fork seal replacement / racetech gold valve

[jalingo]

Hi Guys 
hope everybody doing good in those uncertain times 

on my 2006 FJR with roughly 30k miles ,I'm about to change the fork seals. 

forks have the racetech gold valve on them , been installed by a pro 2 years ago , he didn't change the seals 

my questions are :

- what do I have to replace beside the seals , dust seals , seal retaining clips ? 

- Is the gold valve setup different than the standard set up ? 

- Extra gold valve parts that I have to be aware of ? 

- Is the seal retaining clip called ring snap at Yamaha ? part number : 4SV-23156-00-00 ?

- Is the inner and outer bushing are the Yamaha metal slides 1 and 2 ? 
part number : 
slide 1 : 4SV-23125-10-00
slide 2 : 3P6-23125-00-00 

what fork oil you guys recommend me ? 
( I do a lot of gymkhana with the FJR and I ride stiff suspensions, have a rear Ohlins suspension that is set for 2up and pretty stiff when alone , that how I like it )

thank you guys for the future answers and hope to see somebody around one of those days

 

[SkooterG]

Not at all really different than servicing the stock suspension.  It will depend somewhat on how many miles, but I would expect to replace the bushings, or slides.  I always do.  As for fork oil, well, that's a huge Pandora's box.  If I were you I would call Racetech and put in what they recommend.  Good luck. 

I do most maintenance on my FJRs, but forks is one thing I don't do.  It is a major PITA and messy job without the right tools and set up imho.  Luckily for me, I have a Racetech technician a 3 hour ride away in the twisty roads and mountains of Arizona.  I ride there and disassemble and reassemble my Ohlins shock and Racetech forks while he services them.  

 

[Auburn]

you have to have the right tool for torquing the bottom bolt.  If you don't have one, make it. 

EDIT: You need a 26MM socket, 2 feet of 1/2 inch steel tubing, and a 3/8" socket adapter.  Weld the adapter at one end of the tubing, center the other end of the tubing on the bottom of the socket and weld it.  The center of the fork cartridge will go through the opening on the socket inside the tubing, allowing you to put a breaker bar on the socket adapter to hole the cartridge while torquing the bottom nut to 25 foot lbs.  You also need a seal driver to drive the middle busing into place, and the seal.  Make sure you get the seal installed the correct way so it is sealing.  Lot's of info and pictures on this site to follow.

 

[hppants]

I went with the Showa 10 wt (Honda), which is a smidge thicker than stock.  The dampening was significantly improved for me (6'-0", 210 pounds, moderate to aggressive rider).

Few tips:

1.  Do not disassemble the fork the way the book tells you (dealing with removing that fastener deep on the inside of the tube.  Instead, don't even remove the upper cap.  Use the spring pressure and an impact wrench/driver to remove the bottom bolt.  Drain the oil.  Remove the dust seal and retainer clip.  Then use the "mother-in-law" method to remove the seal and separate the upper fork from the lower.  On re-assembly, use a screwdriver or pic to align the bottom piston with the lower tube hole and install the bolt with some locktight.  Again, the spring pressure will keep it from spinning (compress the fork a little for some added pressure while tightening).

2.  A piece of schedule 40 2" pvc pipe makes a great seal driver.  I cut a small slit in mine and used a blow dryer to mold it just a little for a better fit around the seal.

3.  At the auto parts store, a 2" exhaust tip makes the perfect "bushing driver"  Bring a bushing in the store and match it up.

4.  Very light film of grease on the outside of the new seal before driving it in - makes it much easier to pull out next time.

5.  Use a small funnel to pour the exact amount of oil into the fork from the bottom bolt hold.

6.  Don't forget to torque the triple clamp in sequence.  Keep going back and forth to make sure all bolts are torqued.

 

[bigjohnsd]

Not at all really different than servicing the stock suspension.  It will depend somewhat on how many miles, but I would expect to replace the bushings, or slides.  I always do.  As for fork oil, well, that's a huge Pandora's box.  If I were you I would call Racetech and put in what they recommend.  Good luck. 

I do most maintenance on my FJRs, but forks is one thing I don't do.  It is a major PITA and messy job without the right tools and set up imho.  Luckily for me, I have a Racetech technician a 3 hour ride away in the twisty roads and mountains of Arizona.  I ride there and disassemble and reassemble my Ohlins shock and Racetech forks while he services them.  

What Skooter said!

 

[MotoMike]

I went with the Showa 10 wt (Honda), which is a smidge thicker than stock.  The dampening was significantly improved for me (6'-0", 210 pounds, moderate to aggressive rider).

Few tips:

1.  Do not disassemble the fork the way the book tells you (dealing with removing that fastener deep on the inside of the tube.  Instead, don't even remove the upper cap.  Use the spring pressure and an impact wrench/driver to remove the bottom bolt.  Drain the oil.  Remove the dust seal and retainer clip.  Then use the "mother-in-law" method to remove the seal and separate the upper fork from the lower.  On re-assembly, use a screwdriver or pic to align the bottom piston with the lower tube hole and install the bolt with some locktight.  Again, the spring pressure will keep it from spinning (compress the fork a little for some added pressure while tightening).

2.  A piece of schedule 40 2" pvc pipe makes a great seal driver.  I cut a small slit in mine and used a blow dryer to mold it just a little for a better fit around the seal.

3.  At the auto parts store, a 2" exhaust tip makes the perfect "bushing driver"  Bring a bushing in the store and match it up.

4.  Very light film of grease on the outside of the new seal before driving it in - makes it much easier to pull out next time.

5.  Use a small funnel to pour the exact amount of oil into the fork from the bottom bolt hold.

6.  Don't forget to torque the triple clamp in sequence.  Keep going back and forth to make sure all bolts are torqued.

Excuse my ignorance. What is the "mother-in-law" method?

 

[hppants]

Actually, I think I may have mis-typed.  A "Mother-in-law", in "tool terms" is a device that is used to drive in post or pipes into the ground.  Picture a stout piece of pipe closed on one end with a handle on each side.  The user slips the MIL over the post, and using the handle, lifts and shoves (with force) the tool onto the end of the post, driving it into the ground.

Although the principle is the same, what I meant re: the forks was that you hold the upper tube in one hand and the lower in the other.  Then you pull hard with each hand outward.  The bushings jam against the seal and they force the seal out of the lower tube.  If this is the first fork seal change, it often takes quite a few licks to pull the seal out.  But if you use a thin film of grease on the outside of the new seal upon re=installment, the next time, it will be like butter.

My apologies for the confusion and hope this makes sense.

 

[MotoMike]

OOPS! This belongs in another thread!