Triumphrat

BigVinny · 08-16-2005, 09:15 AM

Hi Forum,

Just read the "Change your brake fluid" post. No problem with that it makes perfect sense. Ive decided to post this separately so as to not confuse 2 issues.

I just want to remind folks out there in the ether to change their front fork oil as well their brake fluid. Why please read on !

My first Triumph was a 9 year old Trophy 900 with 21k miles on the clock. You know the one square headlamp and garish silver and black stripes.

The bike came with a Triumph dealer fsh (not all by the same dealer). Well the fork seals were shot and the sliders were deeply scraped. The dealer had sorted this for me with some nice new rubber gaters. The b****** !

I decided to rebuild the forks which was no problem as the only special tool I needed was a 30mm head size brass bolt pushed over a spark plug socket and extension the get the slider and leg apart.

Upon turning the thing upside down I got maybe 50cc of silver grey sludge out. The whole thing was completely shot and experience tells me the thing hadnt been touched since it left the factory (dealer serviced remember).

New fork oil looks like engine oil "golden brown (texture like sunset - Sranglers)" in colour, its not got moly or anything else in it to turn it silver grey. That was just nine years worth of metal scrapings

The chromed fork sliders cost me £100 (about $180) each thats before bushes and seals etc. Aparently you can suck the old oil out and refill without taking the legs out of the bike but ive never do that ! Its worth doing honest !

zimtok · 08-16-2005, 09:37 AM

So do you change the oil based on mileage or time?

I am just comming up on 20K. My forks look good and clean my seals don't leak and are not hard.

Seeing that there is not a dipstick/filler for the fork oil it is difficult to check the oil itself. If I have to pull the forks apart to check the oil I might as well change it.

BigVinny · 08-16-2005, 10:03 AM

Hi,

The Haynes manual specifies frok oil change at 12.000 miles (20,000 km) and steering head bearing lubrication every 2 years (which I have never done).

Cheers

johnyC · 08-16-2005, 03:13 PM

My left fork seal just blew at exactly 13000 miles, half way through my holiday so I just had to make do with it.
I've got a pair of new seals and just got the correct size drift to biff them in with, a bloke is selling them on ebay for £4.10 inc' post.

ps. off to work tomorrow for a week then straight to the Isle of Man for the Manx GP. I have such a pile of work to do on the bike I don't know where to start. I'm at 14000 miles and havn't even looked at the valves yet, I have a new front tire to fit, new fork seal to fit, all the fluids need changed (except the oil which I did before going on hol's) I think I need help.

BigVinny · 08-16-2005, 05:00 PM

johnyc - dont forget there are also a top and bottom bushes in each fork leg. As mine were badly scored I had to replace them both. The bottom bush is about 20mm deep, 1mm thick and bronze in colour dead easy to spring open and replace.

You shouldnt really have any difficulties, I didnt find it at all tricky (not like the airbox)

Cheers