Shocks are shocking!

[MrJ]

Well got a used 06 with 42k. Done most of the maintenance over the winter. I'm pretty mechanically inclined so most of it was routine. Even though the bike was darn near showroom condition I did notice a small weep around the front shock tube. Ordered a seal kit with dust seals. Popped the front shocks out no issue. Started to disassemble them and it was shocking.
Less than 1/4 liter in both. Black as soot, that's less than 1/2 required amount. And that my forum friends is where it went OMG. Both left and right seals were seized in. Heated them considerably with a heat gun to even get them to budge. I yanked and yanked on the inner tube. Not like the videos I previewed with a quick pluck and out it would come and I have the FSM. Cleaned the parts up for reassembling. Well the upper bushing wouldn't go into place properly. I know there is a upper and lower bushing are diffrent diameter so I was careful not to mix them up. Got the left one assembled properly I thought , what a job to put the seal in. Just to tight even with grease and fork oil. Put it back together after a few choice words. Started at the right and the upper bushing would not seat properly upon assembly. Could not get it to seat fully in place. I assume that the upper bushing sits completely level in it's chamber and no part of the bushing sticking up under the seal. I'm guessing the bushings have built a layer of old oil on the inside and outside surfaces to prevent them from going into place properly. By this time patience was on reserve. Took some steel wool tried to clean the bushings hoping they would go in place. NOPE... took the left shock apart again to inspect if the upper bushing went flush inder the seal in its chamber beneath the seal and it was raised also. Disassembled the left shock again. YUP emptied patience reserve and walked away. I assume the bushings are swollen or have a buildup that I did not remove. I'll order four new bushings and pray...

 

[RossKean]

Bushings should be replaced. Teflon coating wears off and they are usually done before the fork seals. (You did get all thre out?)

Note, I would expect to get 60 to 75000 miles out of seals. With a leak, a SealMate can usually restore it for a significant period of time.

Fork oil maybe 30000 or so. It gets ugly, especially the first time. If this stuff was original, it would be awful, but no idea why the level would be that low unless the previous owner had a really bad leak.

No idea why the seals were a problem. I assume that you removed the retainer? While they don't pop out, they are less problematic than the bushings.

Center bushing needs a special tool to set. A lot of people omit that bushing...

Do you have the step by step directions?

https://www.fjr-tips.org/maint/ForkSeal-BushingReplacement.pdf

 

[MrJ]

Bushings should be replaced. Teflon coating wears off and they are usually done before the fork seals. (You did get all thre out?)

Note, I would expect to get 60 to 75000 miles out of seals. With a leak, a SealMate can usually restore it for a significant period of time.

Fork oil maybe 30000 or so. It gets ugly, especially the first time. If this stuff was original, it would be awful, but no idea why the level would be that low unless the previous owner had a really bad leak.

No idea why the seals were a problem. I assume that you removed the retainer? While they don't pop out, they are less problematic than the bushings.

Center bushing needs a special tool to set. A lot of people omit that bushing...

Do you have the step by step directions?

https://www.fjr-tips.org/maint/ForkSeal-BushingReplacement.pdf

 

[MrJ]

Had the FSM and watched several online videos. Got both left and right inner tube apart with seals, retainers out and three bushings for each side. Left side required a considerable amount of yanking the inner tube to loosen the seal. Bike is used purchased last fall. No visible sign of fork oil at time of purchase. Well it might be a trip to the Yamaha dealer for assembly. Thanks for the more detailed rebuild instructions.

 

[MrJ]

Bushings should be replaced. Teflon coating wears off and they are usually done before the fork seals. (You did get all thre out?)

Note, I would expect to get 60 to 75000 miles out of seals. With a leak, a SealMate can usually restore it for a significant period of time.

Fork oil maybe 30000 or so. It gets ugly, especially the first time. If this stuff was original, it would be awful, but no idea why the level would be that low unless the previous owner had a really bad leak.

No idea why the seals were a problem. I assume that you removed the retainer? While they don't pop out, they are less problematic than the bushings.

Center bushing needs a special tool to set. A lot of people omit that bushing...

Do you have the step by step directions?

https://www.fjr-tips.org/maint/ForkSeal-BushingReplacement.pdf

Thanks for the link to the detailed installation process. Certainly explains alot better than I could explain or have the patience to type out with pics. Thank God for these posts. Not much I could of done diffrent expect how to drive the mid bushing in place. I imagine if I had of gotten the mid bushing in place properly the ABS adapter would of worked fine for upper bushing and seal. My first time doing forks in my years so it was a bit of a learning curve also.

