Cleaning Up Front Forks

[cowboyup3371]

I took my forks apart today (see my 81 GS550T in Co Sprgs Project thread for pictures) and found some grime, possible rust, and some black marks that I want to clean up before putting in the new seals. According to Basscliff's site and a couple of threads I found, I can use sandpaper, emory cloth, or steel wool but there didn't seem to be a consensus as to what grit.

Can I use some carb/brake cleaner on the inner tubes and then run something over it? If so, what grit for sandpaper or what size for the steel wool?

Also, if I run a mirror down the outer tube and find stuff there, how do I clean it up?

Thanks.

[TheCafeKid]

It's doubtful there's any pitting in the lowers on the inside. They're pretty much coated with oil. The black marks and such you're seeing in your upper tubes is likely pitting from exposure. Anything above you're lower clamp I'd simply clean up and run some 0000 wool over. Anything in the lower portion of the tube you're going to want to assure you remove any edge from. Pitting leaves tiny burrs and edges in the metal that will nick up your seal/wiper and can cause pre-mature leakage. I'd suggest using a fine Jewelers file and a light hand on the edges of these pits, and finish it with a light grain steel wool. The other side of the coin here is, where-ever there is a pit that will move past the seal when the fork compresses, is where the oil will be allowed to pass the seal when it decompresses. I think Posplayr did a thread on filling those pits with an epoxy based resin, but you need to be careful and patient in assuring that you sand out the resin to be completely flush with the tube surface.
I am not, so I've never bothered. I either live with the slight amount of oil that may pass, or find different fork uppers if they're that bad.

[cowboyup3371]

Thanks TCK. I picked some steel wool up tonight and will give it a go this week.