Removing fork circlip

Long time listener, first time caller. Last week, I purchased a 1981 XJ750 Seca for my daughter for a first bike. I see no signs of a fork seal leak but having a 16 year old daughter who is 6'2" and the potential of 30 year old fork oil, I would like to at least change it out and see if the suspension wakes up a bit.

Try as I might, myself and my handy assistant (My 68 year old father who I pull into the garage), we can not get that metal circlip out of the top of the fork tube. The metal plug moves freely and even the metal circlip rotates in its groove freely but we can not pry that thing out.

Any tips on it? I'm embarrassed to even say how many attempts we've made on it.

Chorca made this post with a pic of what I am talking about. http://www.flickr.com/photos/chorca/363 ... 536266119/

 

I used a really small flat screw driver. I did what it looks like you are doing in the pic but I put the screw driver at on of the ends of the circlip.

Let me know if I was clear.

 

Clear as a bell. We tried that approach first and couldn't get it to work. Next attempt was with a modified exhaust spring puller...I ground the end down a bit to make it a better prying tool. No go.

Would it be possible to grab onto the circlip with a tweezer and pull it out or is the metal too rigid? We just cannot seem to get enough behind it to pop it out. What a lame place to be stuck.

 

Carvall is a motivational genius.

I went back out to the garage and after pushing the plug down, discovered that the way to do this successfully is to NOT attempt to pry the circlip at it's opening, NOT attempt to pry under the circlip but to pry it out by inserting a screwdriver OVER the circlip.

Fork oil is now draining.

Thank you much. More questions on the way I'm sure.

 

LOL Welcome to the forum. I have been helped in this forum plenty of times and now Im happy to help as well. Yes if you have more questions feel free to ask. I am sure everybody here will be happy to help you.

Have fun fixing that bike. BTW your daugthetr is as tall as me, WOW.

Carvall

 

LOL Welcome to the forum. I have been helped in this forum plenty of times and now Im happy to help as well. Yes if you have more questions feel free to ask. I am sure everybody here will be happy to help you.

Have fun fixing that bike. BTW your daugthetr is as tall as me, WOW.

Carvall

 

Welcome to the forums! Pleasure to have you.

 

If the fork oil looked really bad you might want to add a little automatic tranny fluid to each fork, slowly pump them a couple times and drain the ATF out to flush out any remaining gunk.

 

I did cycle some ATF through and poured some new fork oil in. What a massive difference.

 

I didn't know about The ATF trick.