1980 GL 1100 front fork seal replacement

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Ryan

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Joined
Aug 10, 2014
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Location
windsor, ontario, canada
Hey there to all and hope to meet some more good friends. My name is Ryan and I live in Windsor, Ontario, Canada (right across the ditch from Detroit). I have been working on my bike for about 3 yrs now and am getting to the put back together stage. I have powder coated the frame, swing arm, centre stand, wheels and am about to do the lower fork legs as well-the last step before assembly. Here is where I have also encountered my strangest problem so far. I am only the second owner of this bike. The orig owner only put just under 50,000km (that is about 30,000 miles) on it then put it away. He fired it up a few times each year and always drained the fluids for the winter so I got a fairly decent bike to begin with. Being that the case, I still wanted to make it my own. Now I have followed every manual tech tip and on line bit of help and have pretty well been able to do everything on my own without paying a shop an arm and leg. There is not many places around here that will even look at a bike older than 1990 let alone a GL 1100. Well, here is my problem... I have the front forks almost completely disassembled, I just cannot get the upper sliders out of the lower legs. I have everything else off and out. The springs, spacers, damper tubes, allen nut, spring clamp and spacer. The only thing left holding the two parts together is the old seal and I just cannot budge it at all. I have tried pushing it in then pulling sharply, heating it turning it, you name it-if there was something in a manual or on a tech tip page I tried it but I just CANNOT get the tube out of the lower. I don't wany to take it to a shop that is an hour drive away just to find out I missed a simple step or am just doing something wrong. So if there is anyone who can offer me any advice or let me know what it is that I am doing or have done wrong I would greatly appreciate it. I hope to hear from someone soon as I getting very frustrated. If there is no idea's floating around out there then you are welcome to say hello back. I am sure that I will probably run into a few more stumbles during re-assembly than the tear down. Thanks-Ryan.
 
First off, welcome to the site from New Jersey! :clapping:

You are sure the allen bolt at the bottom of the fork (under the fork in the upper half of the axle clamp) is out?
 
Thanks Gerry, plearsure to talk to you. I am absolutely positive the allen bolts are out. I wouldn.t have been able to remove the damper tubes if not, correct? Anyway I am siure. As I said I thought for suire once I removed the spring clamp and spacer that the tubes would come apart fairly easily-NOPE, NO WAY NUH-UH. I am stumped.
 
My manual says to remove the dust cover from the top of the lower leg. Pull out the washer with a magnet then remove the snap ring holding the seal in. Then work the tube in and out to remove the seal and bushing.
 
Hello and thanks. I have everything off and out except the old seal. The snap ring was a little tricky and I wore a fair bit of oil when I took the top cap off but truly-I am down to nothing but the old seal. I even had myself and a buddy pushing and pulling and we started off lightly then got to the point where we couldn't even hold it any longer, they just won't come apart! I don't get it?https://www.classicgoldwings.com/forum/posting.php?mode=reply&f=11&t=8569#
 
After being in there a while, the seals can be a challenge to get out. The method I was taught, put the lower in a bench vice clamping on the mounts for the brake calipers. Then use the upper tube like a slide hammer to knock the seal out. PULL HARD! Once on a 1200 fork, I saw it flat whip 3 grown men before it came loose.
 
Thanks buddy, I can't tell you how glad I am to hear that, as dumb as that may sound. I will do just that tomorrow and will let you know how it worked out. I was beginning to have a feeling that it may be just that as well. Those seals have been in there since 1980 so I am sure they have settled in pretty good. Thanks again
 
Your going to get the most force by mounting the fork upside down and use large screws through the brake caliper holes and secure it to something solid like a rafter or something solid but not so high you do need footing, if the lower is able to move an inch while pulling you lost some power.Mount it completely vertical, no angles or you lose power
Wear some rubber coated gloves, put some cushioning material below the fork so if it does break loose and hit the ground it doesn't damage it..Push it all the way in and pull it like you want to send it to China and dont stand under it in case it breaks free all the sudden. Thats how I would do it, maybe another good idea will come along.
 
Thanks to everyone for all the info and reassurace, at least now I know I'm not going.....crap, I can't remember where I was going! Seriously you have all helped. I will keep you posted on the progress and put up some pics when I start reassambly. Hope you'll all join me in a frostt now and cheers to all keeping these old girls going!
 
On my 81 and 82, it is easier if you leave it on bike. On the ones I've done I never removed the whole fork, jack up the front of the bike securely, and slam that puppy down, until it comes loose. I use a heat gun on the area where the seal sits if it is difficult. P.S. I smell like ATF cause I just got through takin forks apart off an old 81.
 
I was afraid I was doing serious damage when I pulled the seals for the first time. I left the fork tube in the triple tree and used the lower like a slide hammer - as hard as I could! The backing ring ended up cone-shaped instead of flat, but the seals finally came out. Penetrating oil helped a bit. On the second set I did (Tony's Rat's Nest), and again on my '83, they came right out. Ya just never know...
 
I've been working on them for most of the evening. I finally set them in the laundry tub on end and filled the space above the seal with penetrating oil. I am going to leave it sit over night and try again tomorrow. If I still have trouble, I have a friend who has several horses and I am going to have them drawn and halved! I really appreciate knowing that I am not the only one that has this problem or that I wasn't doing something wrong. Not that I get a hoot out of all you others going through it too, just knowing I am not alone is helping. I must say that I am very impressed with the peole on this site so far and I've not even been a member for 24hrs yet! I am not that computer literate so I don't know how to add those little pics beside the window but if I knew how I would be raising the frosty mug to you all!!!! :beer:
 
Use the Full Editor button Ryan, then you just use the cursor where you want the emoticon to go and then select the image that you want :salute:
 
You could use a rubber tipped blower and air compressor, but make sure you have the shaft contained so it doesn't shoot out like a rocket, cause it will if you put enough pressure on it.
 
No new responses from Ryan ... I hope he didn't hurt himself .......
YA, I have a RaceTech suspension book and they say what everyone above has said - use the fork tubes like a slide hammer. I did that with my ST1100 front forks and it worked great. Need to do that on my '83 GL1100I this spring when I install Sonic springs & RaceTech emulators.
 
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