Total Motorcycle Community Forums

I'm trying to change the front fork seals in my 1978 Honda CB750K. Using my Clymer manual, I got along OK until I came to the instruction to "Remove the Allen bolt at the bottom of the bottom case and pull fork tube out of bottom case." I unscrewed the 8mm Allen bolt until it was loose, but it wouldn't drop out as I expected it would. So, I figured it must have some sort of keeper on it and was just supposed to stay in place. I proceeded to try to pull the fork tube out. It would come up, as expected, but got to a stop, seemed like it was hitting something, maybe the bottom of the oil seal (which was still in place, per the Clymer instructions until tube is removed).
So, how the heck do I pull the tube out when the oil seal, still in place, seems to be stopping it (or is it?)?
Is there any way to just remove the oil seal without removing the tube (without risking scratching the bottom case or tube itself, ensuring an oil leak later)?
Thanks,
Royo

On alot of the older UJM's you have to remove the bottom allen bolt all the way. (or at least make sure it is all the way out of the threads)
the fork has an inner tube(damping rod), this goes down to the allen bolt and is what holds the fork together.

Often times you have to have a tool to hold the inner tube (dampner if I am not mistaken been a few years since I have looked at a manual) to undo the bolt all the way.

I have used a sharpened dowl in the past to do this. (look inside the top of the fork with a flashlight and you will see the round center opening of the damping rod .

Insert the end of the rod into the hole and tap it in with a hammer. (NOT REAL HARD) then finish unscrewing the bolt. the fork should then slide all the way apart. then you can remove the seals.