Pitted Forks :(

[garvey2003]

After only a month of owning I noticed fork oil on the right had fork.
Decided to order some new seals and dust covers plus the nice puller tool.

Set to work and all was goinf well but on checking the stanchions it would seem I have some pitting.

All put back to gether and it's still leaking a little.

Can I get the stanchions repaired or do something my self. Can't afford new ones this side of Christmas.

Any ideas

 

[jez]

These guys. http://www.pittedforks.co.uk/
I've had a couple of sets done over the years and found them very good.

 

[garvey2003]

would stanchions from a 1999 BMW R850R fit my 1150GS 1999?

 

[earthmover]

Depending on how bad the pitting is, I've repaired fork legs with Araldite. To do it properly you need to take the fork apart, clean it thoroughly with solvent, then gently clean out as much rust as possible (I used a brass brush on a Dremmel)
Mix a small amount of Araldite and dab it onto the hole, making sure that it is completely filled and slightly proud of the surrounding chrome. When it has gone off properly, take a small file and carefully file the excess away. You can "hear" the difference between Araldite and chrome, so it's quite easy to do. Smooth it over with some fine wet and dry to finish.
Mark

 

[warmshed]

After only a month of owning I noticed fork oil on the right had fork.
Decided to order some new seals and dust covers plus the nice puller tool.

Set to work and all was goinf well but on checking the stanchions it would seem I have some pitting.

All put back to gether and it's still leaking a little.

Can I get the stanchions repaired or do something my self. Can't afford new ones this side of Christmas.

Any ideas

Depends on the extent of the pitting, you can fill them with epoxy glue such as araldite and rub down carefully, though this would only be viable if there are only a few.
Hard chrome plating is good, get them done where they chrome over size then grind back to exact size.

 

[Magnon]

I've used this company and found them good...

www.hardchromeplating.co.uk

 

[Humbug]

These guys. http://www.pittedforks.co.uk/
I've had a couple of sets done over the years and found them very good.

Philpotts are superb. They did a set for me 17 years ago and they are still like new (better than actually)!

 

[JayC]

Depending on how bad the pitting is, I've repaired fork legs with Araldite. To do it properly you need to take the fork apart, clean it thoroughly with solvent, then gently clean out as much rust as possible (I used a brass brush on a Dremmel)
Mix a small amount of Araldite and dab it onto the hole, making sure that it is completely filled and slightly proud of the surrounding chrome. When it has gone off properly, take a small file and carefully file the excess away. You can "hear" the difference between Araldite and chrome, so it's quite easy to do. Smooth it over with some fine wet and dry to finish.
Mark

Really?

So having them ground back (professionally), and re-chromed (hard chrome that is) and then having any high spots reground (professionally) is a load of bollocks?

If you offered a fork tube , after using your method of 'doing it properly', up to a shadow graph, you would find that your gentle filing had produced a ploughed effect that even a Shire Horse would have been proud of.

OP: Have the job done 'properly' or replace the tubes, anything else will leak.

 

[Flipfly]

I really wouldn't worry about it. The pitting won't effect the performance of the forks, the oil that is visible is only a lubricant and doesn't have any damping properties.

Leave em until you can afford to do them properly, or just do them if the MOT guys pick up on it.

 

[garvey2003]

On the right hand side, looks a little peppered but mostly very small pin hole types. it has a couple of bigger ones which I would guess is the ones the oil is leaking though.

Think I will try filling, nothing to loose

 

[Timolgra]

Really?

So having them ground back (professionally), and re-chromed (hard chrome that is) and then having any high spots reground (professionally) is a load of bollocks?

If you offered a fork tube , after using your method of 'doing it properly', up to a shadow graph, you would find that your gentle filing had produced a ploughed effect that even a Shire Horse would have been proud of.

OP: Have the job done 'properly' or replace the tubes, anything else will leak.

