Oh poo...Now I need fork seals

[baco99]

Took the bike to the shop today to get my safety inspection and it was rejected because they say it needs fork seals. Sunofa...right when i think I'm done tinkering, it's something else! the seals look dry to me, but they say they are "weeping." I have no idea how they can tell since there's no sign of fluid anywhere.

Anyway...Any tips on the fork seals for a GS1100E? I've done a 1989 GS500E and it was a b!tch. I assume this bike will be the same...? do i need a special tool to unlock the fork piston like i did for the GS500?

 

[bonanzadave]

Do the search Baco. That one is the proverbial dead horse and its been whipped and re whipped alot.

I got some seals from bike bandit that sucked. The replacements from my local dealer were much better.

IMO take the forks apart.

 

[baco99]

i just need to know what size nut to put on the end of my 2' threaded rod to get the fork piston out.

 

[t3rmin]

You can't see *any* signs of fluid? No oily buildup in the area? No "ring" of dirt/oil on the tubes a bit higher up?

There's no magic to diagnosing a fork seal leak. If you can't see anything there, the shop may be just trying to extort money...

Find out if they're actually abiding by some legal requirement or going "above and beyond" to drum up some business.

 

[ironb12s]

Or, take it to another inspection station... :-|

 

[bonanzadave]

i just need to know what size nut to put on the end of my 2' threaded rod to get the fork piston out.

3/4"

I used the long 3/8 extension with the spark plug socket on backwards. My allan head bolts under the front axle, holding the damper rods, were a MFer. I almost stripped em out so I got two new bolts.

 

[baco99]

You can't see *any* signs of fluid? No oily buildup in the area? No "ring" of dirt/oil on the tubes a bit higher up?

There's no magic to diagnosing a fork seal leak. If you can't see anything there, the shop may be just trying to extort money...

Find out if they're actually abiding by some legal requirement or going "above and beyond" to drum up some business.

i'm going to take it to a different shop and see what they say.

i showed my neighbor who has owned bikes for 20 yrs and he thinks they're trying to scam me. young guy + old bike = $$$

 

[t3rmin]

Clean up the tubes good, bounce the front end up and down HARD a few times (utilize the front brake), check for oil rings on the travel area. If it's not there, it's not there.

 

[bwringer]

If you need to do this, you have to use an air impact wrench to spin those allen bolts out. Other than that, it's as easy as pie. If you don't have an air compressor, you might remove the fork legs and take them to a buddy or shop who does.

If there wasn't any oil leaking, then why were they talking about a leak? That seems really shady to me.

And, unless they were really badly dripping, why would blown fork seals cause you to fail an inspection anyway?

For once, I'm kinda glad I live in Indiana...

 

[baco99]

I
And, unless they were really badly dripping, why would blown fork seals cause you to fail an inspection anyway?

For once, I'm kinda glad I live in Indiana...

that's what i thought. massachusetts is known for taxation and procedure. i think the kid just wanted me to drop $300 to have his shop replace perfectly good fork seals. when i told him i'd do it myself, he looked shocked.

i'm just gonna wait it out until January and take it to my usual shop on a clear day. i don't think i'll have a problem there.

 

[nabrams]

The shop has an obvious ulterior motive. Take it to a state inspection station - they have nothing to gain by failing you for no good reason.
I've gone through this with my wife's car, here in NJ.

 

[baco99]

The shop has an obvious ulterior motive. Take it to a state inspection station - they have nothing to gain by failing you for no good reason.
I've gone through this with my wife's car, here in NJ.

We don't have state inspection stations here in MA. Most dealers are licensed to give out stickers. This place is my local Honda/kawi dealership. They are aparently all crooks just like car dealerships.

 

[mortation]

We don't have state inspection stations here in MA. Most dealers are licensed to give out stickers. This place is my local Honda/kawi dealership. They are apparently all crooks just like car dealerships.

I say 99% of the time NEVER go to a dealership of ANY kind for a sticker. Always look for your mom and pop place. I took mine to Dumont Cycles in Laconia (I was in NH same ****ty deal for stickers) to get mine. We chatted for a bit ran through the bike together, he stuck on my sticker and we called it a day.

And also a little trick to get through the inspection if your seals are WEEPING not LEAKING clean the Fork tubes 100% both inner and outer so there is no visible oil and very little to no oil stains. Lift up the dust seals and put cotton balls in there tightly packed and then slide your dust cover down. Pump up and down a few times to make sure you dont see any oil especially on the inner fork tube.

 

[Gary Lich]

We don't have state inspection stations here in MA. Most dealers are licensed to give out stickers. This place is my local Honda/kawi dealership. They are aparently all crooks just like car dealerships.

Yes, they may be crooks , or they may simply not want the liability of giving out a "sticker" (what ever that is ?) for an old bike that actually has leaky seals. Either way it seams like you are going through alot of extra hassle for relatively minor problem that all bikes encounter sooner or later. The fork seals can be easily changed without dis-assembly of the forks. It involves drilling a small hole the top of the seal and using a small nail with a bend in tip to lift it out, then using the old seals to drive in the new ones. There are previous posts on this that describe the steps in detail. (let me know if you can't locate them as I probably have a copy of it somewhere). Disassembly of the forks is certainly the "right way" to do it, but it's not necessary...

 

[nabrams]

Hey Gary,

You got a pic of your Triumph we can see?
Those bikes are beauties.

 

[Kahuna]

State inspections must be a real pain in the arse. Thank goodness there's none in FLA. If I were you though I would check your air pressure in forks per spec, then when correct, push down hard and quick with some shoulders and see if she is bouncy. If there is no second bounce your seals are good. If she starts bouncing schedule an appointment at a different inspection station and blast em with a quick shot of air at a gas station that is close to your inspection point. This will make them stiff for inspection and make sure there are no fluid leaks.

 

[ironb12s]

that's what i thought. massachusetts is known for taxation and procedure. i think the kid just wanted me to drop $300 to have his shop replace perfectly good fork seals. when i told him i'd do it myself, he looked shocked.

i'm just gonna wait it out until January and take it to my usual shop on a clear day. i don't think i'll have a problem there.

Good for you, Baco! Sometimes, folks try to take advantage, and are shocked when you take that away from them. Why didn't you take this to your "usual" shop in the first place?

BTW, you DO NOT need air to get the allens loose, a hand held impact driver will do the job. I had to do the deed on mine before inspection, didn't have air or access to it. The driver did the trick coming out and goin' back in.

 

[davewallen]

Took the bike to the shop today to get my safety inspection

??? Something tells me I'm glad I live in WI.

What the heck is a "safety inspection"? In WI, you get it a plate and you ride. I know idiots who ride with no front brake (REAL idiot), and bad lights, etc..etc..etc.. but I've never heard of a safety inspection.

 

[baco99]

I know idiots who ride with no front brake (REAL idiot), and bad lights, etc..etc..etc..

LOL, that's why we HAVE safety inspections. to save the idiots from themselves.

they check, headlight, hi-beam, turn signals, horn, brakes, tires, and front forks. they also check riding position to make sure hand grips aren't above the shoulders. have to have proof of insurance to ride also.

that's about it.

they were talking about a dB meter, but i think that idea was squashed.

 

[Guest]

I had the same thing hppen to me back in July. I went to the small local shop I had trusted for years and all they wanted to do was sell me a newer bike...I ranted in another thread about the whole stupid thing. Anyhow, I took it to a new shop that had just openned up that specialized in old import bikes...she passed with just a new hose clamp and a tighened head bearing. The other shop basically told me the bike was beyond repair. I almost reported them to Penndot.