Fork Seals - personal opinions?

[Snow]

I've searched the forums and heard good things about both Yamaha OEM fork seals and Leak Proof seals. I just put in the partsnmore fork seals about a week ago, and one is already leaking. Of course, I didn't think to use emory cloth on the fork uppers until after I had already ridden her a few miles...

So, any thoughts on seals? Are the "Pro-Moly" seals much better than the regular leak-proof? I don't want changing my seals to be a weekly thing here!

Also, anyone heard about small time mods just replacing the forks, but keeping everything else?

[Mike Hart]

Use the OEM seals (IMO). If you want proof of a leak, use leak proof

I have heard of people who got good results from leakproof, but heard of more who didn't.

emory cloth? you mean your tubes are pitted? that will ruin any brand fork seal...

[Snow]

I've got a little bit of pitting on both forks, about the same on both - but my right one is and has been fine, just the left giving me troubles

[uk1.1s]

Fork seals

Snow - I used original Yam about a month ago purely as the aftermarkets that I could get my hands on didn't even fit!!!

Still in and still sealing.

Check out the stanchions for any rough parts in the pitting - if there's a possibility that they could tear the seal lip Sods Law says that they will.

[Snow]

I am trying to win a set of forks and triple tree on e-bay right now, as I have had..significant problems in the past on my GS750T due to fork problems (very nasty accident)... I am very determined that I have perfectly working forks.

There is a bit of pitting on both of my forks, I guess what you call the stanchions or inner fork tubes? Looks like I will be ordering a set of Genuine Yamaha fork seals for good measure payday.

[bikerhawk]

The factory seals are worth it. The same thing happened to me with K&S seals that were listed for an XS11, but they sure didn't fit an XS11. So I spent a whopping 2-3 bucks more and I'm very happy.

Now, to find a cheap head gasket...

[Geezer]

I’ve got a fork seal replacement Q for youse guys. I'm suffering from air tool withdrawal and I find that many tasks that were easy with an air wrench in my hand are nearly impossible without one. Until I get an air compressor that will drive my air tools, how in the hell do you remove the Allen bolts in the bottom of the fork tubes?

Geezer

[xssiveone]

I used a wooden dowl, think it was 3/4"... not sure without checking it. Put a slight taper on one end and then drive it into the stantion tube(?) inside the fork lower. Held it with a large pair of pliers while I loosened the bolt. You can also use a long bolt with a nut welded onto the bottom, think I recall it being 17mm, but not 100% sure on the size. And finally, someone suggested leaving the fork assembled and loosening them first. The pressure from the springs will help hold the stantion while you loosen the bolt.

[Geezer]

I left the springs in but once the bolt broke loose all it would to is spin in the hole. I'll try a dowl.

I used to put a jack under the engine and spin out the bolt with an air wrench with the fork legs still in the tripple clamps. After the seal was replaced and the fork leg was all cleaned up, Id put some silicone sealer around the bolt head, put it back in the hole, add oil and reattach. All with out pulling the fork cap.

Geezer

Originally posted by xssiveone
I used a wooden dowl, think it was 3/4"... not sure without checking it. Put a slight taper on one end and then drive it into the stantion tube(?) inside the fork lower. Held it with a large pair of pliers while I loosened the bolt. You can also use a long bolt with a nut welded onto the bottom, think I recall it being 17mm, but not 100% sure on the size. And finally, someone suggested leaving the fork assembled and loosening them first. The pressure from the springs will help hold the stantion while you loosen the bolt.

[sixtysix]

Originally posted by Geezer
I’ve got a fork seal replacement Q for youse guys. I'm suffering from air tool withdrawal and I find that many tasks that were easy with an air wrench in my hand are nearly impossible without one. Until I get an air compressor that will drive my air tools, how in the hell do you remove the Allen bolts in the bottom of the fork tubes?

Geezer

I have a 'special tool' made up that is a 5/8 bolt (I think) it has 3/4 inch head (or 19mm) that is welded to a T handle. It holds the inside from spinning while you get the allen head out.