Are you writing that through experience, because for generations people have successfully fixed forks this way with dints or a small amount of pitting as Mark says and finishing off with fine wet and dry then metal polish

 

[JayC]

I you writing that through experience, because for generations people have successfully fixed forks this way with dints or a small amount of pitting as Mark says

I am writing through the experience of building shock absorbers as well as my engineering experience, therefore the knowledge, that when a liquid is to be contained (sealed) within it's container and a moving part enters and exits that container then a 'full contact' seal needs to be in place. This can only be done by way of precision machining, most certainly not by way of 'that should do' filing.

Who are these people that lay claim, sorry, who have been successful in such repairs and what is your personal experience with such methods?

 

[earthmover]

Really?

So having them ground back (professionally), and re-chromed (hard chrome that is) and then having any high spots reground (professionally) is a load of bollocks?

If you offered a fork tube , after using your method of 'doing it properly', up to a shadow graph, you would find that your gentle filing had produced a ploughed effect that even a Shire Horse would have been proud of.

OP: Have the job done 'properly' or replace the tubes, anything else will leak.

Erm, no.
If you are not in the financial position (or inclination) of having your forks re chromed PROPERLY then you could always try the Araldite option, which far from being perfect under a microscope, will be far better than to persevere with pitted forks. To do the Araldite repair PROPERLY, ie rather than half arsed, stick some glue on it whilst still on the bike covered in a film of old oil and dead flies and hope for the best kind of way, the OP could always try the method I have described. This advice was passed to me, I tried it not once, but on two different sets of forks, found it to be successful (if you call a season of trials competition without leakage successful) and so have no qualms about passing it on myself. I apologise if it seemed as though i was passing my suggestion off as better than having them re chromed, and that my ideas were more proper than those of anyone else.
Yours humbly
Mark

 

[rce]

I am writing through the experience of building shock absorbers as well as my engineering experience, therefore the knowledge, that when a liquid is to be contained (sealed) within it's container and a moving part enters and exits that container then a 'full contact' seal needs to be in place. This can only be done by way of precision machining, most certainly not by way of 'that should do' filing.

Who are these people that lay claim, sorry, who have been successful in such repairs and what is your personal experience with such methods?

Putting words in peoples mouths then deriding them for the way you see it

Araldite isn't a proper fix but is a fix that will work successfully, maybe outliving the bike. It has been used for years on bikes, it makes sense as a temporary fix or as a more permanent fix on a older bike that isn't worth spending more money on.

It isn't going to affect having the tubes ground and re-chromed in the the future.

 

[Flipfly]

I am writing through the experience of building shock absorbers as well as my engineering experience, therefore the knowledge, that when a liquid is to be contained (sealed) within it's container and a moving part enters and exits that container then a 'full contact' seal needs to be in place. This can only be done by way of precision machining, most certainly not by way of 'that should do' filing.

Who are these people that lay claim, sorry, who have been successful in such repairs and what is your personal experience with such methods?

In the case of race bikes and sports bikes, this is true. In the case of a trials bike/green laner I would say that a quick fix can be more than enough.

With the bigger GS's, the oil is there to lubricate and nothing more, so a super duper air tight seal is not really that important imho. Personally I wouldn't bother doing anything with it until it's totally fecked

 

[garvey2003]

whats this about Glue and oil? I don't understand dude?

Think I will have a go at the Araldite fix for now and then after Christmas get them re-chromed. Starting to get the bike up to a reasonable standard so would be a shame to let it down on the forks.

so just so i'm ok with it in my head, I clean the stanchions, jub down any high points. clean and apply small amounts of Araldite to the affected pits. Once dry file down the Araldite and finish off with wet and dry.
Should I apply some metal polish after?

I was amazed how easy it was to remove and fit the seals, coming from a sports bike I have alway had the shop do mine.

