Another leaky fork seal

[dcstrom]

This is my second - first was just a slight weep on the left side, replaced under warranty at 22,000 miles. Now at 30,000, the right is leaking a lot! Still under warranty, but in Guatamala so US warranty does me no good at all.

I've had quite a bit of mud and crap the last week or so, I'm thinking it gets caked onto the lower fork leg and when you hit a big bump the dust seal and fork seal can't clear it off and so it tears up the seal. I need to make a point of cleaning at least that part of the bike soon after going through muddy sections.

I'm carrying a spare - I had 2 but used one for the last warranty job cos the dealer didn't have one in stock and I didn't want to wait. Now I have to figure out how to get more since I will no longer have a spare - and seems like I will need them!

 

[Firefight911]

Really? Sheesh, there's only about a hundred of us here who'll help!

Tell me what you need, I'll get it. Get me an address, I'll send it.

Amelia says hi!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk which means there are more than likely spelling errors!

 

[autoteach]

here is what you need:
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41x2LPS8JJL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

http://www.riskracing.com/pages/Seal_Doctor_Page.html

If you can't get your hands on these, find some really thin and flexible plastic and cut one of your own. At least it would be worth it to try before you pull a fork off.

 

[dcstrom]

Hey great thanks guys. I have the seal saver tool and will try it today - but to me the leak looks too severe for that to work. I don't have any experience with it tho, so you never know...

 

[scott123007]

If your bike really gets that dirty in a short time and you have no time to clean it, maybe some of those fork tube neopreme protective boots should get thrown on there also.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Shock-Sox-Fork-Seal-Protectors-6-Black-802034-/300848528641?hash=item460bf83d01&item=300848528641&pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&vxp=mtr

 

[avc8130]

Hey great thanks guys. I have the seal saver tool and will try it today - but to me the leak looks too severe for that to work. I don't have any experience with it tho, so you never know...

Give it a shot. Worked perfect for me.

ac

 

[greg the pole]

::026:: on the seal mate.
I made the mistake of changing a perfectly good seal, due to a small piece of dirt that got lodged in.
fork booties help huge, keep all the crap off.

good luck,

g

 

[Nimbus]

Don't let that beotch leak onto your brake pads or you'll need them too :'(

 

[dcstrom]

It worked!

http://sealmate.net

That saved me the HUGE hassle (and expense) of getting the seal replaced in Guatemala City.

I guess my oil level is down a bit on that side, but probably not enough to worry about. I'll be getting Mario (who has a bike shop and is the supplier of my new K60's) to do a chassis service in El Salvador (due at 30,000 miles according to the manual). I'll look at fixing fork oil level then.

I have a new theory about why these seals leak fairly frequently. The dust seal does a good job of clearing the top 2/3 of the stroke, and is cleaning that portion of the leg constantly. However the bottom third of the fork travel isn't used so often, so when it gets coated in mud and grime, it can stay there long enough to dry out. Then next till the fork uses its full travel, it's difficult for the dust seal to clear the dried mud, and that's when the oil seal gets grit in it.

I was using Dirt Skins until the ride to Batopilas - they were full of dust afterwards, and when I washed the bike the dirt just turned into grinding paste. So I think in some ways they might do more harm than good. If they work at all, it might be because they clean the lower part of the leg.

SO.... how about something that just covers the lower few inches of travel? Anyone have an idea? You could probably do it with neoprene. Just needs to be something that would keep mud and crap off the lower part of the tube, but would get pushed down, and spring back up, when the upper fork tube travels down the leg.

Hmmm?

 

[AndyCBR]

It worked!

http://sealmate.net

That saved me the HUGE hassle (and expense) of getting the seal replaced in Guatemala City.

I guess my oil level is down a bit on that side, but probably not enough to worry about. I'll be getting Mario (who has a bike shop and is the supplier of my new K60's) to do a chassis service in El Salvador (due at 30,000 miles according to the manual). I'll look at fixing fork oil level then.