I had leak-proof seals and they lasted 5 years, I just put in factory seals to replace them, just to try them. Both work well if the forks are not pitted. If you can rub your hands on the pits with out feeling them, they are OK, but each pit produces a silver of chrome and a sharp edge that had to be removed. I had aset of forks on my Venture that took about an hour per fork with a dremmel and a polishing wheel to lightly buff all the rughness out of the pits.

Emory cloth is too rough, they make a special type that is super fine, but I can't think of the name of it right now.

[fusionking]

Croecus(?) clothe?

[fusionking]

I got lucky on my seals, I just walked into my local buddy's bike shop with old seal in hand. He had a fair selection of them and just what I needed. I put the tubes in first then used a piece of PVC pipe to drive them in and they fit perfectly. That PVC pipe deal is the best way to keep from damaging anything and it fit so perfectly you would think they designed it for that purpose! My pits were more at the top end of my tubes. Lucky I guess. I cleaned them up good and shot a little silver paint on them to hide the pits then sanded them down, hoping the paint would fill the pits sorta camaflouge like. Well it didn't work like I had hoped for in the looks department but so far they have perfomed satisfactory. Also this week I got my tkat fork brace and put it on but haven't got a chance to ride with it. I wanted to polish it to match my forks but decided no more projects just keep maintaining and tweeking while staying able to ride on a moments notice. You just never know when it might become very necessary! Garry

[sixtysix]

Originally posted by fusionking
Croecus(?) clothe?

Yep!! Thanks! That is what you need to polish burrs from forks.

3M Crocus Cloth-
This emery cloth is for very fine metal finishing.

[Geezer]

I found a chrome shop in Vancouver, Washington that will replate fork tubes and while I'm sure it's much cheaper than new ones, it's still a little pricy.

I have enough parts bikes that I have unblemished fork tubes for the XS11's I'm fixing up. It was a close call on my 80 special (I just got another Special in trade and it has good forks) The Special has that weird front end on it. I don't know what the hell the Yamaha engineers were thinking when they designed it. It also has those stupid pivioting caliper front brakes. I'll stop now but I can rant on and on about this...

This is one of thes tasks that I used to do all the time when I was a Yamaha mechanic but I'm not having to learn to do without shop tools. I ended up taking the last set over to a bike shop and paying a mechanic $5 to spin the screws out with an air wrench. An aircompresser is high on my "get list" right now.

I didn't know (or long ago forgot) about the hex cut into the inside of the damper assembly. I'll have to make up one of those tools.

Geezer

Originally posted by sixtysix


I have a 'special tool' made up that is a 5/8 bolt (I think) it has 3/4 inch head (or 19mm) that is welded to a T handle. It holds the inside from spinning while you get the allen head out.

I had leak-proof seals and they lasted 5 years, I just put in factory seals to replace them, just to try them. Both work well if the forks are not pitted. If you can rub your hands on the pits with out feeling them, they are OK, but each pit produces a silver of chrome and a sharp edge that had to be removed. I had aset of forks on my Venture that took about an hour per fork with a dremmel and a polishing wheel to lightly buff all the rughness out of the pits.

Emory cloth is too rough, they make a special type that is super fine, but I can't think of the name of it right now.

[Geezer]

PVC pipe is also a is (or rather was) a common shop trick for installing for seals on many bikes. Some brand-X bikes have a bushing on the bottom of the fork tube and there is no way to put the seal in without having the leg assembled. PVC pipe is far better than the factory tools for this job.

Geezer

Originally posted by fusionking
I got lucky on my seals, I just walked into my local buddy's bike shop with old seal in hand. He had a fair selection of them and just what I needed. I put the tubes in first then used a piece of PVC pipe to drive them in and they fit perfectly. That PVC pipe deal is the best way to keep from damaging anything and it fit so perfectly you would think they designed it for that purpose! My pits were more at the top end of my tubes. Lucky I guess. I cleaned them up good and shot a little silver paint on them to hide the pits then sanded them down, hoping the paint would fill the pits sorta camaflouge like. Well it didn't work like I had hoped for in the looks department but so far they have perfomed satisfactory. Also this week I got my tkat fork brace and put it on but haven't got a chance to ride with it. I wanted to polish it to match my forks but decided no more projects just keep maintaining and tweeking while staying able to ride on a moments notice. You just never know when it might become very necessary! Garry