DIY Harley Davidson Fork Seals Replacement... Honda Yamaha Suzuki Kawasaki 

The first time I changed my fork oil in my 2005 Sportster. Fortunately, it has drain holes with screws in the bottom of each fork. However, the caps had to be removed which wasn't too bad. Replacing them took me and several friends and relatives 3 days. I won't go into details but I decided that I was only going to do this once, so I used an aftermarket cap with a smaller fill hole and cap in it (Thank you, J&P Cycles). Now I don't have to mess remove the big cap to replace the oil. I can drain from a small screw in the bottom and fill into a small hole in the top. When the time comes to replace the seals, I will gladly pay a professional to do it. I could probably eventually do it but at 70 years old and diminishing upper body and hand strength, it's just not worth the frustration and physical pain. I love DIY jobs, but there is a limit. Loved the video. I'm glad that I'm not the only one facing challenges in my Man Cave.

It’s easier to put your caps back on if you put your forks in the triple trees and clamp them back down first. That way you have both hands to be able to push down on the cap. Also it’s easier with a socket than a wrench.

I got adjustable pipe clamp ends from Harbor Freight. Go a length of rigid (plumbing) pipe the length I needed. Non adjustable end of the clamp at the bottom of the fork, then, the adjustable end (the one with the handle and the threaded part), put that on top of the nut. Turned the clamp down slowly, nut goes into tube. Slowly turn the clamp while screwing in the nut. No problem, no sweat. Worked perfect.

Mate I have to congratulate you on how good your production of your videos are now, not saying they where ever bad but they just keep getting better and better man, every time i watch your stuff its like I’m watching you on Discovery or something, outstanding mate. I’d rather see you on the TV than some of these other programs. Oh and I learned something new! Keep up the outstanding work pal, ride safe! ✌️🇺🇸🇬🇧

Did mine this year...before I put the spring in I started the cap to see where it first would catch and marked it so when I put the spring in I had an idea of where it started...made it easy for me...mad at RU-vid I didn’t get the notification you had a new video...but love watching them...

I do everything almost exactly the same only I remove the drain plug before I remove the forks from the triple tree. I get at least one and a half good turns before I tighten down the spring cap. Seems to work well every time. Loved you doing a video of something every biker should know how to do.

Thanks for sharing that. Those forks were fighting you! I appreciate you leaving in the hard parts and not just editing it to look easy :) Good reminder to always wear safety glasses too!

Personal note; “if I get leaky forks take it to the mechanic”. Hats off to you for having the gumption and resourcefulness,probably take me about 40 lunch breaks and still be getting nowhere. Great vid Mr S Tramp. 👍

forks seals are worst job to do.i did mine years ago could not get the spring out so i hit the fork onto the garage floor to get some compression on the fork. spring flew out just missing my head hit the ceiling in my shed.fun times you live and learn.thanks for the vid.grant Australia

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one that goes nuts with stuff like this

LOL yeah want to get a couple more threads in there are you get it started. Learned that hard lesson also, but how you started it off with your palm is how I have done it on my bikes. Great video as always!

Loved the video man! Hope everyone one is staying safe out there. Perfect timing on the video I am actually going to be replacing my Fork seals hear soon.

Are used to work for Harley Davidson so I know what you’re talking about. I do love your choice of music and special effects that you added because it adds to the struggle of working under pressure lol No pun intended

Missed the premier, but this is a great video. Learned how to do this kind of thing in class last semester.

That's me doing every job in the garage...LOL ok.. maybe not all of em, but I considered the job, and thought of a solution using a PVC pipe, capped in a vice, using a C clamp and turning both the adjustable wrench and the c clamp together. Anyway, thanks for the content! You rock Brother!

You made this video funny as hell! Keep up the good work.....Very helpful video, I'm almost not afraid of doing fork seals now!