I have a new theory about why these seals leak fairly frequently. The dust seal does a good job of clearing the top 2/3 of the stroke, and is cleaning that portion of the leg constantly. However the bottom third of the fork travel isn't used so often, so when it gets coated in mud and grime, it can stay there long enough to dry out. Then next till the fork uses its full travel, it's difficult for the dust seal to clear the dried mud, and that's when the oil seal gets grit in it.

I was using Dirt Skins until the ride to Batopilas - they were full of dust afterwards, and when I washed the bike the dirt just turned into grinding paste. So I think in some ways they might do more harm than good. If they work at all, it might be because they clean the lower part of the leg.

SO.... how about something that just covers the lower few inches of travel? Anyone have an idea? You could probably do it with neoprene. Just needs to be something that would keep mud and crap off the lower part of the tube, but would get pushed down, and spring back up, when the upper fork tube travels down the leg.

Hmmm?

I've had good luck with the Kriega fork protectors. Went 10k on a CDR trip and plenty of dust and dirt off road. They are very easy to remove and clean periodically.

Hope this helps.

Andy

 

[avc8130]

I think the best fork seal "protector" is a rag in your tail bag. Wipe them off real quick when you get gas if you have been out in the dirty and you will be fine. Dirt bikes don't come with these things and I rarely had any fork seal issues. Dirt bikes do generally get washed after a thorough thrashing in the dirt, and I think that is the difference. If you don't let the dirt dry on the fork leg, the wiper can push it out of the way to protect the seal.

ac

 

[ST-venture]

Hey great thanks guys. I have the seal saver tool and will try it today - but to me the leak looks too severe for that to work. I don't have any experience with it tho, so you never know...

After my Alaska trip this summer (and all the way back home) my fork seals were leaking. I was sure I was going to have to replace the seals, but I used the seal saver tool and it did the trick - no more leak. My only concern was that one leg leaked what seemed like a lot of fork oil on the ride back and there is no real good way to "refill" the fork to proper level without a re-build. I haven't done anything to the forks since and all seems well - so far (3-4K miles later).

 

[Rasher]

there is no real good way to "refill" the fork to proper level without a re-build.

Apart from topping it up ::008::

 

[avc8130]

Apart from topping it up ::008::

That requires springs to be removed and oil height reset. Not exactly as simple as "taopping it up" like oil or coolant.

AC

 

[RockyDS]

::001::

 

[RCDantzscher]

I attended that dealio in the Yukon last summer; on an innocent looking dirt road on a partly soggy day my forks took that remarkably fine soil and worked it right into my fork seals; leaked all the way and the rest of the summer. I wish I had the foresight to have gotten a set of SHOCK SOX. $20 of peace-O-mind is just simply smart.
::002::

 

[dcstrom]

I wish I had the foresight to have gotten a set of SHOCK SOX. $20 of peace-O-mind is just simply smart.
::002::

That's kinda what I'm getting at - you don't need shock sox or anything that covers the seal itself. The dust seal does a perfectly fine job of clearing the upper part of the fork leg, the part frequently travelled. Protecting the lower part, saving it from caked-on grit, is the thing.

That's my theory anyway. Now looking for some suitable to wrap the lower fork legs. Shock sox work I think if shortened by an inch or two.

 

[RockyDS]

That's kinda what I'm getting at - you don't need shock sox or anything that covers the seal itself. The dust seal does a perfectly fine job of clearing the upper part of the fork leg, the part frequently travelled. Protecting the lower part, saving it from caked-on grit, is the thing.

That's my theory anyway. Now looking for some suitable to wrap the lower fork legs. Shock sox work I think if shortened by an inch or two.

The fork seals are road type seals not dirt bike type seals, so the dust seal and more significantly the seals thamselves are not really designed for the off-road potential of the bike - at least that's what a Yamaha mechanic told me. The Shock Sox will help keep crud away from the seal but caked and dried mud on the lower part of the fork could still get past the Shock Sox and be driven into the seal. That's where the fork protectors come in. I have both Shock Sox and the RideonADV fork protectors as shown in the photo's I posted earlier. IMHO, I think that will provide enough protection. But you still have to check and clean the forks. I am not a great fan of USD forks for this type of bike - I'd be happy with fork boots and standard forks ...