Fork Seals

nicholsonj2252

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One of the fork seals on the Dakar was weeping slightly so decided to change both of them

Removed the forks from the bike and stripped them down no problem but getting the fork slider tube and stanchion apart was a real PITA

Got them apart eventually but ended up damaging the teflon coating on the sliding bushes so will have to renew those as well now

The issue was the guide bush being stuck solid in the fork slider tube (part 2 in the diagram) , it seems if it is an overly tight fit and wondered had anyone else encountered this issue

I'm tempted to hone the bore slightly that the guide bush sits in before I re-assemble it so I don't get this issue again and would welcome any thoughts









 
You are right they are a pain! I have done a few of these over the years and even heating the slider to expand it I have always ended up with damage to the bush.
I think the idea behind the tight fit is that the bush is fixed in the slider and all the wear is taken in the bore of the bush itself, so if it fails an MOT due to excessive fork movement, it is a "cheaply" replaceable item. If the bush is allowed to float in the soft alloy of the slider and wear occurs in the slider it becomes u/s. and not recoverable. It won't take a lot of clearance over that length to give a lot of movement down at the wheel spindle. Console yourself with the fact it's not something you have to do at every service and at least they go back together with no problem.
 
You are right they are a pain! I have done a few of these over the years and even heating the slider to expand it I have always ended up with damage to the bush.
I think the idea behind the tight fit is that the bush is fixed in the slider and all the wear is taken in the bore of the bush itself, so if it fails an MOT due to excessive fork movement, it is a "cheaply" replaceable item. If the bush is allowed to float in the soft alloy of the slider and wear occurs in the slider it becomes u/s. and not recoverable. It won't take a lot of clearance over that length to give a lot of movement down at the wheel spindle. Console yourself with the fact it's not something you have to do at every service and at least they go back together with no problem.

Thanks for the feedback , new bushes on order
 
Sound advice, next time you do the seals you'll know to get bushes as well.....
 
Front forks all assembled and back on the bike with new guide bushes , piston rings and seals . Hopefully they don't leak now !



 
Hello, I pickup my F650GS (2005) next week and when I had a look at it last weekend I noticed both fork seals were weeping.
Can anyone recommend where to get the seals from (and the bushes)?
I believe my bike has 43mm forks is this the standard size or shall I wait until I pick her up to measure?
Thanks
 
I used Motorworks for my seals and bushes good service at a fair price.
IIRC the front forks are 41mm but I stand to be corrected.
I also bought a tool for inserting the seals although there are alternatives.
 
Thanks

Hi Hoff,

Thanks for that, I can now order my seals and bushes.
You are right that the forks are 41mm.

Cheers

:thumb
 
Recently had to have the fork legs rechromed on a 2004 F650GS and after new bushes and seals, they still weep slightly - checked for anything out of true - and legs both measure 41.2 mm using my mic - anyone advise anything - all parts and oil came from Motorworks.
 


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