolts, same thing for the axle pinch bolt and upper triple clamps, just had the axle to break loose before I jacked it up to remove the tubes.

****.

Some ******* put tightened that ***** up with an impact. My 3 foot breaker bar BENT.

**** it, it's been fine for 87KM, another 3KM isn't gonna make a whole **** load of difference before I can get said ******* to use his demon impact to loosen off the front axle bolt.

What a pain in the ***.

 

[Further]

Sorry for the lat reply but I just got back-in this morning from another run around the Cabot trail.
About getting all the way down to the bottom, that I cannot confirm. All I can say is that based on the clarity, color and absence of any goop in the oil I pulled-out, in MY case, I have no worries about the quick & dirty method. YMMV of course.

As for providing a step by step walkthrough:

considering I found a 'spare' dampening rod on the table after the job was done, forcing me to repeat the entire process again, I think it's best for all concerned if I don't even take a stab at writing it up for you

OK. Fair enough. But can you tell me this, as far as you could tell, were you able to remove all the innards, including the springs, via the top of the tube?

 

[Leskid]

Tried to do mine this morning. Took off the lower fairings, inner panels, horns, broke loose the caliper bolts, same thing for the axle pinch bolt and upper triple clamps, just had the axle to break loose before I jacked it up to remove the tubes.
****.

Some ******* put tightened that ***** up with an impact. My 3 foot breaker bar BENT.

**** it, it's been fine for 87KM, another 3KM isn't gonna make a whole **** load of difference before I can get said ******* to use his demon impact to loosen off the front axle bolt.

What a pain in the ***.

dang, all that, just to put it back together again? Over an axle? That sucks

You're right about an extra few kms at this point. And it's probably not worth doing a quickie job if you're gonna have to do it properly soon anyway.

and watch your ******* language

OK. Fair enough. But can you tell me this, as far as you could tell, were you able to remove all the innards, including the springs, via the top of the tube?

I already have a magnetic extractor thingy, as warchild's write-up recommends to pull out the washers on top of the springs. As for the springs themselves, I just used a pair of medium needlenoses, no problem at all reaching down in there. They're close enuf to grab.

 

[Further]

I already have a magnetic extractor thingy, as warchild's write-up recommends to pull out the washers on top of the springs. As for the springs themselves, I just used a pair of medium needlenoses, no problem at all reaching down in there. They're close enuf to grab.

Great. Thanks. That doesn't sound so bad. Guess I'll give it a try.

BTW, don't beat yourself up about the forgotten part. The OR nurses in operating rooms count the # of sponges in and the # out, and STILL manage to get it wrong frighteningly often.

 

[Bungie]

Well I got the fork oil changed today. Took about 2 hours working at a pace.

Do NOT let your fork oil go 6 years and 90,000km. Looked like liqui-mud with no lumps.

I bought extra fork oil so that I could give them a good flush and dump cycle. Jobs done and I can't tell if the fork oil made any difference (other than some way past due piece of mind) because I put that damn car tire on yesterday and the bike is handling like ****. The only 'aw crap' moment was when I dropped one of those little chrome allen bolt covers that snap over your handle bar bolts down into never never land.

Thanks for the motivation Andre & Jeff. All I have left to do before the 'big show' is an oil change and maybe mount the PR2 BSpec and chuck that car tire at some guy with a flat.

 

[Zoom Zoom]

FJR 2006 10K miles

I am new to FJR.

On my other bikes I used Kero to flush and 10 W ATF for the forks. Never had a problem.

I do not want to start a fork oil thread, but I have 2 questions. I know they are in the archive, but I feel safe to get the fresh state of the art info.

Q: If not ATF then what fork fluid is good?

Q: How much fluid in each fork. The write up states 100 mm above the rim. I want to know how many C.C.s

Thanks

ZZ

 

[Bungie]

Q: How much fluid in each fork. The write up states 100 mm above the rim. I want to know how many C.C.s

The factory service manual for 04 calls for 22.5oz. But I *REALLY* *REALLY* suggest you get yourself a factory service manual or find somebody who has one to look it up for your. Apparently it differs quite a bit year to year and gen to gen.

 

[mr.paul]

my 2 cents.

Last year in the spring, the Radman helped me flush and change my fork oil with about 25,000 miles on it (yeah, he chewed me out). The original oil was black and thin. After the change (to Amsoil #10) things felt smoother and more sure-footed. Noticeable. Rad likes to hose them out with 3M brake cleaner and after seeing the black crud come out, that looks like a good idea. I ride in all weather so maybe that was part of it.

mr.paul from Minnesota

 

[bikerkash]

According to the dealership the Yamaha shop manual calls for fork oil to be changed ever 60K.