How often do you change your fork oil? what type?
03-27-2007, 05:57 PM
#1
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How often do you change your fork oil? what type?
As stated, How often, and what brand, weight etc....I have gold valves, and springs...oil is the same for past 4 or 5 years....I know it should be changed...also how hard is it to do?????
03-27-2007, 06:40 PM
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Glad to see you hangin' around again! The biggest pita is to do it right they should come out of the triples and be inverted to dump the old **** out. There was a guy on the VFR forum that was saying he puts new oil in and then pumps them up and down to get all the gunk suspended and then dumps it out again. He does this two - three times then fills with the proper amount. I think your webspace is really cool. Nice job!
03-27-2007, 06:45 PM
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I change mine about every 10,000 miles. You should go with the RaceTech recommended weight, which I think is 10w. Any good fork oil will work, I use Bel-Ray and Honda Pro Oils but many others are good too.
It's not terribly difficult to change the fluid, though it requires removing the forks from the bike to completely drain the old fluid. Don't forget, the oil level is measured with the springs out and the forks fully compressed. That is something that a lot of people get wrong. Don't worry about volume, just go by level.
It's not terribly difficult to change the fluid, though it requires removing the forks from the bike to completely drain the old fluid. Don't forget, the oil level is measured with the springs out and the forks fully compressed. That is something that a lot of people get wrong. Don't worry about volume, just go by level.
03-27-2007, 08:55 PM
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Thanks guys, I don't know if I am going to mess with that then until end of the riding season...sounds like something for winter...
Jamie, did you move? Thought you were in AL? hmmm...I gotta pop in more often....
Jamie, did you move? Thought you were in AL? hmmm...I gotta pop in more often....
03-28-2007, 09:39 AM
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03-28-2007, 05:26 PM
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Speaking of which, I think it is about time for a new "what kind of oil should I use in the Hawk?" Thread...LOL....sorrry gotta..
03-28-2007, 08:36 PM
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03-28-2007, 09:18 PM
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Forks like to hide oil so remove the forks and work them in and out until they are dry. Flush them out with brake clean when you're done but try to stay away from the seals. A racers secret is Mobile 1 full synthetic ATF. Its the best 7.5 weight fork oil you can buy. I believe the hawk requires 8w so it just about right. Its about the most expensive ATF out there ($7.50/qt) but much cheaper than full syn motorcycle shop fork oil.
If your seals are leaking or you just want to clean them out saturate a playing card with brake clean and slip it under the seal and twist. Every leaky fork seal I've tried this on stopped leaking.
If your seals are leaking or you just want to clean them out saturate a playing card with brake clean and slip it under the seal and twist. Every leaky fork seal I've tried this on stopped leaking.
03-28-2007, 09:23 PM
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Forks like to hide oil so remove the forks and work them in and out until they are dry. Flush them out with brake clean when you're done but try to stay away from the seals. A racers secret is Mobile 1 full synthetic ATF. Its the best 7.5 weight fork oil you can buy. I believe the hawk requires 8w so it just about right. Its about the most expensive ATF out there ($7.50/qt) but much cheaper than full syn motorcycle shop fork oil.
If your seals are leaking or you just want to clean them out saturate a playing card with brake clean and slip it under the seal and twist. Every leaky fork seal I've tried this on stopped leaking.
If your seals are leaking or you just want to clean them out saturate a playing card with brake clean and slip it under the seal and twist. Every leaky fork seal I've tried this on stopped leaking.
Now back to our regular schduled sarcasim!!!!!
03-29-2007, 05:31 AM
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Maybe it was me???
I have lived in 'Bama all my life. Not a bad place really.
Anyways, I change my fork oil about once/year.
I will generally dump the old oil, add automatic transmission fluid and pump them up and down a bunch of times (off the bike with the caps off) and then invert them and work them up/down a few times and let them stand inverted a while to drain.
I think I have Belray fluid in right now 12.5 wt (Mixed qt of 10wt and qt of 15wt).
I have lived in 'Bama all my life. Not a bad place really.
Anyways, I change my fork oil about once/year.
I will generally dump the old oil, add automatic transmission fluid and pump them up and down a bunch of times (off the bike with the caps off) and then invert them and work them up/down a few times and let them stand inverted a while to drain.
I think I have Belray fluid in right now 12.5 wt (Mixed qt of 10wt and qt of 15wt).
03-29-2007, 08:02 AM
#18
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Maybe it was me???
I have lived in 'Bama all my life. Not a bad place really.
Anyways, I change my fork oil about once/year.
I will generally dump the old oil, add automatic transmission fluid and pump them up and down a bunch of times (off the bike with the caps off) and then invert them and work them up/down a few times and let them stand inverted a while to drain.
I think I have Belray fluid in right now 12.5 wt (Mixed qt of 10wt and qt of 15wt).
I have lived in 'Bama all my life. Not a bad place really.
Anyways, I change my fork oil about once/year.
I will generally dump the old oil, add automatic transmission fluid and pump them up and down a bunch of times (off the bike with the caps off) and then invert them and work them up/down a few times and let them stand inverted a while to drain.
I think I have Belray fluid in right now 12.5 wt (Mixed qt of 10wt and qt of 15wt).
Ok, that is what I am hearing from the guys over here, is that they change fork oil about once a year...so I guess I will do it at the end of the season...don't want to clutter up the garage right now...and don't want any down time...
03-29-2007, 02:39 PM
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Forks like to hide oil so remove the forks and work them in and out until they are dry. Flush them out with brake clean when you're done but try to stay away from the seals. A racers secret is Mobile 1 full synthetic ATF. Its the best 7.5 weight fork oil you can buy. I believe the hawk requires 8w so it just about right. Its about the most expensive ATF out there ($7.50/qt) but much cheaper than full syn motorcycle shop fork oil.
If your seals are leaking or you just want to clean them out saturate a playing card with brake clean and slip it under the seal and twist. Every leaky fork seal I've tried this on stopped leaking.
If your seals are leaking or you just want to clean them out saturate a playing card with brake clean and slip it under the seal and twist. Every leaky fork seal I've tried this on stopped leaking.
ATF is generally 7.5w. RaceTech suggests 10w when used with Gold Valves (read original post). Also, oil weight is a log scale, mixing equal parts of 10w and 15w does not get you 12.5w but rather something less (11.5 I think).
03-29-2007, 04:09 PM
#21
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Well, in order to correctly figure it out you'd have to know the viscosities at two different temperatures (in cSt). There's a lot of good info at Bob is the Oil Guy Forum.
03-29-2007, 08:33 PM
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03-30-2007, 05:38 AM
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I use Mobil 1 ATF in my dirt bikes, that call for 5 wt. They have GV's that flow better, so the 7.5 works pretty well. Since our unmodded, undersprung, overdamped forks call for 10 wt., I'll try the ATF with my aftermarket springs and see how it does.
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