proper chemical?

[Big Daddy]

Can anyone out there suggest a safe solvent to rinse out the fork tubes on my 83 (with 86 forks) I did an on the road repair and temporarily replaced the fork oil with ATF. Now I want to rinse them out before I refill with new fork oil. Ideas anyone?

[Eck]

I personally dont feel the ATF will not harm anything.

 

In fact, it will help lube the seals just as regular fork oil..

 

I would drain the forks of the ATF, and then just refil them with fork oil...

 

I do not see how it could hurt anything....but I am willing to listen to someone school me with constructive evidence if Im wrong.

[Redneck]

Eck hit the nail on the head. If you absolutely must flush them use fork oil then drain and replace. Solvent would not be a good idea.

[Yammer Dan]

I can't see any problem. But someone might shoot us down on this. I think I remember using ATF way back there on something before I knew any better and don't rermember any problems.

[Eck]

I worked with a guy up in Ohio years ago who owned a small airplane. Every oil change he would add one quart of tranny fluid to the engine oil.

He did this religiously for years in his car and truck also..

 

In other words if his vehicle took 4 quarts of oil, he would only use three quarts of oil and then add one quart of tranny fluid..

[Condor]

I worked with a guy up in Ohio years ago who owned a small airplane. Every oil change he would add one quart of tranny fluid to the engine oil.

He did this religiously for years in his car and truck also..

 

In other words if his vehicle took 4 quarts of oil, he would only use three quarts of oil and then add one quart of tranny fluid..

 

 

 

 

I've heard of that too, even in diesel fuel.. I think the basic reason is the tranny fluid has a lot of detergents added and it keeps things cleaner. 3+1 might be a little too much and change the viscosity of the oil???. Added to diesel fuel doesn't matter.....

[mm482]

Fork oil may be much better than ATF, but ATF has worked for me. My 86 VR has had ATF in the forks for over 110K and my 00 RSV has over 65k with ATF in it.

Earl

[Kandaje]

Greetings...

 

Was driving a car through the mountains one dark and stormy night - the Oil Drain plug decided to abandon us somewhere in the middle of a state forest - along with all the engine oil!

 

Plugged it up with bubblegum, and filled the crankcase with all of what we had in the trunk- 2 quarts of ATF, AND a quart of power steering fluid! then drove it about 150- 200 miles back home - then around the city the next day - looking for a replacement plug. Before stopping in at a full service station for a complete change - New oil and filter.

 

When we heard the Yelp of surprise from under the car - and explained what happened to the mechanic - He said as long as we didn't do it all the time - it Shouldn't hurt anything - In fact it probably helped and cleaned up the inside of the engine!

 

Never had any problems come of it- wouldn't worry too much about it...

[SilvrT]

I worked with a guy up in Ohio years ago who owned a small airplane. Every oil change he would add one quart of tranny fluid to the engine oil.

He did this religiously for years in his car and truck also..

 

In other words if his vehicle took 4 quarts of oil, he would only use three quarts of oil and then add one quart of tranny fluid..

 

 

 

 

Years ago when I used to pull wrenches and pump gas, I had this regular customer who drove a Mercedes deisel. He would regularly add some ATF to the fuel to clean the injectors.