 

[JayC]

Erm, no.
If you are not in the financial position (or inclination) of having your forks re chromed PROPERLY then you could always try the Araldite option, which far from being perfect under a microscope, will be far better than to persevere with pitted forks.
Mark

Mark, the microscope doesn't have any influence on the result, it merely highlights what the human eye can't see. Because the eye can't see where fluid would leak doesn't mean the fluid won't find the leak.

Putting words in peoples mouths then deriding them for the way you see it

Araldite isn't a proper fix but is a fix that will work successfully, maybe outliving the bike. It has been used for years on bikes, it makes sense as a temporary fix or as a more permanent fix on a older bike that isn't worth spending more money on.

It isn't going to affect having the tubes ground and re-chromed in the the future.

I don't think I'm putting words in anyones mouth, merely telling it from a factual point of view. If you call being critical of bodge jobs where precision is of significant importance then yes, call my comment derisory. If on the other hand you wish to learn of how to do the job properly then my words are factual.

The reason why some bikes are considered not worth spending on is nothing short of neglect. The more neglect that runs through the bike the less it is worth, but hey, the OP is happy to take this route.

That the Araldite method has been used for years, despite the fact you acknowledge that it is not a proper fix, is testimony to the overall outlook that on the whole people are happy to take the shortcut route with repairs and then pass their heap on to some unsuspecting buyer when they know all there is to know about the bikes bodge history and it becomes worth sfa.

You know the buyers, the ones that say 'I bought this from ebay, paid a good price too, but the bloke never told me there was no oil in the forks ( I found out after eating hospital food), and the chain had a different size link in it, and 3 teeth were welded into place on the rear sprocket , can I claim my money back through misrepresentation'?

Anything that is sealed is a precision fit , if it isn't a precision fit then it isn't sealed.

 

[Flipfly]

whats this about Glue and oil? I don't understand dude?

Think I will have a go at the Araldite fix for now and then after Christmas get them re-chromed. Starting to get the bike up to a reasonable standard so would be a shame to let it down on the forks.

so just so i'm ok with it in my head, I clean the stanchions, jub down any high points. clean and apply small amounts of Araldite to the affected pits. Once dry file down the Araldite and finish off with wet and dry.
Should I apply some metal polish after?

I was amazed how easy it was to remove and fit the seals, coming from a sports bike I have alway had the shop do mine.

Sounds like you have the job sorted

 

[Flipfly]

Mark, the microscope doesn't have any influence on the result, it merely highlights what the human eye can't see. Because the eye can't see where fluid would leak doesn't mean the fluid won't find the leak.



I don't think I'm putting words in anyones mouth, merely telling it from a factual point of view. If you call being critical of bodge jobs where precision is of significant importance then yes, call my comment derisory. If on the other hand you wish to learn of how to do the job properly then my words are factual.

The reason why some bikes are considered not worth spending on is nothing short of neglect. The more neglect that runs through the bike the less it is worth, but hey, the OP is happy to take this route.

That the Araldite method has been used for years, despite the fact you acknowledge that it is not a proper fix, is testimony to the overall outlook that on the whole people are happy to take the shortcut route with repairs and then pass their heap on to some unsuspecting buyer when they know all there is to know about the bikes bodge history and it becomes worth sfa.

You know the buyers, the ones that say 'I bought this from ebay, paid a good price too, but the bloke never told me there was no oil in the forks ( I found out after eating hospital food), and the chain had a different size link in it, and 3 teeth were welded into place on the rear sprocket , can I claim my money back through misrepresentation'?

Anything that is sealed is a precision fit , if it isn't a precision fit then it isn't sealed.

I hate to point this out, but there are a fair few bodge jobs which out live the OEM parts

What you consider a bodge others have used to good effect for many years.

When you take in to account how the GS fork works, I don't think your arguement stacks up. If it were the Shock shaft pitted, I'd be on your side

 

[cookie]

damping or not, there must still be considerable air pressure in the GS forks when they are compressed. the same pressure as if they contained a damping mechanism.

it's the pressure that will make them leak, if they are going to.

just saying.