K11 Owners Group

1der · Joined: 14 Apr 2008 Posts: 21 Location: Western NY

My next project on my 94 K1100LT will be fork seal replacement. I tried a search here but nothing really helped. Can someone send me to a GOOD picture link or instructional page. Any tips or advice would be appreciated. I've never replaced seals on any bike. And I can't find my Clymer. I know, I know, LOOK for it.
1der

SugarHillCTD · Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2009 7:22 pm Post subject:

You can thank Mr. Duck later....

Look here for a manual in pdf

http://www.k11og.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4715

Look at Carl Salter
_________________
John & Cathy

'92 K100RS4V Pearl White SOLD
'04 K1200GT
IBA Several-SS1k, BBG, 50CC NYC to S.F.

DaveVoorhis · Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 12:45 pm Post subject:

Once you get into it you'll find it's amazingly easy, except for that satanic little clip that was oozed straight from the beelzebub's bowels into the innards of every @%£*!! fork.

BMW could have used a standard internal circlip with eyes so you could pluck it out with a pair of £3.99 snap ring pliers and change both seals during the commercials of your favourite TV show and still have time to crack open another beer and go for a #2 bathroom break, but no, they had to make things @$%!! difficult.

Last Friday, I spent two hours trying every plucking screwdriver, awl, pick, and poking whatsit in my toolbox, and despite issuing a stream of oaths that'd make whores blush and priests die, that little metal Ring -- no doubt crafted by Sauron himself whilst in a bad mood, and imbued with an epic level of Evil that makes a Tolkien novel seem like a Harlequin Romance in comparison -- is still lodged in there like a, uh, stuck thing.

Oh yeah, and once I get that one out, there's the other fork to do. I was born too old for that kinda crap.
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'93 K1100RS
Dave #3

jpberens1994K1100RS · Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 1:05 pm Post subject: that evil ring

Funny how they snap out for others, and yet mine seemed to be welded in place.
I is old skool and can go criminally midevil at the drop of a hat.

So, what I did is I took the smallest screwdriver I had, nice Craftsman in vandium steel, and drove it right through the fooking seal. Downward angle of about 30 degrees toward the center of the fork lower starting out
near the edge. Point being is to miss the fork surfaces. Tap lightly and drive it al the way though the seal, then use a popsicle stick to cusion the outer edge of the scredriver to fork connection and pry that seal the heck out of there. It's junk anyway. Then you have easy accress to the evil steel ring. After prying, trying & cursing for an hour, I did this. Took all of 60 seconds, no fork damage, second one went, same as the first.
If I was smarter!!! I would take one of those and go get a REAL snap ring to put in there.
Still got that screw driver though.
_________________
1993 K1100RS that I'd rather be riding FAST!
2014 Moto Guzzi Norge

SugarHillCTD · Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 6:54 pm Post subject:

I had Dave's experience also. Struggled with those Flippin' clips.

Then I had read somewhere that one's better half is sometimes better at this. After threatening to bring the whole bike to a scrap dealer (I threaten that frequently) I gave the job to Cathy. Worked like magic. DONE.

Good luck. This will seem like a big job until you need to do a spline lube.....
_________________
John & Cathy

'92 K100RS4V Pearl White SOLD
'04 K1200GT
IBA Several-SS1k, BBG, 50CC NYC to S.F.

Scott_Anderson · Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 10:20 pm Post subject: Re: that evil ring

1der · Joined: 14 Apr 2008 Posts: 21 Location: Western NY

I checked out the link that http://www.k11og.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4715

I'm more confused than ever. What about the special BMW tool used? How much will that set me back? Seems like a lot of aggravation.

1der

jpberens1994K1100RS · Posted: Thu Sep 24, 2009 12:18 am Post subject: lowers

Yes, fork lowers off, but ya don't want to nick up the seating surface while pushing the screw driver through, and then while prying it out.

With the lower fork leg off, I actually drive the small screw driver though the seal that is under that evil ring, then severly deform it as I pry it out. Once it's out, that eveil ring is MUCH more accesable and easy to remove.
_________________
1993 K1100RS that I'd rather be riding FAST!
2014 Moto Guzzi Norge

max · Posted: Thu Sep 24, 2009 5:31 am Post subject:

Many times here with forks off - don't ask why! - but fairly easy

- drop front wheel
- remove leg(s) from triple clamp (optional, but I do like being able to pump them by hand after fiddling - my weight is more forgiving than the whole bike! - and MUCH easier to refill)
- drain
- remove single retainer bolt from bottom of legs (up in past the axle bore)
- GENTLY slide leg from slider

reassemble in reverse, very gentle with the white-metal bearing "strips"

re the circlips

- they're plain steel in aluminium in the presence of water - expect catalytic corrosion unless the gods are kind and/or the PO has used a waterproof grease on reassembly - which I highly recommend is done anyway! Hydraulic-safe brake reassembly grease is good here!
- if the seal is toast, it's toast so **carefully** collapse it (has internal steel reinforcing, so take it slowly) and remove - you get a lot more space to work, and any penetrating oil you use can get in from the bottom side too
- check the ends of the circlip. On mine, they aren't square-cut - they're angled, so you can get a screwdriver blade under one end fairly easy and start levering it out (or just start it spinning in the slot, which then still clans things out)
- Mine also had a "dimple" machined into the aluminium housing at one point around the ring slot - was useful as a second pry point to get the majority of the ring out of the slot.

All my 2c worth, will shut up now.

Max
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