Forks: Removing the Circlip????

So the oil in the forks should probably be changed, it's been sitting for a few years. The plugs were so rusted that i had to soak them first in WD-40 and then finally some PB blaster. I finally just took each fork off individually and finally got the plugs to depress. Now i cant get the circlips out! Does anyone have any suggestion on how to depress and take out the circlip or if i have someone to help, the best way to remove the clip that way?

 

Make yourself a Special Tool ... grab an old pair of Needle Nosed Pliers and spend a few minutes over at the grinder.

Bring a little Craftsman Screwdriver; too ... make a Pilot Screw Tool.

 

What works best for me is to depress the fork plug a few mm while it's still in the top fork clamp, then tighten the top clamping bolt a little bit. It will reduce the id of the fork tube enough to hold the steel plug where you left it, out of your way as you remove the old stuck/rusty steel stopper-ring with a sharp pick.

After you get the ring out, put a rag over the top of the fork tube when you back off the clamp bolt.

Last time I checked, Yamaha still stocks the stopper-rings and the o-rings that wrap around the plug.

 

I had similar problems and had my brother tap the circlip down with a hammer and screwdriver while I held the plug down (kinda like Twister in the air). It worked and I cleaned and chemically treated the circlip groove with Permatex Extends. I also converted over to internal snap rings, they are a heck of a lot easier to get back out and are much stronger. Additionally, I packed the top end with grease to keep the water from getting back in there.

 

If you are removing a "Clip" that looks more like a clover-leaf shaped piece of Coat-hanger ... than, a round, spring-loaded, "Snap-Ring" style ... with little holes to grab ...

The "Wire-style" may have to be removed in broken-off fragments. Time and the elements have wasted it away. Break-off a chunk and pry out the rest.
Get an Ice Pick behind it and don't be kind. Just knock it all loose and keep prying and breaking-off chunks until there's no more.

If it's a Snap-Ring kind ... and it looks weathered, pitted and rusted-out; too. Get one end lifted-out of the locking channel ... grab on to it with Vice Grips and just yank the damn thing right the heck out of there.

Smear some waterproof grease on the new ones.

Say bye-bye to the old ones ... you we're due!

 

I found it's easier to take the forks off and use a 4 foot bar clamp. Put the part of the clamp that tightens up in the plug well and tighten enough to clear the circ-clip. anything you can get behind it with will remove the clip. Keep in mind that there is a spring under the plug so don't be looking at it when you remove the clamp, (noooooooo, never happened to me) and always replace the o-ring before replacing. Dump the oil out and work the fork to expel all the oil. I always buy extra oil to "flush" out the fork to get as much of the old oil out as I can.