Fork Seals

MAC

Joined
Dec 12, 2010
Messages
28
Location
Granite State
Hi Guys & Girls,
I haven’t been here for a long time, but I stop by once in a while.
I noticed scanning the forum, Chuck had his 2014 FJR on the lift with the front end apart. ( seals ? ) not sure.
What I want to bring up is for the FJR riders, we do get leaky seals from time to time. Before you take every thing apart, try the SEAL MATE tool, which can be made out of a milk bottle. It takes about three tries, to get all gunk out of the seal, between each cleaning pump the forks real hard and wipe all junk off the top of the seals. “ If “ it is a dirty seal this will fix it. Works most of the time. Should work as well on other models of bikes.
I had to do this to my 2013 in May just before a trip to Ohio. Still dry after 2000 + miles.
 
MAC Yes I have the FJR apart waiting for Bushings and Seals. I have used and tried the seal mate. Worked for a while, but the seal leaks just got worse over time. 40000 miles on Colorado roads will wear out bushings and seals. Our roads are not a smooth or well maintained as the surrounding states. Also I have a pretty deep rock ding in the right fork tube, which contributed to the leaky seal. I am going to also replace that fork tube. A bit expensive to say the least.
 
Fork seal cleaning is an instance where investing in a more expensive tool is actually worth it. After fussing about with the Seal Mate a few years ago, I stumbled across the Seal Doctor from Risk Racing. https://riskracing.com/pages/seal-doctor

While it is costly for just a chunk of plastic, it's a lot less frustrating to use than the Seal Mate or cut milk jug. After lifting the dust seal, you just clip it on the fork and slide it down into the oil seal. The raised edges give a good perch for your thumb and fingers for turning it.
 
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