forks on a xt600e 2003 usualy when bike has been standing a few hours i get a loud click from front forks when i fist move handle bars or front wheel is pushed against wall gently. ten thousand miles on clock only does it the once then is ok untill bike has stood again also can i change oil in forks without taking forks off cheers folks thank you

Hi

I replaced my front forks recently mostly because when standing still with the bike off or even riding.. if I pressed up and down on the handlebars I could hear a loud KNOCK...I thought they were gonna break at anytime...

I got the front forks+brake caliper and master cylinders+wheel with hub off a 2002 YZ250...

Vando

hi yes it is a sharp crack but i dont think they need replacing i lean my bike agaist the side of the wall im wondering if they are just leveling out seems to ride ok they press down and return ok just passed mot two weeks ago any help or ideas would be helpful thank you

sorry did the gear off the yz 250 just fit straight on thank u

When you test the forks, are you using the front brake? Could be calipers/pads moving about making noise? Are headraces OK? Wheel spokes tight & not pinging against eachother?
If forks move OK, no play and not sticking, probably OK.
To change fork oil, the tops need to come off to drain oil. You could use a syphon hose, I suppose (sic) but not all the old f/oil will be drained out that way. Best to invert them - so its take them off or turn bike upsidedown!!!!

almost! but it was very easy to make it fit!
I can take a couple of pictures later tonight as I've taken it out of the frame so I can paint the frame tomorrow morning


Vando

thanks bicardi and pigford thinking about it now could be the caliper i will investigate more forks do press down and return ok i bet that bike of yours bicardi will look nice they seem a stronger fork on the yz thank u folks mecca steve

just a thought is there no drain off for the fork oil at bottom of forks thanks guys oops and girls cheers steve

+1 for Mecca
Most modern standard style forks I know of do indeed have a drain scew at the bottom precisely so the oil can be changed without removing the whole fork business.
Get yourself a cut off plastic oil bottle and some newspapers.
pump the forks up and down a bunch of times to get any sludge in the oil into suspension then set the bike up on a box or blocks or centerstand.
Stick a sheet of newspaper between the fork and any brake discs , remove the top cap and lift out spacer and fork spring taking care to not which end was up so you can replace in same orientation.On some bikes you may have to relax the top clamp pinch bolts in order to be able to remove the top cap. A few models have top caps held in by a wire circlip in a groove. .
Remove the bottom drain screw and let the oil run out into the cutoff oil bottle . Do same for both legs. Then wrap a sheet of newspaper around the fork legs to catch oil mist. Place the fork cap in lightly(or jam the palm of your hand on top to keep air in) and pump fork up and down several time to blow out last oil. If oil was really grey and dirty you may want to sacrifice a bit of fork oil by pouring it in the top , with drain screws in place , pumping fork up and down , and then draining that flush oil.
Now replace drain screws, not too tight, and measure out the correct volume of oil for each leg, and pour it in the top . Put fork springs and spacers back in same leg they came from, replace fork top caps .
Done

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An 2003 xt600e doesnt have a drainscrew.

There Is a screw in the bottom, and i guess you could use it to drain, but you need to use an airtool to loosen in, cause theres a big nut on the inside that will spind aroud with bolt otherwise.

Some of the older xt600z's and such has a drainscrew.

But all you save is to anhook the frontwheel, and loosien the clabs that hold the legs on the bike, not much work.

+ You get all the sludge out, there can be a lot, and you can inspect the parts within the forks.

Do it right, and you will only do it once.

Okay,no drain screw which is normally a small size screw or capscrew pointing horizontally into the fork bottom.
Do check your owner's manual! I would not turn the big socket head bolt pointing perfectly up in line with the fork. This bolt ,in my experience ,always holds down the damper rod inside the fork. Take it out and the oil will come out slowly but you will never be able to put it back together properly without total disasembly and cleaning.
I guess you may have to after all take the fork legs off and upend them to drain the oil.

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thanks every one but to my surprise its not done it all day ive tried every couple of hours all day long the strip down threat must have scared her her names bess by the way you get to name them and talk to them nice when ur 500 mile from home up in scotland any way thanks every one for input try this when ur miles from home rub the tank and say go on girl when u get home uyou are having a nice oil change and a new plug it works for me see you all soon mecca steve

and I thought I was going mad talking to the dog!!!

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Remember that Assumption is the mother of all f**k-ups.

you're in scotland, and the problem has gone away?

hmm.. perhaps it's an oil viscosity issue. and now you're up here the warmer climate has thinned the fork oil out, resolving the problem.

I got a question about this...

How do you remove ALL the fork oil?

I'm changing my new front forks seals and I need to remove all the oil...

In the manual it says I have to clean all the parts with a solvent....
What type of solvent should be used? paint thinner?

I want to remove all the oil because I'm putting Putoline 10w racing brand fork oil and not the stock KYB 01 fork oil...


Vando