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forks leaking

  • Thread starter Thread starter Anonymous
  • Start date Start date
A

Anonymous

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I've got 8 oz. of ATF and 8 psi of air in each fork of my 78 GS1000. The seals are only one year old. Went out to the garage the other morning, and there was oil leaking out of the left fork. Had a look at it, can't see anything obvious, maybe too much air or oil, or just a bad seal. I had done a few really nice 2 gear wheelies a few weeks back, no problems then, why now? :? :?
 
Probably just ready for a cleaning.

Probably just ready for a cleaning.

Probably just ready to be cleaned. You could try runing something around the seal to move any dirt, or what ever is making it leak. If that doesn't work you may have to pull the forks off to get them clean, or find out if the seal is blown.
 
When you next check your forks, take a close look at the chromed "upper" legs. If there are significant surface irregularities (pits, scratches, even dried up bugs), you can get leaks from wear points on the seals. I had my seals changed twice by the dealer, and then one started leaking badly again last year, so I decided to do the job myself. During the process I noticed that I had 2 fairly deep scratches on one fork......not through the chrome but deep enough to distinctly feel with a fingernail. I spent a couple of hours smoothing out the scratches then polishing. A year and half, and several thousand miles later, the forks still aren't leaking a drop (fingers crossed).

Once you have spent time and/or money changing fork seals, you should get really motivated to check the chromed part of both fork legs for dirt, grit or bugs after every ride. Neglect of this simple routine can result in premature seal wear and failure.
 
I have been trying to figure out how to only put 8lbs PSI in my forks. I don't even have a gauge that has increments that low. I just click on the big air compressor and watch the PSI meter, and about 2 seconds later when bumps above zero (the next incremented number shown is 15lbs) I turn it off. And I just momentairly press it to the fork. psst. Mine leak only when I slam them really hard once in awhile, but usually only noticed when I am popping wheelies, which is not often with a huge vetter fairing, stereo, and a few tools and stuffed into the pockets.
 
FYI, they do sell guages that read that low - get one, and use a hand pump to fill.
 
I found a little nick on the fork and sanded it with some 320 paper, I'll give it a ride and see what happens, thanks Ric.
 
I run 12 to 15 psi in my forks, no leaking problems. My fork springs are a bit soft tho. I chnaged the seals sometime last century :)
 
The "low pressure" air guage is a must for the forks. And from what I understand, if the forks are imbalanced, it can create unstability in the front end. I need to change the fork oil, but I really watch the front air balance since my bike sat for awhile and want to prevent long term problems with seals.
 
chockypudding said:
I found a little nick on the fork and sanded it with some 320 paper, I'll give it a ride and see what happens, thanks Ric.
Click to expand...

Good luck with the seal-test ride. When I sanded mine with wet&dry, I started with 220, then 620 and finished off with 1200. Topped every thing off with a good chrome polish. Life is more difficult now that fashion has dictated that we can't have the metal shrouds or rubber gaiters covering that vulnerable part of the forks, as we used to in the old days. However, some modern bikes do have little plastic protecters that clip on to the upper part of the outer fork leg, and project up an inch or two to protect the most vulnerable part of the chromed tubes. I keep meaning to look for some for my bike.
 
I use a standard bicycle pump that pumps 6 psi with every stroke. At the moment with new seals and proper oil I am only running 6 per leg and that is plenty stiff enough.
 
Michael Falke said:
I use a standard bicycle pump that pumps 6 psi with every stroke. At the moment with new seals and proper oil I am only running 6 per leg and that is plenty stiff enough.
Click to expand...
When I disassembled the forks to replace the seals, I changed to Progressive Suspension springs.....now I run the forks at 0 psi.
 
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