A65T Restoration - Fork Legs - Advice Needed!

[mikescott]

Hello all - I'm restoring a 1970 A65T and am having difficulty with the fork legs. I need to replace the oil seals and have got two problems: 1. I can't see how to get the legs off,even with the workshop manual - do I need one or more special tools or is it possible without? 2. One of the chrome oil seal covers is free, but the other one is absolutely solid and won't move even with a strap wrench.

Any advice gratefully received!

Cheers, Mike

[DMadigan]

The chrome oil seal holders require a pin wrench. Note the two blind holes near the bottom. The factory tool is like a C wrench and has a fixed pin on the end with a screw pin on the other.
If you have a welder, you can make one. Best to use half a piece of thick walled pipe with the inside diameter the same as the outside diameter of the chrome holder. Drill a hole through near one edge and weld a pin then weld a handle across the outside. Using a piece of flat instead makes it hard to keep the wrench from trying to turn sideways as you pull.

[V500]

But if you're renewing the oil seal holders a hammer and punch usually works well.

[EDDIE SIMPSON]

the best way to remove the seized oil seal holder without damage is old school. place the tool [ 2 tools for outside notches or inside notches] in a good vice then with a bar in the slider spindle hole, push or locate the fork onto the tool and turn the bar.

[mikescott]

Thanks for replies, folks! I've now got one of the oil seal holders off successfully, but the old seal is absolutely solid and won't budge whatever I try.

[limeyrob]

Have you heated it yet?  I find some things get stuck sold with hardened grease, it becomes like cement.  Heat then penetrating oil on the joint, the sudden cooling pulls it in.

[mikescott]

No, I haven't tried that yet, but will have a go!

Cheers, Mike

[mikescott]

Hello all - I have now managed to get both oil seal holders off and have also tried heating one to shift the old oil seal, without success. I'm beginning to think I'm going to have to buy two new holders,which seems a bit of a waste, as there's nothing wrong with the ones I've got!

Is there anything else worth trying?

Cheers, Mike

[limeyrob]

Can you mangle the old seal up so its OD is smaller and it comes out? It is scrap after all.

[mikescott]

I did think about that, but the problem is how to do it without damaging the oil seal holder?

Cheers, Mike

[limeyrob]

Can you get a hole saw (say) 1/16 smaller and turn it by hand?

[V500]

The little Dremel ball tip tool works well for this sort of thing.

[mikescott]

Thanks for responses! I doubt I'd be able to do as suggested without damaging the oil seal holders, causing them to leak - and that wouldn't necessarily be obvious until after everything was put back together, so may end up buying some new ones. Oh well...!

Cheers, Mike

[DAVE BRADY]

Hi,

If the seals are metal on the outside corrosion could be part of the problem. Have you tried using a penetrating oil to penetrate the corrosion?
I keep somme old bearing races to use a drifts. If you have such a thing or something similar try pushing the seal out in a vice or with a clamp.  Put a piece of wood in the jaws of the vice to protect the end of the seal holder.

Dave.

[mikescott]

I've tried heating it up and squirting it with penetrating oil and I've tried using a drift to knock it out. I think these are the original seals from 1970 and everything has totally solidified. Unless I come across something that will soften/dissolve the grease or coorosion, I'm going to have give up and buy new!

Cheers, Mike