bah.... i need fork seals too.. why cant they make them

[TheGoodGuy]

more user friendly and easily fixable..

i looked thru the previous threads and searched, lots of useful info..

I think part of the problem for my seals has been that since i came to sacramento, im stuck without a garage, the bike's under a cover. My forks have rust on them (small pits).

So if i do a fork seal change, dont i have to replace that tube or rust proof it? I wont do it right now.. its going to have to wait atleast a little while..i got exams. My biggest issue ... I signed up for doc wongs.. and i hope the seals hold up.. its not too bad, its a small leak i think.. i will post pics later.

[Gisser]

There is a brand of replacement seal known as Leak Proof which are different from standard fork seals in that they float in the fork slider.  One of the design advantages of LP is that they can easily be replaced without disassembling the fork tubes.  Available through MAW, DK, and the like.

[JLKasper]

I guarantee you that if you replace the seals in forks with rust-pitted tubes, they will leak again within days.  The fork tubes are chrome plated, and when they're damaged and the plating is nicked, the steel underneath them rusts.  The chrome erupts around the spot and lacerates the rubber on the new seals.

Your best hope for saving the fork tubes for another year or so is to very gently file each and every little rust pit and imperfection down, so the seals won't get microscopic cuts in them.  You need two things:  a very small, very fine file, and some magnifying glasses.  You can get the files in a kit from Radio Shack, and the glasses are available in hobby shops or Ben Franklins, or other places where women buy needlepoint supplies.

You find a cardboard box that is farily wide and cut v notches in the sides for the fork leg to fit in.  Then, very carefully, inspect every inch of the fork tubes and file down every imperfection.  You only want to take it down to where it's as close to perfectly smooth as possible; only file down the eruptions on the chrome.  Take your time and be thorough.  When you're finished, the surface of the tubes won't be perfectly round and some oil may seep past when sliding past them, but the thin layer of oil will serve as a rust preventative.  Patience is the key, grasshopper...

[hehehemann]

There is a brand of replacement seal known as Leak Proof which are different from standard fork seals in that they float in the fork slider.  One of the design advantages of LP is that they can easily be replaced without disassembling the fork tubes.  Available through MAW, DK, and the like.

My front right fork leaks too, whats the verdict on putting on these replacement seals as opposed to the stock seals I was going to buy?

[che mike]

i overhauled my forks this weekend. warning: what follows is a good example of what NOT to do.

my stanchions had rust on them where they fit into the yokes, and they had specks of rust in the area above the oil seals. they were leaking like crazy. the old fork oil was disgusting! opaque gray sludge.

first, i wanted to clean off the rust. i thought a sharpening stone would do it well, since it would take off the raised edges, but it scratched up the stanchion visibly. doh! and my first stroke with it was right in the oil seal area of the stanchion. that'll teach me.

so, plan was to put JB weld on the stanchions at the rust spots to try to fill them in. i mixed some JB weld up and put it on the stanchion; i used a plastic edge to spread the stuff evenely on the fork. i was hoping it wouldn't adhere to the chrome but stick to the bare spots. after it cured i used acetone to wipe any dirt off and ended up wiping all the JB weld away as well. probably for the best, i guess.

so what i ended up doing was using 600 grit sandpaper and water to wet sand the stanchions. it left small surface scratches but got most of the rusty spots cleaned up well. as bad as my forks were leaking before, this'll be an improvement. i just have to wipe the thin layer of oil (and any dirt) from the forks after every ride.

probably should've used the aluminum foil and wd-40.

[Bluebellylint]

$0.02
Seams like its time to get new forks. Those fixes would only be temporary at best and be a real pain in the ass.

[che mike]

probably should get new forks. oh well. i'm a new rider sorting out my 89 gs and i'd rather keep the bike running so i can ride!

i forgot to mention that i made a fork damper bolt tool out of an M16 bolt and 2 nuts, with red loctite to hold the nuts on. i still needed a socket wrench extender to get in there, so a long piece of threaded rod with nuts on either end would've been better. 5/8" american threads/nuts would work as well.

i also made a tool to mount the upper bush and seals, but i don't have the dimensions handy.

edit: also, the fork top bolts were very rusted. i think the '89 is the only model with the plastic caps to the top bolts. does anyone use them? have experience with them? on mine they seem to have trapped water and caused the rust to the top bolts. they were really chewed up and pitted on the top side.

edit again: at least my steering head bearings were good! i regreased them as well this weekend and i am very glad i won't have to look at them again for years.

[Gisser]

There is a brand of replacement seal known as Leak Proof which are different from standard fork seals in that they float in the fork slider.  One of the design advantages of LP is that they can easily be replaced without disassembling the fork tubes.  Available through MAW, DK, and the like.

My front right fork leaks too, whats the verdict on putting on these replacement seals as opposed to the stock seals I was going to buy?

There is no unanimous verdict.  They worked for me, but then I did good prep work and shimmed to spec.  Another poster gave up on them.     

You pays your money and you takes your chances.  Or, you can stick with the OEM stuff.