KZ1000 Inspection – Front Maintenance (Fork & Stem) – Engine Oil & Spark Plug Replacement

It’s hot! Isn’t it (outside) (*´ω｀*)

The shop is around 26.5°C with 54% humidity – very comfortable.

We’re probably about a month behind schedule… that’s where we are now.
Things are progressing steadily though~

Did you buy anything during the Amazon sale??

I didn’t buy anything.
I’d already bought most things before the sale started…

When it goes on salethings sell out. So I’m the type who gets what I need beforehand.

The eternal challenge when replacing stem bearings

Dangling the headlight and meter area around isn’t really… ideal.
It gets scratched, and you might damage the wiring

I’d rather avoid the hassle afterward.
This time I removed the headlight & bracket since they were in the way.

I wish someone could hold things in place for me like that.

Oh~ good! (*´ω｀*)It was a ball bearing!

If you put a tapered roller bearing in a Z, it’s almost impossible to remove without welding
It’s not a big deal, but tedious work is tedious.

I prefer the easier way♪

It didn’t feel bad when I moved it, but it was surprisingly worn…

Park Tool RT-1&RT-2

It’s not a universal tool, but when you can use it, it performs quite reliably.
The four-way spreading claws provide stable support for driving out.

You need various tools to remove stem bearings.
It’s good to collect different types and do stable work.

Well~ this time it comes out with a puller, so it’s easy.

I’d rather not hammer away with a chisel if possible.
I’m sure everyone feels the same way.

The stem/frame side might have been forced a bit too.

Getting it in perfectly straight is extremely difficult.
Good tools matter more than technique.

I think there are quite a few cases of “I thought it went in…”
*I smoothed out the burrs beforehand.

I installed the races (this time by hand tapping)
Applied plenty of grease and assembled it~

Recently I’ve been testing Bell Hammer grease.
Though it’s been about 2 years now…
You can’t tell if it’s good or bad without using it for about 5 years. Probably.
*Unless it’s really bad

Now let’s disassemble the front fork.
I’m impressed by how dirty the oil is.

This is what happens with a fork without metal.

Important areas get rusty over time.
Cleaning off the corrosion properly before assembly makes the work smoother.

The stud insertion surface is “raised”.

Well, it’s threaded in, so that’s natural
If you chamfer it, the insertion should be smoother.

I cleaned up the bottom case since it was dirty.
The clear coat was already stripped, so the work went smoothly.

The quality of bare metal really shows at times like this.
In other words, you can clean it up every time you do a fork OH.

When it gets “shiny” like on the right, the seal tends to wear faster.
If you finish it like the left image, I think it will be less prone to leaking.

I spin it on the lathe to remove that “shine” from before.
One side has a slight runout, but it’s within tolerance so I proceeded as is.
*I disposed of the hydraulic press, so I can’t fix it.
I have a set press, but… it’s hard to control.

I’d prefer if cylinder bolts were replaced every time.
M10-P1.00 full thread.
This one is still manageable, but banjo bolts are a pain.

The studs have a flat side and a rounded side.
Basically the rounded side faces out. Maybe it’s related to the ladle?
Since it’s inserted anyway, there shouldn’t be a functional difference… probably.

Whoever came up with this was a genius! THE ladle.

↑If you’re lazy, a 6/8/10/12 set works too

Well, for bigger bikes, just M6 and M8 should be fine.

It’s fun to assemble when individual parts are clean♪

Well, that’s human nature.
You work hard to wash and OH dirty parts
the inside is clean♪ but the outside is disappointing▼ – that’s discouraging.

I’m sure customers feel the same way.
Performance can’t be felt without riding, but appearance is always felt.

I realized right before pressing that I hadn’t taken a photo!

I’m sending good vibes so the oil seal goes in smoothly.

There was a nice washer in one of the drains.
Wow~ a washer this size actually exists?

I was genuinely impressed.
The original is just some plastic-like rubber thing.
I kept it just in case.

All cleaned up~
Now it’s just plugs, oil, and inspection left, so it’s moving fast (*´ω｀*)

To be continued.