 

[MrJ]

UPDATE...
Well brought the forks to my local Yamaha dealer! Got five different stories over 14 day. First didn't have the tool to drive mid bushing. Second had to order tool. Third tool would be in a couple of days. Fourth tool was on back order. Fifth was tool wasn't available untill September. Between 3th and 4th visit I was in and noticed one fork had dust cap in place. HMM! With no tool how was this a reality. 4th visit I asked for my forks to be returned. Yup passed me one bag with both forks in the bag (was delivered to dealer in 2 bags with seperate parts bags) and mix of old and new parts dumped in the bottom of the bag. Inventory check time. To my surprise I found 2 new bushings were reworked in G shape! Some parts were and well some were not. Other parts were assembled in one of the forks. Blood pressure on bust. Manager gets involved and directs parts to order all new parts I supplied. Settled finally. NOPE! Went to pick up forks and parts and a service guy decided that all I needed was two O shaped bushings rather than their G shaped bushings. Got the manager over again. He states parts were ordered. Service representative says he dosen't need all the parts and that the service dept will have to absorb the cost of replacement parts. Manager says he gave us all new parts and he only wants what he gave us from the start. The service dept messed it up so it was going to have to absorb the cost. Next day I go back to pick up one assembled fork and one unassembled fork. I asked to have the one assembled fork unassembled. So I could check for gouges inside the fork body before I left the dealer property because they never had the tool from the start! All was OK. The mechanics told me they assembled one but the little tool they had broke. Ive got the FSM and didnt see any little tools. Took the forks home and read a bit more, done it myself with instructions in hand. Not that hard, actually easier than I had believed. I'm mechanical inclined, never done fork service before. I normally don't bring my work to any garage because I've seen way to much half done jimmied up work over the years. Well this my fellow FJR owners only further cemented my belief that even the dealer isn't always the top notch service one would expect. Not telling the truth and trying to walk away from responsibilities is what I ended up from the dealer. SAD. Side note it took me about 4 hrs from start of install of new parts with forks out to on the road. It wasn't that hard at all. If I only had a bit more faith in myself and abilities. Oh well thanks for those who commented especially those owners who sent along rebuild instructions.

 

[Archer]

more faith in myself and abilities.

Thanks for sharing your story and solution.

 

[Oldjeep]

You can make the needed tool to install those center bushings out of a $5 piece of exhaust tubing.

 

[MrJ]

You can make the needed tool to install those center bushings out of a $5 piece of exhaust tubing.

Yup that's all needed was a 2" ID piece of exhaust pipe 8" long for bushing install. A 2" ABS pipe is what I used for seal installation.

 

[Archer]

 

[MrJ]

Wonder if there is different schedule (wall thickness) in exhaust pipe as there is in chain link fencing. Definitely used 2" inside diameter.

 

[2GENAE]

Yup that's all needed was a 2" ID piece of exhaust pipe 8" long for bushing install. A 2" ABS pipe is what I used for seal installation.

How did you hold the cartridge nut inside so you could torque the bolt at the end of the fork where the axle goes? Dan made a tool that slides over the shaft inside to hold the cartridge nut.

 

[MrJ]

I did not totally disassemble the cartridge. I removed top fork seal nut. Removed the damper rod and cleaned old oil from within. Upon assembly put cartridge in with fork upside down so parts stayed in place. The bottom 8mm hex bolt was threaded into cartridge. The cartridge did not spin and the hex bolt torqued down to spec. I did see a long extension tool in one members description. Either I did not completely disassemble the cartridge or I got lucky with the cartridge not spinning so the hex bolt torqued down. Maybe another member who is more seasoned with fork rebuilding could explain the long extension socket tool I've seen in some descriptions.

 

[Oldjeep]

How did you hold the cartridge nut inside so you could torque the bolt at the end of the fork where the axle goes? Dan made a tool that slides over the shaft inside to hold the cartridge nut.

I tack welded the correct size socket to the end of a hollow jack handle. My FJR fork tools for the cartridge nut and the center bushing. For the top end stuff I just use a normal MC split bushing/seal driver (not pictured)
Sometimes the cartridges stay in place and you don't need to hold them - sometimes they spin.

 

[MrJ]

I tack welded the correct size socket to the end of a hollow jack handle. My FJR fork tools for the cartridge nut and the center bushing. For the top end stuff I just use a normal MC split bushing/seal driver (not pictured)
Sometimes the cartridges stay in place and you don't need to hold them - sometimes they spin.

View attachment 4920

Well then I got lucky with my cartridge bolt!

 

[Oldjeep]

One more picture - this is the chrome exhaust tip that I started with for the center bushing tool - that is my excuse for the quality of the welds Welded directly to the chrome so that I would have a handle to bang on. Just had to smooth out the inner seam with a dremel so that it fit around the inner leg properly without scratching it. It originally had a rolled edge on one side that I had to cut off so that I had just a tube.