Fork Seals

[oceanvibe]

I have just noticed that one of my fork seals has given up the ghost, the thing is that they were replaced 6 weeks ago, (3 trials and about 4 hours of practice a week) fitted properly with a special seating tool. When I pulled up my dealer about it he just said that there is always a problem with GG seals and they never last. Is he B.Sing me cause he has sold me cheap seals or is this the case. Some how I think I have been fobbed off so he doesn't have to replace them.

Anyone else had the same problem with seals only lasting 6 weeks.

Edited July 14, 2005 by oceanvibe

[ikb]

Are the top dust covers in good nick? And it helps if you put a bit of grease between the dust cover and the seal.

Ian

[jarvis sherco]

well,i had a friend who had nothing but trouble with his fork seals,i told him,go and buy the right seals for the bike,and new oil,when you get the new seals,take out the spring,if you look closley,you'll see the spring has two ends,you have too twist the spring two diffrent was,then it becomes one length,cut about 3 or 4mm off the end thats not pionted,then twist it back together.use PJ1 OIL.this oil reacts with the rubber.no more leeks.i hope this is of some help,ok m8t.BIG BEN.

[jonty]

In my experience around 3-4 months is a good life for Gas Gas fork seals. They certainly seem to wear out quicker than on other bikes.

[g4321]

Check if there is any damage on the fork leg.

Do you spray the bike with WD40 or similar and if so does this get on to the fork leg - this can cause problems - or so I've been told!

Fit a set of old fashioned fork gaitors or thoes neoprene protectors along with new seals and dust seals.

Gaitors don't look cool but who cares it they save you changing seals every few months.

[jools]

My dad took his forks off his Gasser and sent them to Al the spanner at Whitebros. He stripped them down, made some tougher sanctions etc r-built them sent them back to us in about a week. that was back in 1999 and its still on the same fork seals!! Dont know how much he charged. we had the same problem with fork seals last anything from 4 weeks to 3 months tops. Give him a call. Shirty told us to speak to him, excellent service, quick turn around. he even phoned us up to see what grade oil we wanted putting back in.

[lastplacebrad]

Ihave had these on me last 3 bikes and never done a seal since !clicky

[ronm]

If the seals are leaking so soon, there is probably a nick on the tubes. This must be found and stoned down. A ceramic stone is good to use since it will cut the raised metal, bit will not cut the coating. Checking the tubes for nicks is part of the seal replacement process that should not be overlooked. The tip about shortening the garter spring when fitting seals is absolutely a good one. I always do it. WD 40 will not hurt fork seals.

Hope this helps.

[jtt]

oceanvibe, I agree with Ron, check carefully for tiny nick and polish them out carefully.

Also when replacing fork seals, always replace the dust wiper with them. That little dust seal does wonders at keeping dirt out of the seal.

In many cases fork seal leaks are not caused by damaged seals. A small speck of dirt often gets past the dust seal and slips under the oil seal, creating the leak. Remember those oil seals are intended to keep the oil in, not grit out. That's the job of the dust seal and why it's so important. Before replacing your seals, first try cleaning them out. Cleaning technique

This technique works wonders in many cases, although can take a few tries to get it right sometimes. It is a good idea to drain, flush and refill the fork with fresh oil afterwards, as often the grit you removed is moved into the fork, where it can possible create more wear.

One more thing....never put your bike away dirty. Mud and such can dry onto the fork tube, then the next time you move the bike, this dirt is forced through the seal, often damaging it. This is the single biggest reason for true seal damage. At least wipe the forks down after a ride, particularly after mud riding (although I know you guys in the UK never see mud )

oh, by the way, there's nothing wrong with the GG seals. In fact you'll probably find they are manufactured by the same folks that make everyone elses seals. Blaming the seal is a very poor excuse in almost all cases of fork seal leaks in any brand.

Edited July 16, 2005 by JTT

[charliechitlins]

Chucking the fork tube in a lathe and smoothing it with some #600 emery makes them oh-so-nice, and your seals will last longer.

This can be done by hand, but it takes longer.

[oceanvibe]

Thanks again for all the replies and various tips. I work with hydraulics so I know the routine. Great idea about the oily sponge between the wiper and seal. When I changed them there were no nickes etc. but will have a good look this time.

[hoodie2]

what year is your bike? before Gas Gas started using Marzochi forks they're own ones were not that well made. Often the machining of the lower leg was poor and the bush holder was made oversize. Take each fork leg off the bike, clamp the lower leg in a vice, grab the end of the stanchion and check for lateral play at the bush. I had this problem on my 01 TXT. The stanchion moved around in the bush until it opened up the seal. Al the spanner advised me how to modify the bush to take up the play. You have to build up solder on the outer side of the bush and then machine or sand the surface down until you get the right tolerance. It can take a while but it will fix the problem. After I did it I ran the same seals for 3 years. Prior to that they lasted three months. The problem was common. Lots of guys just resigned themselves to changing the seals regularly or hiding the problem behind gaiters.

Good luck.

[scorpa3]

My nephew had a '01 200 GG and we had to change the seals on that three times in 15 months.

Bike was always cleaned after use and the stanchions were in perfect condition. However, the WD40 idea may have been the cause, I never considered that one. Our bikes are always coated with the stuff after each wash. Including the forks. Will have to look out for that.

[subira]

Use the Athena OEM seals from Vesty - much better than std.