Fork oil leak

[Steve S]

Hello All, I have acquired a leak from the bottom bolt on my Z1A forks and am losing fluid over the garage floor,(very annoying)I have taken the front wheel out and have found the allen bolts loose.I have managed to tighten one with an allen key but the other is not playing ball,what is the correct method of tightening these up and what tools do I need.
Also is there a seal that could need replacing under the bolt head.

Thanks

[Jumbo]

There is a copper washer normally under the allen bolt. If the other is not tightening then the whole assembly inside is turning. This would mean removing the top nut at the yoke end and removing the spring and then use the special tool to hold the nut inside. The nut only has two flats but you can get away with a long piece of wood or a socket, I think 13mm hammered on - but you may not get it out again afterwards. Not a bad trick when dissasembling to rebuild as the bits have to come out !

A piece of long wood may be enough to allow the allen bolt to tighten !

[tlc]

Jumbo knows what he is talking about.

I would dismantle the leg and clean the threads so that it will easily tighten. It`s possible that corrosion or muck gas got into the threads.

Either that or fill the bottom of the forkleg with some mastik

[Steve Cooke]

Don't rely on the copper washer alone, use a bit of thread seal on the bolt also, and tighten to correct torque.

[Steve S]

Okay guys thanks for the info,as i say i have managed to tighten one and the other will undo easily but will not quite tighten up. a little strip down may be in order.
At least now I know why there was hardly any fork oil in them last year when I changed the oil!

[KWACKERZ1]

Steve,
When you take the spring out the special tool for holding the innards is a long tbar with a special square nut which is around 13mm.
But the best and cheapest tool for holding the centre is one of the gator grip sockets you can get them from any tool store and they have a load of pins inside whicm move around the shape of the nut and grip it.

These work brilliantly on the fork innards for zeds and beat a biit of wood every time.

[Jumbo]

The gator grip socket sounds good. I machined a tool with two flats, which I use on a long socket extension.

[Rich]

I wouldn't use thread sealer as this will make it harder to remove the cap head next time. Put a new copper washer in as the old one is probably knackered

[Steve Cooke]

As long as you use a non permanent locking agent it is the best way to seal those bolts, and it is also the Kawasaki recommended method.
That's not to say Kawasaki are correct all of the time.

[sweptail]

non permanent thread lock works for me. Tommy

[Steve S]

Thanks again guys,I'm gonna get me one of those sockets.

[Steve S]

Thanks again guys for the helpfull info,i'm gonna get me one of those sockets.