Anyone Have A Seal Doctor To Loan?

Joined
Mar 10, 2006
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Casa Grande, AZ
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ST1300
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2730
My left front fork seal started leaking on my return trip home from Montana in 115 degree heat around Las Vegas.I purchased the ST1300 from a first owner who replaced the fork seals at 19,000 & 23,000 miles. I just turned 52,000 and they need it again? Don't believe it!

This is my 2nd ST 1300 (had two ST1100's), five Gold Wings and only one Gold Wing needed a fork seal at 50,000+ miles.
I think I would like to attempt a clean out first.

LeeU
Casa Grande, AZ
 

T_C

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St. Louis, MO
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You can make your own out of an old piece of 35mm film stocck, or the clear plastic that is used to package things, like the bubbles that are glued on the cardboard with the merchandise underneath.
 

mlheck

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Also make sure you check the fork for a nick that has raised an edge. This will tear the seal and also causes a leak.
 

skipcurt

Skip
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FYI...after I replaced my seals from a leak I installed neoprene fork boots to protect the exposed metal from what mlheck is speaking of.
Just my .02

Skip
 
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35 mm film negatives are gettingharder to find. Can't use digital fotos to fix seal leaks. :D
 
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A regular cleaning of your sliding tube with WD-40 will do wonders.... Dried bug guts can and will make their way under the seal eventually causing a leak..
 

ScubaDave

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35 mm film negatives are gettingharder to find. Can't use digital fotos to fix seal leaks. :D
George, You can always buy a disposable camera and smash it open..Don't ask how I know.. LOL
 
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Why borrow when you can just buy one? Mine fixes every leak I have had on 4 bikes.
 
Joined
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Just found a puddle of tranny fluid under the left rear shock on GLoria. Doubt the film strip will fix it. I have another set of seals, but just changed'em about 6 weeks. ago. :(
 
Joined
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Ga.
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Honda ST1300
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Iv'e been reading the suspension forum for an hour or so now and I am seeing a common denominator. Over and over it's the left front fork that is leaking prematurely. At least 5 times in the first 3 or 4 pages of the suspension forum. Im' here also because my left front is leaking at 12k miles. I need a "Suspension For Dummies" book. The more I read the confused'er I get..:confused:
 
Joined
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I think most seals leak when the fork tube gets a ding in it from a rock. Maybe you are more likely to get peppered by rocks flung up from on-coming traffic, which is to your left? Or possibly because the sidestand is on the left the oil is more likely to run to the outside of the fork leg and be more visible as you approach the bike? There's nothing mechanically different within the damping mechanism and fork system between the two legs.

If you don't have a seal doctor, you can also use a very fine feeler gauge to do the same job.
 

SupraSabre

48 Years of SoCal Lane Splitting/Commuting-Retired
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Interesting... In the 325+K miles over five running ST1300s, I have had one seal go bad on me. And that was the 05, after about 85K.

To be fair, I replaced the fork seals on the 2010 (actually replaced the forks) around 19K and same on the 2004#2 before I got it registered.

I did both bikes (10 & 04) at the same time.
 
Joined
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Interesting... In the 325+K miles over five running ST1300s, I have had one seal go bad on me. And that was the 05, after about 85K.

To be fair, I replaced the fork seals on the 2010 (actually replaced the forks) around 19K and same on the 2004#2 before I got it registered.

I did both bikes (10 & 04) at the same time.
I fashioned a seal doc from a very thin plastic sheet and I confess the fork tube is not as wet after wiping it dry and riding a few miles. I had to use it with the dust caps in place because I was afraid to raise them up out of the way. They are cracked almost every quarter inch all the way around. My leak isn't running onto the brakes yet. It's just fluid droplets in the area the shock travels. I see seal replacement in my near future.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

SupraSabre

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For those of you that have had fork seals failures, how often do you "Wash" your bikes?

:think1:
 

SupraSabre

48 Years of SoCal Lane Splitting/Commuting-Retired
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I probably wash 2-4x/ yr. Mostly depends on how many long interstate trips I do and/or riding in heavy rain.

Skip
Then that would also depend on how much riding you are actually doing too.

But, maybe that's where the failed seals are coming from...too much dirt on the fork legs (just from sitting in the garage they will get dust on them).

You might want to clean those fork legs at a more often rate, if you don't want to wash your bike that much.
 
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