3rd set of fork seals since May?

Hi all.

My fork seals have started leaking once again. I have a really long a drawn out story about getting my bike certified this past spring at a well known shop in Barrie On but I won't get into that now other than as part of the safety they replaced the fork seals that the PO claimed to have changed out weeks prior to my safety. I did not notice any leakage when the shop informed me that the seals needed to be replaced. So they replaced them and two days later I notice fluid and the tell tale dirt ring on the right fork. The shop said that they'd replace them, so that was during the first few weeks of May. Here we are August and both seals are leaking. I have the parts and the forks pulled from the bike and I'm just about to get into the internals. How much fluid should be put back into each fork? I've read 6 inches from the top of the tube without the spring installed? My manual says it's for a VF750 but the fork portion lists everything for a VF700, much difference in the fluid rates between the two bikes?

Thanks

 

Fork specs are the same for the two bikes, same forks. Have you been installing OEM seals ? I do not bash aftermarket seals but have had a few premature failures as of late and have backed up on all of those to factory seals with no further problems.

 

more than likely a nick on the fork tube is cutting the seals... they should last in the 10-20,000 mile range...

 

Yeah I thought this was a little premature. Toe Cutter, the first set of seals I tracked down and brought to the shop to have them replace, I'm not sure what the current set in the forks are, I'm having a bear of time getting the top cap off at the moment. I just picked up another OEM set.

 

Do the old VF's have the anti-dive units on the front forks?

BZ

 

Yes they do.

 

I second what Beta said.
A good inspection of the tube is in order.
Use your fingers as well as your eyes to detect any scratches or grooves in the tubes themselves that could be causing the leaks.

 

So while pulling everything apart I think I may have found the problem, as Beta said a nick on the tube. There's a small nick on the tube behind the seal seat. I also think I know how that could have happened. The seal I just took out doesn't look to be OEM, it's red for one thing and is a little thinner than the black OEM's and while I was pulling on the shaft to get the seal to pop the tube slid straight past the seal leaving it stuck in it's seat. I managed to pick a piece of it out with an awl and pulled the seal out. There are about 3 or 4 small nicks on the wall directly behind the seat.

 

New fork tube time.

 

Good call, Beta.

No sarcasm here - If you run a pair of nylons/stockings around the forks, even the slightest of nicks will usually grab the fibers of the stockings.

 

Thanks for the tip Pliskin. I'm going to hold off on the new tubes I'm nearing the end of riding season here and I'm hoping it'll hold for the next couple of months. I've gotten the okay from my wife to get a cruiser that I've been lusting after for the past year that is more feasible for both of us to head out on together.

 

Just finished taking the right side apart, both tubes also have quite a bit of pitting along the tube. I imagine that's speeding up the breakdown of the seal as well?

 

indeed it probably is, you could try to wet sand them with 2000 grit paper and buff out, if the chrome is gone, you are talking new tubes or a rechrome

 

Buy a new set of tubes if you can, rechrome only if you can't get a new set of tubes.
Hold on to those tubes if they are straight, you may need them one day.

 

Yeh. You can sand them or pick off the blobs of rust with a razor blade and just keep em clean from bugs and chit. Bugs cut your fork seals. My 91 got 70,000 out of the fork seals and they only crapped out when I got bored and changed the fork oil to stock honda stuff. 5 weight maybe? I use 7 Bel-Ray all the time with no issues. If you use your wifes nylons make sure she aint around cause your gona get bopped in the head with a skillet.

 

OK, been there done that. Tired of doing one at a time every couple thousand miles. Anyway, I'm going to replace both tubes, and while its apart I want to change the springs. So my question is... Which springs are you 200+ lb riders using? I'm about 220lbs geared up. ...Or should I just contact Racetech?

 

Sonic Springs, they have a spring rate calculator on their website.

 

I'd be on that shop's owner like a duck on a junebug for not checking out the forks before slapping on new seals. That is just sloppy work.

 

Yep, it pays to do it yourself.
The last time I had anyone do stuff to my bike was when I got new tires put on, I can trust my local tire guy for that.