Pitted Forks

[UnSaniTiZ]

So one of my fork seals was leaking. I pulled the fork from the bike and there are tiny pits. I just want to know if tiny pits mean the tube needs replacing or rechroming, or if they are too small to matter. Some are about the diameter of a strand of hair. The largest is maybe the size of some mechanical pencil lead. There's no rust. I tried sanding them away with emery cloth / 1000 grit paper soaked in oil, but that seems to have done nothing but ruin the finish.

Thanks,
-UnSaniTiZ

[The Buddha]

Chroming or whatever will cost you 2-3 times what a set of forks will cost you. I'll sell you my ready to bolt Kat 600 FE with a straight bolt in top triple which will take the GS dash and the ignition lock etc etc and the steering stop works 100%, as in, it was ground, cut, turned down, milled and welded, no spacers and BS, with your FE as trade for $500. I have new bearings too in mine. Its done well and done right, and looks like it came from the factory not someone's backyard. Yea, headlight ears - takes the GS ones that I modded. May have to buy grommets off a Bandit 1200, though I have it stuffed with the GS ones. They sure felt like they are tight. You also get the wheel, disks, the calipers and master cyl, and I'd need all of those off a GS.
Cool.
Srinath.

[UnSaniTiZ]

I appreciate the offer but hopefully I can find a used of GS forks for cheaper. I don't really have 500 to throw for a new front end atm. 

Thanks though,
-UnSaniTiZ

[RichDesmond]

So one of my fork seals was leaking. I pulled the fork from the bike and there are tiny pits. I just want to know if tiny pits mean the tube needs replacing or rechroming, or if they are too small to matter. Some are about the diameter of a strand of hair. The largest is maybe the size of some mechanical pencil lead. There's no rust. I tried sanding them away with emery cloth / 1000 grit paper soaked in oil, but that seems to have done nothing but ruin the finish.

Thanks,
-UnSaniTiZ

I've always used extra fine steel wool to smooth out the pits. How well it works depends on how big they are. If I were you I'd do the best I could with the steel wool (they will still be visible, you're trying to smooth the edges, not make them disappear completely) and then put everything back together. You've got about a 50/50 chance that they won't leak.

[UnSaniTiZ]

I might try that. I am just a little afraid of ruining new OEM dust/oil seals... I wasn't sure if sanding is to smooth the edges of the pits or to remove them completely.

I guess it'll be cheaper than buying new forks...

Thanks,
-UnSaniTiZ

[ajaxgs]

what about using crocus cloth.... very fine compared to emery cloth

[The Buddha]

You can sand it till you're blue in the face, you can in fact take it to a crankshaft polishing place and have them use their softest item and the mofo will still leak. The damn thing is just barely at the tolerance limit for oil seals when new. Say it can be .001 under to .05 over, the thing is right about .0001 under. I wish we can get 1st under size and 2nd under size and even smaller seals and dust covers and bushings.
Cool.
Srinath.

[UnSaniTiZ]

Well, doing the best I can with a sharpening stone and emery cloth/sandpaper to smooth out the edges. I think most of the pits do not come into contact with the seal during compression anyway. We'll see what happens after a few rides.

Thanks,
-UnSaniTiZ

[beRto]

Any chance you can get before and after pictures? (or at least "after")? 

[UnSaniTiZ]

Sorry no pics, but it doesn't look too bad. I've ridden about 32 miles so far, and so far, no oil is leaking. Of course, new oil won't be brown/black initially so it might be hard to tell. I'll keep checking after every ride until I've gone about 200 miles. After that I'll check less frequently. I think most of the pits/scratches do not come into contact during compression, so hopefully I'll be ok.

Here's how I sanded. First I used a sharpening stone and tried to get off all the sharp edges, then I used some fine emery cloth. Moved up to 600 grit sand paper, then 1000, then 1500. Afterwards it looked about the same, but the sanded parts have lost their mirror shine.

Thanks,
-UnSaniTiZ