Left Front Fork leaking fluid

[7kingdomseeker]

My 98 Valk. 30,000 miles. The front left fork (bottom seal/o-ring is leaking pretty baldy. about 10-15 drops on the floor overnight. Is it hard to change these seals out. I might as well do them all while Im in there. I know I cant do the 35mm film cleaning b/c I can see that the seal is a bit dry rotted.
Also, is there a specific kit that comes with the seals that I need? It's kind of unclear on the websites I've visited. seems like $350 for a kit is a way too much for a seal kit. so if anyone knows of the kit I need or the seals I need that would be great and maybe a video of it being done.. thanks for the help!!

[hubcapsc]

One year at InZane one of my forks started leaking badly,
so I rebuilt it in the parking lot...



The next year on the way to Inzane my other fork started leaking
badly, and Mitch and Trout Dude fixed it in 15 minutes with
a Sealmate while drinking beers...



Here, several years later, both forks are still fine.

Try the sealmate before you dive in...

-Mike

[paulb]

I have positive experience with the seal mate as well, it took a couple of attempts but all is well six months later[also used on my cb1000 to good effect]
good luck
Paulb

[doubletee]

You mention dry rot. Are you sure that's the seal, or is it the dust ring? Dry rot on the dust ring won't necessarily cause leakage, but it will allow more dirt to get to the seal resulting in leakage in the long-term.

I had good luck with the Seal Doctor.

[sandy]

K&L sells a kit with 2 seals, 2 slider bushings and 2 guide bushings. Around here, $400 gets the forks rebuilt by a pro including parts.

[Lyonardo]

I always cut a narrow piece of mylar or plastic (the clear dividers from a notebook work well), slide that up under the seal and bring it around the circumference while pulling down slowly. That removes any particles from the seal and it's always been fine. I've never had to replace those seals on any bike in 30 years of riding.
I like that Seal Mate mentioned above. Looks like the same idea... but better.
L

[Tfrank59]

Sealmate worked for my fork when it was leaking, but it wasn't is leaking as badly as yours.  Here's an eBay kit – I don't know what you think of it...http://www.ebay.com/itm/All-Balls-Fork-Dust-Seal-Kit-for-Honda-GL1500C-Valkyrie-1997-2000-/311423414173?hash=item4882482f9d&vxp=mtr.  They also sell an all balls kit with all the fork bushings which you might do those while you're in there, and it's about $38.

[Jess from VA]

I've used the Sealmate with good (but temporary) success, several times.  Once the oil flows a little while cleaning, it gets pretty hard to get a good grip on it to keep pushing it around the fork.  Mine is beat up.
The dust ring below has not been pulled down yet.


The Seal Doctor looks like a lot better tool and easier to use/grip, and I bet it cleans better (and costs more).


I agree with Doubletee, you're probably looking at the dust ring, which you have to slide down to clean the seal up in the fork which you can't really see.  See the dust seal below the Seal Doctor in the picture?

[Paladin528]

An ounce of prevention....
One should make a habit of wiping the fork tube down with fork oil on a clean lint free rag.  This cleans the minor bits of bug guts and road grime off the fork tube.  That is the stuff that causes the seal to wear as does a dry fork tube.
Seal replacement is an easy job.  I blew one fork seal on a particularily nasty road near Elliot Lake Ontario last year.  Rebuilt both since I had one off anyway.  Took about two hours to do them.  Complete teardown, clean reassemble with new seals.

[BobB]

Just carrying a Seal Mate prevents leaking forks.


Works for me...  

[F6Dave]

I bought a Seal Doctor and while it cost more, it was worth every penny.  It permanently (> 1 year) fixed a leak that the film trick could not.  The design lets you clean the entire circumference of the fork/seal thoroughly, without removing any parts other than the dust seal.

I've used the Sealmate with good (but temporary) success, several times.  Once the oil flows a little while cleaning, it gets pretty hard to get a good grip on it to keep pushing it around the fork.  Mine is beat up.
The dust ring below has not been pulled down yet.


The Seal Doctor looks like a lot better tool and easier to use/grip, and I bet it cleans better (and costs more).


I agree with Doubletee, you're probably looking at the dust ring, which you have to slide down to clean the seal up in the fork which you can't really see.  See the dust seal below the Seal Doctor in the picture?

[hubcapsc]

without removing any parts other than the dust seal.

Taking the fender off is the draggiest part of following the sealmate
directions...

-Mike

[Tfrank59]

Yeah, I remember using that sealmate tool.  It was a pain in the butt to get it to stay up in there and then rotate it all away around the fork tube-- slippery.  If memory serves I had to do it a couple of times and then it finally stopped the leak, and that's been since last winter.  If she starts leaking again on either fork tube maybe I'll buy the seal doctor.