Replacing fork seals on a '98 Honda CB 600F Hornet

[@deniro800]

Im just about to do this job but I only need to remove the forks as im leaving them in to my mechanic friend to replace the seals.He said the labour cost of the repair would be vastly reduced if i drop in the forks instead of the entire bike.You have just saved me a bunch of cash,so thank you for posting this.

[@DaHitch]

Always happy to hear the video helped someone!

[@remypascal4872]

@@DaHitchHey, how much oil is needed on every side in ML? And to check it from the top in cm? Thanks

[@dannythomas1283]

Just used this guide to do the forks on my 2002 600 Hornet. Spot on.

[@Antonio-im7yz]

Thank you very much. I have the same model and the information you shared was a life saver. 👍🏼

[@DaHitch]

Glad I could help!

[@poolerawpetfood6841]

Good video mate, I changed my seals yesterday using this a guide. 👍🏻

[@DaHitch]

Good to hear! Hope it worked out well for you.

[@alexbigbag]

Thank you very much for your video tutorial, it was very usefull in my Hornet 2001 fork seal replacement, to understand the procedure and to know all required tools 😎🤙

[@DaHitch]

You're welcome! Great to hear the video was helpful to you. :)

[@alexbigbag]

Can I ask you a question about spring lenght? Because I changed original with Ohlins ones but I noticed that the new installed are shorter. According to your experience it is normal ?? Thank you in advance

[@DaHitch]

In this video I replaced the springs that were longer than the stock ones, so I guess the reverse is possible yes. In my case I had to remove the spacer tubes to make the new springs fit. If you have shorter springs to replace the stock ones I think you'll probably need some spacers to pick up the slack (depending on how much shorter they are I suppose), other wise the bike will probably sit quite a bit lower. In truth I have little experience in this field, so it's probably worth it to get some actual expert advice, perhaps from the seller?

[@alexbigbag]

Thank you very much for your accurate answer. I have made a comparison between the stock and the Öhlins ones lenght forks. The new ones are 3 cm shorter so I think that it is accettable. However i’m waiting news from the seller. Keep you updated

[@vyrnmn]

I wish my forks had come apart that easily! Took me 3 hours to separate the lower from the upper.

[@davidpowell3691]

Thanks for posting this, I have to do the exact same job next week, now I feel a lot more confident :-)

[@DaHitch]

You're welcome! If you haven't already, also check out Delboys' video on replacing fork seals (channel name Moonfleet41) to boost your confidence even further! Good luck.

[@matusg.8228]

Hey, what's the name of tool you used to sit the seal into fork?

[@Eus1981]

Ciao, il tuo video tutorial mi è stato di grande aiuto per la revisione della forcella Honda Hornet 600- 03. Grazie,continua così ;-)

[@elliotjoseph92]

Nice one man, this helped with my rebuild

[@mikafabi3718]

Good Job I going to do it soon in my hornet.. Thank for tutorial 👊👊👊

[@mster62]

how do know about the amout of oil you need? you have mesure using mesuring tape? how many in ml's?

[@terenmistrz]

Thank You mate now i less scared to do this job just some question , do i need replace Fork Bushes aswell or just seals ? You only changed seals right ? rest is old parts

[@kaloyanerusalimov]

Exactly, no need to change the bushings. He replaced the seals as well as the dust seal, which are two separate items.

[@tobiasandersson4555]

Do you fill with oil so that you have 10.3 cm from the top to the oilsurface?😊

[@Catalanskrr]

Bro did you forget the smaller spring? It wasn't there when you began but it lies on the oil pan when you assembled the yoke again

[@DaHitch]

Bro, I replaced the springs so that's the old one. The short one is the one that came out with the spacer, the long one was a new progressive spring.

[@simonrawle7885]

if you don't have seal driver the old seal is good to drive the new seal in with

[@kristinduff3890]

I no this is an old post so may not get a reply but how long does this take to do ? Labour wise in a garage ? As I’d have to by the jack etc

[@DaHitch]

I don't recall how long this took me, but an hour or 2 is probably about right. If you're new to this I'd certainly schedule a lot more time than that, just to be sure.

[@barryseago7165]

Great video mate, feel more confident about the job

[@User-R03web]

Good job !!!

[@Catalanskrr]

Is it the same on a hornet 919?

[@dieselgaming9138]

Where did you jack the bike from, which point did you use? I don’t want to damage my bike.

[@DaHitch]

I jacked it up on the sum, it's strong enough to support the bike. Could always use a block of wood underneath to spread the load. When the bike was off the ground I supported it with jack stands on the crash cage, which is bolted to the engine mounts.

[@roymichaeldeanable]

Undo the top nut while the forks are still on the bike. That bottom nut should be released before removing the forks from the bike if possible. Yours came undone easily, mine have been nightmares

[@DaHitch]

Yes, first time I changed the seals I was unable to get the bottom bolts undone. Took them to my dealer who kindly used an airgun to undo them for me, which is why they came out so easily this time around.

