Fixing fork seals with out installing new seals.

[rockhammer]

Hello

My bike had a leaking fork seal. All the obvious signs were there. I order a new set of seals no line and they arrived. Then I did some more searching on you tube and a product came up called seal mate. It is a little flexible plastic tool that you insert into the forks and then drag around the fork to pull out any dirt. Well I was a bit skeptical but I figured for five dollars I would try it and see if I could avoid a seal swap for now. I tried it today and it works. Pretty simple to use also. So for any one thinking about the seal mate. Just want you to know it worked for me. The principle behind this tool is as you drag it around the fork and through the seal it brings the dirt with it. The dirt is was causes a bad seal most of the time according to the manufacturer. Not sure if that is true because I dont know much about bikes. But either way it worked for me. Just thought I put that out there.

Adios

[chuck hahn]

link...picture? Ebay thing or from a cycle store?

[ThrottleBack]

interesting

http://sealmate.net/

[GateKeeper]

yup, one can make it out of the jug your bleach is in, after it's empty, or even using some old camera film, but in this day and age of digital crap, getting film might be hard for some.....

but for 5 bucks I guess one can't go wrong...

[ThrottleBack]

I sent a picture of it to my dad and he said back in the day he carried a plastic chunk from a soda bottle on enduros to do the same thing.

New to me but as always the old guys knew

[rockhammer]

I bought from this ebay seller and I recommend him. The first one I recieved i damaged and he sent me two more for free. http://www.ebay.com/itm/140818428402...84.m1439.l2649

[rockhammer]

From what I understand I may have received a thinner model. He sent me two that he said are the new style and are a little thicker. Worked like a charm. I have the seals sitting in the tool box to change on day. But I still have the seal mate and it can be re used.

[chucksuki]

and I can make one out of a coke bottle or any piece of plastic trash i have around now that i've seen it. thanks!

[chuck hahn]

I am gonna cut myself one out of a butter bowl lid.

[akckhim]

I've used a business card to do the same works on a dirty seal won't help a cracked or worn seal

[tkent02]

A feeler guage works fine, and you have several thicknesses to choose from.

[chuck hahn]

I cut one out of a butter bowl lid in just a minute or less. I have weapy right seal on the 77 750.. New seals with less than 2,000 miles on them. I was gonna replace them , but I will give this a try first.

[tas850g]

My left fork seal is leaking and I will try this tonight. I looked up in there and didn't see and rips/tears in the seal put don't know if you would necessarily see one anyways. I'll report back my results.

[rockhammer]

Glad this was a help. Let me know how the home made versions of this work.

[SeanMora77]

Just saved me a whole lot of un necessary work. As soon as I saw this last night I cleaned both seals with a random piece of plastic... worked like a charm. THANKS!!