Fork noise and seal leak

Hello Pete:

You probably have seen this tool but this is what is listed in the shop manual to hold the inner damper, while spinning the allen head off.

Like others suggest, I would highly recommend you take it to a shop and have them remove it, or you buy the tool. it will save a lot of aggravation. Also less damage to the inner damper.

The photo below is just the head to the 3/8" adapter. Kawasaki also sells it with the proper length socket extension with a built in "T" handle.

www.google.com/search?q=KAWASAKI+FORK+TO...959.html%3B660%3B440


Regards.

Todd.

Pete:

Here is another idea, more in line with your initial request.

This guy even fabricated a seal driver, not a bad idea.

www.google.com/search?q=KAWASAKI+FORK+TO...ime.html%3B788%3B800

Toddh wrote: Pete:

Here is another idea, more in line with your initial request.

This guy even fabricated a seal driver, not a bad idea.

www.google.com/search?q=KAWASAKI+FORK+TO...ime.html%3B788%3B800

Haha nice! That's some crafty welding!

Not set up for any kind of welding activity though. It's looking like this will have to wait until the tools comes in the mail. Going to pass the time by going to go over my carbs once more, laying some paint down and sorting out an oil leak that's been bugging me.

Hey Guys! I managed to figure out what I needed and was able to fabricate a tool for myself to get the tubes apart. The pictures I have pretty much tell it all I went to the hardware store and got a bolt and a steel pipe. drilled a hole through the bolt and the pipe and put a screw through it to secure them together. The bolt was a close enough fit that it held up well to the loosening and retorquing that I needed to do to get them off and back on. Best to use a bolt that has a head size of 15/16 or 23.75-23.8mm with a steel plumbing tube of 1/2in x 24in. Total cost was 10 bucks .

The fork rebuild and seal replacement itself was much easier than I had first thought it would be as long as the right tools are on hand . Hit a snag when I broke the head off of a drain bolt but was lucky that I eventually got it out and had a spare handy.

Hope this info helps anyone else out that might need to put new seals in.

Good job, Mike! No wonder my attempt at that didn't work. I hope maybe Bill can edit the part in FAQ that says to use a 7/8 bolt. I went through a lot of aggravation trying to get mine apart. I used the 7/8 bolt and it wouldn't quite work so I kept grinding down the sides thinking it was maybe smaller! How did you figure out the size? Did you make an impression with clay or something

One of my first attempts involved sticking a wooden rod from a toilet plunger down there. It fit in the socket hole pretty much just right but couldn't stop it from spinning. When I went to work the next day (I usually do my online research at lunchtime at work) I found a post in other bike forums I think it was a ninja or kz forum saying use 15/16 bolt head. There were other suggestions on different forums for the same issue like using the 7/8 bolt.

When I got back home that night I tried measuring the impression that was left on the wooden rod I used and it was pretty close to 24mm. That was enough for me to justify taking a chance at a 15/16 bolt head and it paid off. In the end it was a guessing game figuring out what worked and what didn't. At least I managed to get the bolt size right on the first try .