[@rossgorman2198]

Hi thanx for vid, have u got a radial brake piston on your bike ?

[@DaHitch]

Looks like I completely missed this! No, both pump and calliper are axial.

[@alanirvine1094]

Thank you for the info

[@DaHitch]

You’re welcome!

[@joaotormenta1653]

Could you tell us where did get the seal driver and for how many mm it is ? Thanks!

[@DaHitch]

I got it off a Dutch online shop that doesn't sell them anymore, but you can get them on eBay as well for about the same price. For a 1998 Hornet you'll need 41mm seal driver.

[@spartacus09ful]

I know this is a long shot but what size hex key is the damper bolt? Cheers

[@DaHitch]

I don't have access to the bike right now, but according to the manual it's an m8 bolt so that should be a 6mm hex. You will need a hex key with some reach though as the bolt is buried quite deep in the fork tube.

[@spartacus09ful]

@@DaHitch Cheers much appreciated, I'll be doing this job in a couple of weeks

[@DaHitch]

@@spartacus09ful Good luck!

[@aeroflopper]

475mls is the right amount.

[@johansandgren6199]

Hi! How hard do you tighten the bolts (Nm) that holds the forks?

[@DaHitch]

I'm not sure, I'd have to check the Haynes manual for that. Though if memory serves me right it's not that much, maybe 30-40nM or so.

[@DaHitch]

This is what my workshop manual says: Fork top bridge pinch bolt (top yoke) 23Nm Fork bottom bridge pinch bolt (bottom yoke) 39Nm

[@Alien590]

Thank you! 💯

[@mantassertvytis6909]

Hello. Where did you get longer spring and why you put it ?

[@DaHitch]

The spring doesn't extend suspension travel. The original spring has a set of windings with a certain resistance along its length and then some spacer tubes to make the innards of the suspension the required length. The new springs are progressive springs with 2 different kinds of resistance along the length, by using different windings. It changes the compression characteristics along the travel, but doesn't change the travel length. You can buy these at several motorcycle supply stores, amazon, eBay, etc.

[@mantassertvytis6909]

@@DaHitch thanks 💪

[@22lukasz22]

Hello. are these original springs in lagging or changed to progressive

[@DaHitch]

The springs I installed were progressive springs.

[@See_you_next_timee]

Did you find the forks felt allot more sturdy after the fork oil was changed?

[@DaHitch]

The original oil was still in it when I first changed the seals. What came out was a grey, rancid smelling goop. So that in itself probably helped. I also upgraded from 10 weight to 15 weight oil to increase the damping even more. Combined with the new and improved front springs it did make quite a difference.

[@See_you_next_timee]

@@DaHitch my front forks are really spungy do they really need to be done. Do you think I could possibly do it myself and not screw it up ha. What brand and f oil did you use? I'm not botherd spending more if it means it's better quality and better for my bike 🤔😉

[@thecyborg6718]

You didn't put back the spacer!

[@raymorris952]

Tip, get some taller stands , next time put them under the crash Bob's, then simply remove the front paddock stand, ! That Jack up looked very dodgy.

[@DaHitch]

Yeah, it was pretty sketchy. But I'm getting better at it every time I do it! :p

[@g90.61]

What's the part number of the bushing driver or where / how to find it? Bedankt alvast ;).

[@DaHitch]

You should be able to find one on eBay or Amazon for about €30-40 or so. Search for "fork seal driver xxmm" and a few options should pop up.

[@g90.61]

@@DaHitch Which dimensions should we go for, or which model exactly? I drive a CB600F Hornet (from 2002) myself.

[@DaHitch]

@@g90.61 Google tells me that should be a 41mm, same as mine.

[@ninitsirgvava1262]

How to remove damper can you be more specific 13:30 min. It rotates endlessly.

[@DaHitch]

@@ninitsirgvava1262 Then you’ll need an impact driver to shock it loose.

[@givikokakhetelidze8563]

@@DaHitchhow didn't you do it with it?

[@DaHitch]

@@givikokakhetelidze8563 Mine weren't spinning.

[@givikokakhetelidze8563]

@@DaHitchI have to but it back the same way? and also once i do it with impact driver, every other time it will do like yours? thank you so much.

[@Goldwing963]

the bushing goes in first then the oil seal

[@Duggan506]

he did that,

[@MANIACMOTORS]

It”s not done proprely! You have to mesure the amount of fork oil. See the repair manual.

[@DaHitch]

The repair manual states both the amount of oil to be filled and the distance from the top of the fork to be filled to. Both methods give the same result.

[@ecrusch]

So, forgot to take out the Damper Bolt, put the old Seal in with a screwdriver instead of a bushing driver....why am I watching you work? Thank you for your effort, but I think I can do better.

[@DaHitch]

I’m not sure what you’re on about. I clearly use a bushing driver in the video. I used the screw driver when I tried to fix it before, because the jerry-rigged tool I made didn’t work and the bike had to be in running condition ASAP because of an upcoming competition.