Removing 200X Fork seals?

[goump1995]

Searched the forums for a while and didn't find anything.

Changing out the dust and fork seals for my 85 200X forks that are going to go on my 86 250SX for the disk brake and smaller tire. Anyways, can anyone enlighten me on how to get the fork seals out? I already got the C-Clip off.

[barnett468]

Hello goump1995

Assuming you don't have a seal puller or single jaw puller then I have used around a 14" long tire mounting tool. I put a thick rag on the top of the tube so it doesn't get damage then trying the curved end first, work it under the seal and pry it up around 1/8' then rotate tube 180 degrees and do it again alternating back and forth. If the curved end doesn't catch it then use the straight end untill you lift it up enough to use the curved end.

Be careful NOT to push the tire tool all the way under the seal because it might scrape the inside of the tube and it might leak.

[barnett468]

Hello

It is remotely possibly you could crack the top of the tube if you use a screw driver and a lot of force is applied. The tire wrench spreads the load over a greater area.

[manbearpig]

Claw hammer with gentle force. Doesn't touch the fragile fork body

[Dirtcrasher]

Remove 10mm drain bolt and let drain overnight.

Do not take the top cap of the tube off.

Use a little screwdriver after lifting the fork boot and wiggle the tube wiper off, simple.

Use a circlip removing tool, not 2 ice picks and remove it.

Put 8mm (chk size) hex socket on lower bolt which holds the damping rod and an impact gun is sometimes needed to remove it. I have never bought a damping rod holder.

Place fork lower in a big vice with a rag around it.

Take out top caps and spill oil everywhere and remove springs.

Use a hammering action with the tube collapsed and yank it all out.

Everything will come out, sometimes the oil lock piece stays in the tube. Tube will pull out damping rod, spacer,coated bushing and the old seal.

Clean everything SPOTLESS, no dirt, nothing.

Install damping rod in tube, wiggle it through.

Place on oil lock piece and lightly tighten those bottom hex (socket head cap screws) temporarily.

Put a clean corner of a plastic bag with some oil on it (after installing spacer below seal) and slide new seal on.

The seal has to be pressed into the lower tube housing. I use a piece of PVC or the gray electricians pipe and using an up and hammering/slam down action to seat seal.

Place in clip, flat side up and put the new wiper seal in place by hand.

Replace spring/s and tighten top tube cap.

Remover lower allen bolt, and use blue loctite on it and hand tighten it in.

Take top cap off and add oil. 15-20 wt for 200lbs plus or 10 (ATF) for lighter guys.

Seems like allot but it's chicken..........

[yaegerb]

if you already took out the retainer clip on the inside of the shock body then take off the allen head on the bottom of the fork, drain the oil and then hold on to the lower fork assembly (or put it in a soft jaw vise) and the pull hard a couple times on the upper fork assembly. Its a press fit with the seal installed and it takes a couple hard jolts, but it will pull apart.

[pipeline triker]

Remove 10mm drain bolt and let drain overnight.

Do not take the top cap of the tube off.

Use a little screwdriver after lifting the fork boot and wiggle the tube wiper off, simple.

Use a circlip removing tool, not 2 ice picks and remove it.

Put 8mm (chk size) hex socket on lower bolt which holds the damping rod and an impact gun is sometimes needed to remove it. I have never bought a damping rod holder.

Place fork lower in a big vice with a rag around it.

Take out top caps and spill oil everywhere and remove springs.

Use a hammering action with the tube collapsed and yank it all out.

Everything will come out, sometimes the oil lock piece stays in the tube. Tube will pull out damping rod, spacer,coated bushing and the old seal.

Clean everything SPOTLESS, no dirt, nothing.

Install damping rod in tube, wiggle it through.

Place on oil lock piece and lightly tighten those bottom hex (socket head cap screws) temporarily.

Put a clean corner of a plastic bag with some oil on it (after installing spacer below seal) and slide new seal on.

