-07 CBR600rr- So i had a leaky fork last season, and decided to try and rebuild my forks instead of paying someone smarter to do it. Disassembly went well enough, got the old seal off and a new one on. However, upon re-assembly I 'm running into a major problem with measuring the fork oil. Once i get it together, i can neither SEE the fork oil visually, nor can i get anything in between the spring and the fork wall to measure it. I watched some videos online and didn't find an answer. They all just.....measure the fork oil. I suspect it was because they disassembled the spring as well, but i didn't need to do that because i just needed to replace a seal. I put 13.5 oz in the fork (which seems right by what i read) but i really don't think its super safe to just chance it. I attached a pic of my current situation. Please assist! I'm relatively certain its something stupid I'm missing, but after staring at it for 2 hours i dont know what.
ive personally serviced my forks on my 2007 cbr600rr you need to remove the preload spacer and spring to set the oil to the correct height. its not measured in ounces its measured from the top of that black tube with the dust seal resting on the axel casting.. remove the spring and I can txt you screen shot of how to do it if you dont all rdy have a service manual.
I know the oil level needs to be 3.7 inches from the top, my trouble is that i cant measure it with the spring assembly in there. If i understand you properly, i just need to take the spring off and leave the damper tube in there by itself? I do not have a manual, as it seemed like the online tutorials were enough. (will i ever learn? lol!) Looking at it, i think i can get the spring off from the top, while still leaving everything screwed in to the fork bottom right? EDIT: Just so I know....the spring isnt supposed to sit all the way down in the tube while "bottomed" out like that. correct?
you need to read the manual. Some require the springs to be in. Most forks require them to be out. You buy a fork oil level tool to do this. You can get one at Cycle Gear or online for less then $20.
YES! Thanks man! This is what i needed. I missed a stupid stupid step and made some assumptions that were incorrect. Once i read your reply, i went back out and took a fresh look. I found what my issue was quickly. Hopefully will get it resolved tonight after work. Thanks again, and the extra info you sent about "set up" is super helpful for whats coming. Seriously, thank you for taking that extra time to PM me. Very cool of you to do (and thanks for not making me feel dumb lol) This is why STT rocks man. I fought with it for 2 hours last night, put up a post, and within half an hour had the help i needed to un%$#@ my situation!
Just use a thin ruler? I hae the fork oil level tool traxxion dynamics sells but the ruler works like a dipstick. It would be harder with the spring installed though. All my Suzuki and ohlins forks say to take that all out. Oh and did you take the fork cap off? Even if you just dumped the old fluid out you might need to rebleed to cartridge which would be very hard to do with it fully assembled.
Some things I just don't F with...... Internals in Forks is definitely one of them.... Thermosman all the way here...
Np man glad I could help. Lots of people have helped me so i try to when i can. Forks are incredibly easy after your first time and the proper tools go a long long way
HA! Aint that the truth. Now that ive done it, i'm pretty sure i could do it in 3 hours tops instead like...10. They feel really stiff now, and the rebound is slow. I haven't messed with any settings though so....
Did you take the fork caps off? If you did did you screw the cap back on until it bottomed out? On my GSXR forks you have to reset the rebound settings to full hard so you have the same amount of adjustment. Otherwise you're rebound ajuster won't be at the same spot in the cartridge so it will change how it rides even if you don't change the clicker. I'm also assuming these aren't BPF forks or where they seperate the compression and rebound valves into each fork leg.
Since these are BPF forks, yes, they typically call for a measurement with springs in, which is different then other fork models. I got my numbers from a pro. My numbers are with springs out. My guess is the realized this is harder with springs in. Set it the way the manual says, pull the springs and let the oil drip from the springs back into the forks overnight. Then they took a new measurement and that is what they're going by. With a fork oil level gauge, you should be able to use it off to one side and it should work. It's the only way to do it. A ruler or guessing won't get it right..... Google motion pro or stockton oil level tool and you should find it. It's basically a syringe with a tube that connects to a large doughnut and a solid metal tube with level measurements on it.
07 CBR forks are not BPF. The ruler works the same way as the tool you describe and that I have. It's easier with the tool but you don't need it to be accurate.
Well, i made it through. I'm just now learning about suspension adjusting so hopefully i put everything back together properly to allow full adjustments. Top Gear Top Tip for anyone who happens upon this thread from Google. 1: Have a friend there. Some stuff would have been nearly impossible without my buddy helping. 2: You can make a handy tool to keep the damping rod up while reassembling out of a bit of 1/4 inch fuel line. One person holds it up while the other puts the top together. This is invaluable.
How were you able to pump the air out of the cartridge shaft without the holding too? Why did you need to hold the damper rod? It usually just sits in there.
Sounds like he took the spring out after all. To bleed the cart. Got to hold the rod for when u put the spring back in. (Hard to grab it if it sinks in when connecting it to the cap