Fork seals leaking

[bill-jr]

Wondering where's the best place to buy fork seals and if I should get oem or not ?
Got home from two weeks on the road To find my seal on right side leaking all over caliper and tire ?
Damn it beautiful weather and I'm scared to ride the thing ....
Also on a different note I stripped out my left rear shock nut and put a piece if 3/8 threaded rod with lock washer and nut on both sides think this is strong enough or should I find a good auto bolt and nut ?

[saab9k]

local Honda shop is doing the forks for $80. labor + parts.

They are off, changing to 6 degree rake. Trike with RoadSmith rear end.

[old2soon]

Try the film trick. It werked fer me!  RIDE SAFE.

[Tailgate Tommy]

Some good ideas here.
http://www.valkyrieforum.com/bbs/index.php/topic,66514.0.html

[trout dude]

Bill try the seam mate worked for me a bunch of times on different bikes.
Dennis

[vanagon40]

+1 on the Seal Mate.  Just used it for the first time last week and I no longer see a leak (about 100 miles since the repair).

I have no opinions or responses to your original questions regarding the best place to buy seals, whether to buy OEM, or the left rear shock nut.

Prior to using the Seal Mate, I did wrap a small strip of cloth around the fork to prevent the leaking oil from getting on the rotor, wheel, and tire.  It was a pretty slow leak.

[Michvalk]

It doesn't take much fluid to leak to make a big mess. You probably only need be concerned about fluid getting onto the brake pads. If you pull the forks and carry them into the dealer, labor is the most expensive part. I went with OEM parts when I did mine. If the sealmate or similar works to stop the leak, you most likely did not lose enough fluid to affect handling

[rugguy]

I used AllBalls seals and they worked  great for me....

[Colin]

I used OEM ones and they started leaking again within weeks. Stripped apart again and used Honda seals and no leaks since. Yes everything was spotlessly clean on the first occasion.

My view is don't save yourself $10 get the genuine ones.

[wiggydotcom]

I used OEM ones and they started leaking again within weeks. Stripped apart again and used Honda seals and no leaks since. Yes everything was spotlessly clean on the first occasion.

My view is don't save yourself $10 get the genuine ones.

I'm a little confused by your post, Colin. Does someone other than Honda make OEM seals? If so, I learned something. I would have thought OEM seals were Honda?

[olddog1946]

I used OEM ones and they started leaking again within weeks. Stripped apart again and used Honda seals and no leaks since. Yes everything was spotlessly clean on the first occasion.

My view is don't save yourself $10 get the genuine ones.

I'm a little confused by your post, Colin. Does someone other than Honda make OEM seals? If so, I learned something. I would have thought OEM seals were Honda?

YEPPER, OEM = Original Equipment Manufacture

[98valk]

just posted this a few days ago.

http://www.valkyrieforum.com/bbs/index.php/topic,67822.0.html

my right fork was leaking, for 1 day, now nothing. I starting to think there really is something about the air pressure buildup in inverted forks

[Jess from VA]

Perhaps, but I think it is more a function of temperature changes (expand/contract), and (assuming a seal is not torn/damaged, so leak would be continuous) as the sliders bounce up and down, whatever crud is causing the leak gets moved around, so sometimes it leaks and sometimes it doesn't. 

When I use the seal mate, I am never able to actually see any solids being cleaned out, and I think it more likely I am just shoving the crud farther up inside above the seals than cleaning it out.  Or some of both.  I think that is why my forks will stay dry for long periods, then begin to get wet again, as the crud works it's way back down again.

[Duffy]

Here is an old post about fork seal leaks..

Maybe I should start with $8.99 for Seal Mate and see how that does?

[Tfrank59]

I used OEM ones and they started leaking again within weeks. Stripped apart again and used Honda seals and no leaks since. Yes everything was spotlessly clean on the first occasion.

My view is don't save yourself $10 get the genuine ones.

I would think OEM = Honda seals?  At any rate the seal mate worked for me  – I had one fork seal leaking pretty bad in the winter, but one of those things on eBay for five bucks, and it cured the problem... At least for the season I would think.