Need Help Replacing Fork Seals

[John Bellantonio]

At 109K miles my 02 RT is in need of new fork slider seals. My dealer has just lost their BMW tech (again) and only have a part time tech (maybe). I would like to do the job myself but dont know where to begin. Could someone outline the procedure for me. If it is a simple job I will attempt it. If the job is a PITA I will wait for a pro to do it. Any advice is appreciated.

[smiller]

Hi John,

 

Replacing the fork seals on an oilhead is a relatively easy job (if you have a reasonable level of mechanical experience and the tools) but the number of steps involved are probably beyond a detailed description in a posting. Basically you just need to remove each fork leg one at a time, do some minor disassembly, replace the seal, reassemble the fork leg and reinstall on the bike. It's not difficult but you probably should have some prior mechanical experience under your belt before attempting the job. I would suggest getting a Haynes manual which has a detailed step-by-step description with pictures. That should give you a good idea as to whether you are comfortable with doing it yourself.

[Ken H.]

Recently discussed a bit here - Fork Seal Thread

[No_Twilight]

Just make sure that you don't scratch the surfaces prying out the old seals and it's not difficult at all. It helps if you have a good selection of sockets so you can use one to tap it in. otherwise you might want to buy the new seals ahead of time and then search the house for something the right size to press it in with.

 

Cheers,

Jerry