Measuring fork oil

[swee]

Hey all,

just got my first bike a couple weeks ago ('90 dr250sl) and have started pulling it to bits and attempting to do a service.

Have just pulled the fork apart but the design appears to differ to what is in the clymer guide // online schematics for the bike. So just wanted to makes sure im doing this right...

Basically do i just measure across the blue line in the picture, basically from the oil to the top of the inner tube? and do i do this with the spring inserted? and would 170mm be alright?


i guess i then pull up that centre rod thing, try keep hold of it whilst i put the spacer thing over it and screw in the nut and strut top (sorry for the lack of technical langauge)

(The bike gets primarily driven on the road)

http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/583/dsc5222az0.jpg (bits and pieces)
http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/804/dsc5219au3.jpg (oil level)

Cheers,

[warewolf]

Basically do i just measure across the blue line in the picture, basically from the oil to the top of the inner tube? and do i do this with the spring inserted? and would 170mm be alright?Springs out, forks fully compressed. Measure from the top of the fork tube to the oil.

You can fake up a tool for this using a kitchen oil baster (big eye-dropper like thing) with some tubing attached to it. Measure up from the bottom of the tubing to your oil level required (170mm?) and put a cable tie at that point. Slightly over-fill the forks closer than 170mm to the top, put the tube into the oil and hold the cable tie against the fork top. Suck out excess until it won't suck no more. Voila! 170mm quick and easy.

Watch that the tubing stays straight so it is really 170mm, not curved. However it is more important to have both sides equal than exactly 170mm.