It's really the struggle that makes the end result that much sweeter. Love watching you work, man. It's very relaxing. If I had a shop like yours I'd certainly be tinkering on my old 82 Yamaha Virago 750 more. It needs fork seals pretty bad.

Wow Tramp , that was a struggle. I put the tube in the vice protected with a rag. Thanks dude. Alan. Scotland.

what i love most watching your videos is how you show how working on a bike is really like and im sure most of us can say we go through he same thing you do, its real life back yard garage builds and not all edited to where it looks easy like most videos are......i built my first bobber out of a 99 1200 sporty and it took a year and it was very frustrating at times but the end result was worth it, keep up the good work brother, be safe and keep the shiny side up.....

I’m gonna extending my bike’s fork to 8 over stock. I saw that an easy way to have the cap and fork leg marked with magic marker to where threads match up and it makes it much easier then fiddling with trying to find the thread contact point under tension.

I love watching your videos.. I have a 1983 Honda magna v65.. thank you for the idea how to rebuild your front forks.

That establishing shot and transition at the beginning was smooth as hell

Nice one Saddle Tramp showing how it is!!!! ....... it aint easy!!!! .... love the channel

Hey my friend. Love your videos. I find it helps to put your tubes back in the trees before you try to put your caps on. Works for me anyway. Good luck. Looking forward to seeing what you do with your iron head.

The trick is to tighten and loosen the Dampner bolt and the top Spring bolt first, with the forks held tightly in place by the Fork Triple Clamp before and after removing the forks! You don't want to be clamping the forks in a vice! An exercise to be carried out in the "Spring"...after a hard Winter...LOL...! Take care, all!

I always put the top off the legs in a vice, mark where the thread starts, that way you have both hands free for putting it back together..... but it is a struggle 🤣. Great videos 👍, greetings from Holland.

Hi, I take off the handle bars and remove the fork caps with the tubes still in the triple clamps, just put the bike on a bottle jack leaving the rear wheel and stand in contact with the ground, you can then use both hands and keep your shoulder over the fork cap. Love your plastic bag idea, I will use that one. Cheers Peter

reminder set LOL I dont think I have ever seen this quite this way.

There it is!

Great stuff, never heard of the seal condom before which is an excellent idea. Also good to know I'm not the only guy that gets to that point of frustration while working on a motorcycle.

Crazy how long it took to break the seal on the forks. I rebuilt mine and I think after the third or fourth try the seal broke. Great tip on how to avoid damaging a seal with corrosion on the fork. I used a impact wrench to put the fork cap on by pressing down and slightly turning the wrench. Now you’re fork cap is a challenge. Loved the video and the detail of the rebuild. Ride safe!

Great video ST, I have changed out my share of fork tube seals and it always a challenge. Keep up the awesome videos and ride safe my friend 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

I am about to put 6 over tubes on my sportster thanks for the tips

I use a four foot two by four put a hole in the end the size of the tube and split down the center ,a little duct tape for extra hold and clamp it. has worked well on any fork I have done.

Have you tried putting the cap in the vice, then you have something solid to push against. Really enjoy your videos!!

Thanks brotha! Getting ready to attempt this for the first time.

Not only was this an informative video but it was also funny as could be. I've never had to do this job and hopefully never will but I imagine that day will come. I've always considered forks a little bit of a mystery to me. You have cleared a lot of that up, Thanks. Btw... how often should you change the fork oil? another mystery... and why? Unlike an engine there isn't any combustion or major high heat going on there but I hear the oil breaks down and gets real dirty over time.

Perseverance my friend. Good job.😎

Dude that is the first time I have seen you get kinda mad,lol, it sure is a job to be done only if you must. Cheers from Australia.

Never laughed so hard watching y'all trying to get that cap back on. Great vid, keep it coming.

Thanks, some good tips. I learned something even after 50 years of riding.

The rag used when taking off the caps is a great idea. Will be doing that.

