Fork Fluid Leak?

wjbertrand

Ventura Highway
Joined
Feb 8, 2005
Messages
4,420
Location
Ventura, CA
It worked!

Just used a small screw driver to stretch the dust cover...<snip>...
:eek: Next time don't touch the tube with anything like a screwdriver, lest you create a ding or scratch on the fork tube that damages the seal and starts it leaking again. This time a seal saver won't help. A much better practice would be to pry the dust seal up out of the lower leg and then slide it up out of your way and keep hard tools away!
 
Joined
Jul 12, 2010
Messages
45
Location
Central Oregon
Bike
1997 ST1100
STOC #
8440
I dont clean out the seals after every ride. Just after noticing a leak.
A total seal blow out this will not solve...a small leak it may. Most small leaks dont loose a lot of fluid. Just enough to collect some dust around the seal area.

x2 on not prying on the dust seal just pop/slide it up out of the way!
 
Joined
Nov 29, 2007
Messages
13
Location
Northern Indiana-Merrillville
Bike
2005 ST1300
Glad it worked! I always pry the dust covers up then clean the area real well under the dust cover, then do the negative trick.
Sometimes the leaks come back...sometimes they dont!:biker:
Yes it came back after a long ride in the rain, I,ll pull both them apart and replace seals,bushings, and fluid when I get back home.
 
Joined
Nov 29, 2007
Messages
13
Location
Northern Indiana-Merrillville
Bike
2005 ST1300
I see an issue with the 'clean the debris out' method.

By cleaning after every buggy ride you'd keep them clean; but, I don't think cleaning after noticing a leak will keep your forks working properly.
Now you do not know how much fork oil is in the fork...
Yes I thought of that I was just hoping I wouldn't half to cancel the trip to get parts to fix it right.
 
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