This article deals with changing oil in a 2001
KTM front fork (43 mm WP fork). Changing the fork
oil will keep fork performance in a high level.
Front shocks from 2001 and 2002 models have a serial
number ending with 03 or 04. If your suffix is 04
you need to keep air chamber of 150 mm. If it is 03
- keep a 130 mm air chaimber.
Before you start working, turn the rebound
screw to the rite as much as possible.
open
shocks with 24 m"m
take the spring down (22 mm
key). Open is opposite to clock's direction
until cup is off.
Keep turning it until cup is taken off.
pull the aluminum tube down and separate it
from cup
take off spring's spacers
pull out spring and aluminum tube
drain oil from "outer" part of the shock .
drain oil from
cartridge.
**
in order to drain all oil in cartridge, move
it up and down few times until you don't feel
oil inside.
place shocks upside down so what's left inside
will go out.
everything is clean. This is what 7 month old
oil looks like. How old is your fork oil?
closing: put the aluminum tube back to place
(spring still outside).
as
you can see - tube is not placed well. change
tube location . picture down is good location.
fill oil: inner shock part is inside the outer
part (shock is closed!). fill oil up to
10 mm below the end of the shock. Air bubbles
should come out. add more oil until no bubbles
come out (don't touch cartridge at this
moment). Now, move cartridge up and down
until all air bubbles came out and you get
smooth feel (no air pockets).
if
wile pumping the cartridge you still get the
sound of air - add some oil.
grab cartridge and outer shock part in one
hand and the inner shock on the other hand.
stretch and squeeze shock few times all the
way up and all the way down (shock + cartridge
fully opened and then fully closed). We want
to be left between inner and outer shock
parts.
Measure 150 (130) mm from the top of the
outside shock edge - it should be free from
oil. oil level should be exactly 150 mm below
top of the outside shock edge. add or take out
as much oil as needed. do that using a straw
only! shock should be closed while this
process is performed.
once you got the correct oil level, pull
cartridge out a little, place spring back to
place.
turn reboud screw left till it stops. put cup
into place.
Close cup . not too tight!! (aluminum)
close cup on shock. no need to close very
tight.
good luck!
Thanks to tapuz.co.il and KTM620 (the nick
name :) )
for this one
