Cheap fork rebuild tool

[gggGary]

I like doing it this way. The tire iron is clamped in a vice, any scrap aluminum. Lube, pry, rotate, pry The leverage and control with this set up works to your advantage. Use a heat gun first if it's really nasty in there. (yes I did remove the ring first.)
th

 

[grizld1]

Cool procedure for seal removal, Gary! I use a thick rag, a full-size crow bar with a modified "spoon;" and a piece of plywood on the floor to brace against; crude but effective. Re. tools to hold 78 and later damper rods, you guys sure like to do things the hard way. All it takes is a hardware store coupling nut, a 17 mm. socket, and a little tape to keep 'em together.

 

[nighthog]

Love it. Just goes to show that as usual, there's more than one way to do it.
Thanks to you all for your methods, I certainly don't feel stumped any more

 

[XSLeo]

If you have done the tapered bearing swap on your neck bearings, one of the old ball bearing races, With just a bit ground off the edge works very well as a seal driver.
Leo

 

[MaxPete]

NIGHTHOG - sorry to be a granny - but something just popped into my little 1-HP brain and I just want to be certain that you note the circlip and washer that lie on top of the seal down in the fork slider.

You must pop that circlip out (an unfolded paperclip or pointy jackknife blade does a good job) - and then remove the washer (some folks call it a spacer) BEFORE making any attempt to remove the seal itself. After you've got the seal out and a new one installed, be sure to put those parts back into place.

I recommend doing one leg at a time as there are a number of parts and you need to keep track of them....

Pete

 

[nighthog]

No need to apologise Pete, it was kindly intended as always. I'd already noticed them though and removal was, thankfully, trivial.
I do have both the legs apart but I've been very careful to keep their respective bits separate.