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General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> leaking fork seals - heat or old seals
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Message started by impi on 08/25/16 at 19:17:28

Title: leaking fork seals - heat or old seals
Post by impi on 08/25/16 at 19:17:28

I have had this motorcycle for a few months and did not notice any leaks from the front fork seals. Recently it started leaking a little on each side (TOP) and runs all the way down the front forks. and drips on the ground. My wife does not not ride much. Can it be the heat - Arizona - closed garage - 115 degrees or do I need to replace the seals.

Thanks

Title: Re: leaking fork seals - heat or old seals
Post by stewmills on 08/25/16 at 19:45:53

What is the age and mileage of your bike?

Title: Re: leaking fork seals - heat or old seals
Post by norm92de on 08/25/16 at 19:56:58

When a bike is not ridden frequently the fork seals can dry out.
They will then leak for a few miles until they swell up again.
Also it is possible that dirt has got under the lips of the seals. In which case you can clean them very easily.
Go to You Tube for the procedure to clean them. I have had success with cleaning the seals. Good luck. :)

Title: Re: leaking fork seals - heat or old seals
Post by Gary_in_NJ on 08/26/16 at 05:15:04

Norm gave you the right answer. If the forks are leaking due to dirt you can clear the debris from the seal by using a thin, smooth, piece of plastic (like your health insurance card) as a tool. Curl the card slightly (length-wise) and insert the card past the wiper and into the fork seal. Move the card around with a lifting motion to extract the debris/dirt.

If the leak persists you will need new seals. Going forward, keep the sliders clean. In order to clean the entire surface you will need to extend the forks to their stops.

Title: Re: leaking fork seals - heat or old seals
Post by Wake51 on 08/26/16 at 06:54:02

+1 for cleaning!

My left fork seal sprung a minor leak. I thought, "Oh boy, here comes a fun project." But then I saw the recommendation to clean them. Fixed the issue 100%. Replacing the fork seals would have actually been an indirect fix to the problem, as I'm sure the crud would have been removed as a side effect when replacing the seals.

There is a tool called "Seal Mate" you can use to do the job as well as a guide in the tech section. The tool was sold out all across town when I looked for it, but you can easily cut one out for yourself out of pretty much any piece of thing plastic. I used a file folder from Target.

Title: Re: leaking fork seals - heat or old seals
Post by impi on 08/26/16 at 17:19:40

Thanks for the great advice. Answering the question. Its a 2000 Savage with 7000 miles. I will try cleaning them. Thanks again everybody