Leaking fork AGAIN?

[toyopete]

Hello Biker Friends,
for the second time in one year my right frontfork is leaking, the first time I had them both changed, anyway  just had it changed some weeks ago and its not as bad as the first time but the dust and oil shows up in rings on the leg.what can be wrong?
also will this influence the stability?

[werase643]

1  Keep an eye on the leakage.  if it appears excessive....centerstand/block of wood/ pull caps and check level/fill if needed.
2  there is probably still a nick in the replacement tube.....when you replace the seal....look for it and address the problem
3  only really bad leaking seal problem is if the fluid leaks onto the brake pads

good luck

[surf.seppo]

I've got this problem too. Newly leaking left fork on my GS after the winter. Maybe a drop or two hits the ground every other day. How hard is it to swap seals? What type of oil should I use? (Or is this tricky, and should I just take mine in to the dealer)?

[ben2go]

I've got this problem too. Newly leaking left fork on my GS after the winter. Maybe a drop or two hits the ground every other day. How hard is it to swap seals? What type of oil should I use? (Or is this tricky, and should I just take mine in to the dealer)?

It's fairly simple.You just need to make a special tool.Don't worry the tool is simple.

http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=16318.0

[beRto]

Hello Biker Friends,
for the second time in one year my right frontfork is leaking, the first time I had them both changed, anyway  just had it changed some weeks ago and its not as bad as the first time but the dust and oil shows up in rings on the leg.what can be wrong?
also will this influence the stability?

I just replaced my fork oil seals last week; so far no leaks.    If your new seals are leaking, you should look for pitting on the fork tubes. Rust or pitting could be damaging the seals. If this is the problem, the fork tubes may need to be replaced.

Is it possible that the new seals were installed upside down?

I'm not sure leaky seals would influence stability, but you should fix them anyways. As mentioned, you don't want fork oil on your front brakes. 

[toyopete]

Thanx Friends,

I have no pits from stones in the frontforks, don't know if there mounted wrong,.
the first time the oil was hitting the brake pads, terrible! ( actually I bought it like that and my former bike was a SV 1000 N wich brakes fantastic. )
anyway Ill keep an eye on it and will go back to the shop for guarantee...

[MArkRD]

What a coincidence. Last week i found out that my left fork seal starts to leak also. It's in there for 6 months (9000 km) with 15 w oil and progressiv springs. hmmm. 
Is it possible that the left seal wears out faster because of the disc brake?

[bucks1605]

There may be some light pitting on the inner fork tube. That's often the cause of a leaky seal.

[The Buddha]

If it lasted 6 momths it prolly isn't pitting on the tube. However seals only compensate for a very very small amount of shrinkage or wear of the tube. Like under .1mm or maybe even less.
If your tube is at the wear limit, nothing you can do. I am experimenting with some industrial crap made to weird specs, but I am unable to get much done due to the fact that I want 1, or 2 not 20,000.
Anyway, I'll post about it as I find out. But dont hold your breath.
And the brake fitted to one leg may induce a weird bit of wear you cannot even see or measure but it can shrink it enough to ruin it. Possible. Nice theorising MarKRD. True or not ... no clue, tear it down and measure it very very accurately ...
Cool.
Buddha.

[MArkRD]

Hhmm. I'm curious about that industrial "crap" of yours.    I've just checked the inner tubers but there as good as new. No pitting or whatever. Would a reinforced fork brace have any improvement? 
Anyway, i have to replace the seals so i'll also check if there is any play in the fork assy and then go from there. I hate a bad front-end.

[The Buddha]

I have 2-3 people today suggest some theories, one of them swears he is right.
1. 1 disc = heat, that heat kills everythign on that side. <------- This was from a hardcore dirt racer from the 80's-90's. He said KX's he raced always killed the brake side, it was well known apparently.
2. Wears a little oblong, you can never tell where is and it cant be fixed.
3. The slider bushings needs to be replaced as well.
4. The seals are best from factory, replacements never are as good no matter what.