Thank you for the video on the actual replacement! You never mentioned or showed me how much oil goes back into it? I'll look in my book to figure it out!! I did my brakes a while back that was easy enough now I'm replacing my fork seals! Thanks to you, thanks!

I feel your pain. Brings back memories of when i replaced my seals. Glad to see im not the only one that struggles.

O man. 😆 I really wish I had been there for that one. Coronavirus or not. Next time you change fork seals let me know. I'm selling tickets. 😆

I was thinking wow he got lucky, then boom it fly's apart . Good job

Ugh... one of those jobs that is theoretically quite straight forward, but in practice... can be a real mother. Job done though dude, good work👍 Really dig your channel S.T. Thanks for what you do mate, you're one of life's good fellas. 👍✌🏴‍☠️

I have to do the same thing, thanks for the info and demo.

I have a scar on my wrist from a fork cap flying off exactly like that. It left a ding in the ceiling of my garage too. Every time I go work on my bike that dent is just mocking me.

Awesome video man! I’ve been possibly looking at putting some new springs in my sporty and this really helps!

When you lose it at 16:19😂. We’ve all been there when the struggle gets very real!! I’ve never done mine, and now I want to even less! 😂. Love your video’s brother, take care man✌🏼

That was a good one. U are training up the young ones.

That is just how i do it and I had some of the same problems. I would also like to know a better way. I am going to have to redo my forks on my 1972 FLH this winter. I rebuilt them in 1989 I think it is time.

Gee think I'll just save up and get HD to do it! Very entertaining and interesting all the same. Thanks

Nice to see you show it doesn't always go smooth as pieLOL nice video like the music choice.

great instructional vid and fun too! great perseverance. watch out!

Ready when you are!

Well done brother 👍🏼💯

Tramp, you had me laughing all through this video, you looked like a wild trombone player trying to pull those sliders back and forth. Lol and when you tried getting those tube caps screwed in over the tube springs it looked like a jack in the box with the cap and spacers jumping out at you..lol. Then comes the banging on the bench and swearing 🤬. I was in tears watching. Damn, I was so disappointed when you didn’t film the 2nd tube being put together. I wanted to keep on laughing 😂 . By the way.. I usually first install the tubes in the triple tress before I put in the springs and install the tube caps, this way both my hands and body weight can be used to press down on the socket wrench which makes things a whole lot easier! Of course the handle bars need to be moved out of the way first which is well worth it! Thanks for making me laugh so hard, I really needed a good laugh to distract me from all what’s going on these days, Take care Cory.

Great quality video!!

Good video, I learned something new, thanks! If I'm ever down your way, I'll shave those lowers if you'll let me Haha.

I have no problem putting the cap on. Put the cap in a vise that's mounted on a bench and push the tube to the cap. You have to have it on a downward angle so you don't spill the fluid out. You have a lot more control and strength holding the tube then you do holding just the small cap and it's a lot more manageable. Hope this helps - later

Mad skills you have 😎

slabsides motorcycle shop in Campbell, ca sells a fork cap install tool that makes it so much easier

C.T. here in West Virginia if you have an old triple tree put it in your vice to hold the fork tube that will give you both hands to work with hope this helps works good for me. love your show sorry about your garage but I know you will have a new one up soon keep the rubber rollen and the oil tank filled l

I have a big socket that I jammed a piece of wood into to make it shallow for my fork tube bolts as well as welded a piece of bar stock across the top of it for a handle, makes it alot easier to put pressure on it and get it started

Great video bro! I'm get ready to do my 39mm forks , what size pvc was that?

Good tip with the plastic bag and I usually clamp my forks in a vase with soft Jaws and use a drill to get them started

Did you try the old peace of milk jug trick first. I have fixed a lot of fork seal leaks with that trick. Cut a peace off the flat side of a milk jug and shape it kinda like a fat "J". Slide it down into the tube past the seal, work it around the tube a couple times and then tilt it so the bottom "J" section comes back past the seal and out of the tube. Then when you pull the plastic out it brings out any dirt, sand or grit that is stuck in the seal. Some bad leaks have been stopped with that trick. As for getting the cap started, use a socket. Put the tube back in the triple tree, or wrap the tube in a rag and put it in a vice, use a socket and ratchet. That way you can put pressure on it and still be able to turn it.

