Skip to main content
English French German Italian Spanish

Fork leak

After updating a Roadholder fork with new stanchions, bushings, paper gaskets and oil seals, one fork leg leaks. It is leaking out between the seal holder and the slider. Never had that problem before on any forks I've worked with. Thread seems quite Ok, maybe not as tight as I remember from other other forks. Any ideas what can be wrong and how to fix it.

Mike

Permalink

Try a smear of silicon rtv around the seal and the threads of the seal holder. I tighten my seal holders using a jubilee clip with a thick piece of rubber under it. I then tighten it using an exhaust rose c spanner on the 'screw' of the clip.

Cheers,

Ian.

Permalink

You may find that silicon on the fork seal holder threads makes it impossible to remove later. Try just putting silicon on the outside of the fork seal

Paul

Permalink

Yep, PTFE tape works as well. Warming the alloy leg up with a blowtorch helps a lot when unscrewing the seal holders.

Cheers,

Ian.

Permalink

Yes - I remember it well!! - readers may recall that I had to take the forks to an engineerring shop and even they were just about ready to give up when I told them "just go for it - there's nothing to lose", thus they applied tremendous force and were rewarded by large cracking noises from both forks when the seals 'let go'. Suffice to say, when I reassembled them I cleaned the holder threads carefully and applied Coppaslip. It may help the next owner ... .

Permalink

Mine do this so have taken to applying a smear of silicone sealant on the threads (they undo easily), on the sides of seal and oilseal seat. Not quite on track but still associated with leaking seals is that of the two suppliers of std seals currently sold its the NAK items that seal better to stanchions, mostly due to the fact they are a tighter fit. I've just replaced two newish seals with older and well used NAKs. Even with 6000 miles on them the NAKs are tighter by about 005" on diameter, not much I know but its noticeable. I've binned the old ones and I cannot remember the name..I did tell the supplier but they didnt give my theory much credence. All I can say is it wasnt AN or Norvil.

 


Norton Owners Club Website by 2Toucans