Anyway I have katana FE's that have use on them but no leaks, my virago isn't leaking but my maxim is but from both legs, and they are all 2 disc systems.
Anyway I have a katana FE I am selling converted with new bearings for the GS.
Pics and for sale post comming up.
Cool.
Buddha.

[08GSSteve]

+1 on rusty or pitted fork tube.  a spec of rust or pit smaller than the eye can see will shred a new fork seal in no time.

run fingers round the seal and up the fork and feel for anything that feels like a grain of sand.  If so you will need to gently remove the rust and then highly polish area.

[toyopete]

Okay guy's.
it got worse much worse, was just to late to avoid leaking on the disk, shaZam! and it was breaking so fine.
went back to my dealer who send me home, told me it is a bad seal deliverd by the importer, so I have to get in touch with them.
is it possible that in a former life the bike had hit someting like a car bent the frontfork a bit?
cannot feel any pits, anyway not in the part that go's down inside..

[The Buddha]

Maybe various reasons. I am testing out some theories. I will post back next week.
Cool.
Buddha.

[beRto]

Okay guy's.
it got worse much worse, was just to late to avoid leaking on the disk, shaZam! and it was breaking so fine.
went back to my dealer who send me home, told me it is a bad seal deliverd by the importer, so I have to get in touch with them.
is it possible that in a former life the bike had hit someting like a car bent the frontfork a bit?
cannot feel any pits, anyway not in the part that go's down inside..

And you're sure the seal was not installed upside down? If you remove the dust cap, can you see a circular spring exposed on the seal underneath? An upside down seal will leak:
http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=29706.msg322084#msg322084

[yamahonkawazuki]

I've got this problem too. Newly leaking left fork on my GS after the winter. Maybe a drop or two hits the ground every other day. How hard is it to swap seals? What type of oil should I use? (Or is this tricky, and should I just take mine in to the dealer)?

It's fairly simple.You just need to make a special tool.Don't worry the tool is simple.

http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=16318.0

ive swapped teh seals without dismantling the forks. ( those rings under the dustcaps that is)

[The Buddha]

Yamahon ... you dont have to take them off the bike, but you're doing 99% of the work. By the time you fill oil and check its level, all you didn't do was remove the 4 bolts in the lower and upper triples. The thing needs to be cleaned ... and that is always best done in a washer or a trough with gasoline and PB blaster ... 
OK gettting it to slide back on is a bit of extra work ... I'll grant you that, the headlight ears and the whole aligning thing is a bit of a struggle. Now that shouldn't be a problem for F's and faired bikes as well as most honda's ... or even most cruisers ... heck except for a small section of suzuki's no one uses the flappy ears on the forks like the GS.
I'd say just the extra 1-2% of the work gives you maybe like 10% better seal work. 
I have seen people do them on the bike also and I just dont think you gain a whole lot.
Cool.
Buddha.

[toyopete]

Hello Friends,
thanx for all the help, but I think Ime going to check out another Suzuki garage, possibly the other garage was a prutser it will cost me about 150 reais.
I simply don't have the time to do it myself ( I have to repaint the left and right engine side and the exhausts when I have time )
at this moment the fork is not leaking anymore probably because the oil is gone.
Ime sure it will influencethe stability and braking, after all oil is not there for nothing.

anyway

Ill keep you posted thanx you all

[The Buddha]

Yea oil all getting out is a sure way to stop the leaking  .
BTW I am working on a fork set that has apparently lost both spring and fluid column, If your forks are compressing to ~1-1.5 inches off the lower triple I'd call that as a bottoming out situation. Internally its got bottomed out.
Cool.
Buddha.

[toyopete]

the front fork is not in the "down" position yet  like my old yamaha 900 with air suspension used to be, every few weeks I had to pump them up again.
I just wonder,
wouldn't it be better to drain the oil out from the other leg as wel, to make it even and possibly more stabel?