Well done, even if it's hard sometimes. I know this kind of work and the danger of an evil bolt who jumps at your face...The tramp front end will be fine now. Cheers.

I always wonder how hard it would be to change them out and what’s up with the bandana on your forks???

I used soft jaws and clamped the tube in a vise.... easy peasy....

I remember exactly what happened when I did my EVO Dyna convertible the end cap popped of fell on my mud guard snap

Yeah man the struggle is real, there is only one spot where the thread will start , if you mark the nut and the fok tube where the thread will start you have the area where you know you need to apply the pressure to get it started hopefully making life a little easier, Great video by the way .

Tubes on tree when putting caps on. Use socket wrench and gloves. Had to do spacers on light springs of some air shocks. Old guy next door said don't remove the front end, you can thank me later. So I thanked him after.

Another question. Is there really an advantage to inverted forks over the normal set up.

When I did my Super Glide back in the eighties when I reassembled everything I put the fork back into the triple tree but I had to removed my handlebars so I can put the cap back on

find point where cap/tube threads engage, mark both with sharpie, back up 1/16th turn. push down and twist...had good luck with this method...wearing full face helmet helps too...lol

I always put the tubes back on the bike before putting the cap back on

Now we know what you were doing yesterday, made me LMAO great content, awesome video thank you !

That looked like a hard days work right there! I think I'll stick to changing oil and brake pads....that's more my speed lol.

before you put in the spring, put the nut on top and turn it until the first thread grabs. Mark a line on both the tube and the nut. Now you know where the threads grab.

If you have a slight leak, and seal is not cracked, Lucas transmission stop leak will soften old seal and fix the leak. 4 years and still holding on my 77 ironhead...

I have an idea about how to handle those fork tube caps. get a section of good 2x4 wood maybe say 2ft long, trace the fork cap onto the middle of the 2x4 and cut it with a wood chisel to make a recess to accept the fork tube cap, then use hot glue on the top of the cap to attach it to the 2x4. Then you could use leverage to get the cap on. However with doing this you would lose the ability to feel if you are cross threading or not, but I believe if done slowly it would work great

Great video super funny .. love from UK ride safe dude

I have had the best luck putting the tube back in the tree and using a socket and ratchet, speed handle, etc to push downward on the cap while turning it.

lol I'm usually not afraid to get my hands into pretty much anything but forks I just can't be bothered man. Almost always gonna just pay someone to do it. If I try to do it myself it ends up in one of those situations where my bike doesn't have a front end for like 2 weeks haha

Just get a socket that fits the cap-nut and put it in a vise at a slight angle downwards...put the cap-nut in the socket and push the fork up to it and turn , the reason for using a socket is so it wont damage the nut in the vice and the angle downwards is to stop oil coming out.

One video had the caps in a soft jawed vise and used booth hands on the fork tube. That was the "fix my hog" guys.

I’m new to your channel. What tank do you have on the tramp?

I use a battery impact drill to install the nut on top so much easier

gave a thumbs up the min I saw where this was headed, I will be doing this myself very soon. FML HAHHAHAH

I used a shop table vise with something to protect the tube

A U bolt and a piece of flat bar you can clamp in your vice.

Good job

Why I hate working on them. How's the damping on the front end without oil in the forks?

I dont think you'll have to hit the gym at all after that lol

Been therr....done that.

How are you not dripping sweat...? Its 90+ and humid up are in CT, I pulled the suspension on my dirt bike this afternoon and my clothes are freakin' soaked through...

That looked like you had fun, but I'm telling ya man you had a mean look when it pissed you off. A bit scary dude! Stay cool man.