The seal has to be pressed into the lower tube housing. I use a piece of PVC or the gray electricians pipe and using an up and hammering/slam down action to seat seal.

Place in clip, flat side up and put the new wiper seal in place by hand.

Replace spring/s and tighten top tube cap.

Remover lower allen bolt, and use blue loctite on it and hand tighten it in.

Take top cap off and add oil. 15-20 wt for 200lbs plus or 10 (ATF) for lighter guys.

Seems like allot but it's chicken..........

This is how you do it.
I like to crack the allen heads loose before I remove anything else.

[manbearpig]

Can this potentially cause damage to the wiper? This is the part of the fork tube that actually impacts the seal and removes it. I have done it this way and have not noticed damage, but when I thought about the force it took to remove the seal that way, I changed my process. Just preference. Has anyone damaged the wiper using this method? I'm curious.


Remove 10mm drain bolt and let drain overnight.

Do not take the top cap of the tube off.

Use a little screwdriver after lifting the fork boot and wiggle the tube wiper off, simple.

Use a circlip removing tool, not 2 ice picks and remove it.

Put 8mm (chk size) hex socket on lower bolt which holds the damping rod and an impact gun is sometimes needed to remove it. I have never bought a damping rod holder.

Place fork lower in a big vice with a rag around it.

Take out top caps and spill oil everywhere and remove springs.

Use a hammering action with the tube collapsed and yank it all out.

Everything will come out, sometimes the oil lock piece stays in the tube. Tube will pull out damping rod, spacer,coated bushing and the old seal.

Clean everything SPOTLESS, no dirt, nothing.

Install damping rod in tube, wiggle it through.

Place on oil lock piece and lightly tighten those bottom hex (socket head cap screws) temporarily.

Put a clean corner of a plastic bag with some oil on it (after installing spacer below seal) and slide new seal on.

The seal has to be pressed into the lower tube housing. I use a piece of PVC or the gray electricians pipe and using an up and hammering/slam down action to seat seal.

Place in clip, flat side up and put the new wiper seal in place by hand.

Replace spring/s and tighten top tube cap.

Remover lower allen bolt, and use blue loctite on it and hand tighten it in.

Take top cap off and add oil. 15-20 wt for 200lbs plus or 10 (ATF) for lighter guys.

Seems like allot but it's chicken..........

[atc350xer]

Remove 10mm drain bolt and let drain overnight.

Do not take the top cap of the tube off.

Use a little screwdriver after lifting the fork boot and wiggle the tube wiper off, simple.

Use a circlip removing tool, not 2 ice picks and remove it.

Put 8mm (chk size) hex socket on lower bolt which holds the damping rod and an impact gun is sometimes needed to remove it. I have never bought a damping rod holder.

Place fork lower in a big vice with a rag around it.

Take out top caps and spill oil everywhere and remove springs.

Use a hammering action with the tube collapsed and yank it all out.

Everything will come out, sometimes the oil lock piece stays in the tube. Tube will pull out damping rod, spacer,coated bushing and the old seal.

Clean everything SPOTLESS, no dirt, nothing.

Install damping rod in tube, wiggle it through.

Place on oil lock piece and lightly tighten those bottom hex (socket head cap screws) temporarily.

Put a clean corner of a plastic bag with some oil on it (after installing spacer below seal) and slide new seal on.

The seal has to be pressed into the lower tube housing. I use a piece of PVC or the gray electricians pipe and using an up and hammering/slam down action to seat seal.

Place in clip, flat side up and put the new wiper seal in place by hand.

Replace spring/s and tighten top tube cap.

Remover lower allen bolt, and use blue loctite on it and hand tighten it in.

Take top cap off and add oil. 15-20 wt for 200lbs plus or 10 (ATF) for lighter guys.

Seems like allot but it's chicken..........I did mine the same way, but to save the fork leg, I put a large bolt about the size of the axle in the vise, and slid the fork bottom onto it... compress and jerk. Repeat.