One leaking fork seal

[gthoma23]

New to riding, and got a couple questions. I bought my '03 CR and rode it for bout 8 months and no problems. I decided I should change the fork oil. My manual said to put the dampers all the way out, so i did...and broke one or my compression adjusters (fyi for any1 that doesn't know, they're not pose to come out.)

Anyway, i figured i could still ride and order it later. So i drained the old oil out, and it was almost 20 oz in each fork. My manual and the guys at the local shop said the max was 14.3 oz. So i just put in around 14 and called it good.

So i left for the trails. I started to ride and the bikes forks would slam on the rebound. I thought that if the compression is all the way out, the rebound should too. Well come to find out, if ya put the rebound all the way in u get rid of the slammin. But after a minutes or ridin, i noticed my left fork seal was leakin.

So my question is, how could i ride with that much oil in my forks and not have them blow? And did havin my compression all the way out make one blow? Any advice would help a ton, local shops got nothin :yell: Thanks...

 

[whenfoxforks-ruled]

Your best bet is to go to walmart and purchase a gun case and send your forks to MX Tech for service. It will be a lifetime friendship and an impeccable source of information. http://www.mx-tech.com/

 

[gthoma23]

i decided i wanted to try the cheap and easy way to the problem and just pull down the dust/wiper seal and use camera film to try and clean it. well, the only problem is, i can't get it to move. all the videos and forums say to use a screwdriver and it should come out. it's not workin. either the guy that owned it before me used the wrong size seal, or he used a fork seal driver to put the dust seal in (which from what i read ur pose to just push it in).

so does any1 got an idea of how to get it off w/out tearin apart my forks and hopefully not ruinin the seals???

 

[minutz]

The showas are a tight fit so get a thin flat blade screwdriver,carefully insert it between the tube and the dirtscraper and twist it, should be able to get a little space between the two. It should come out with minimal damage to the tube.

 

[gthoma23]

man i tried that, with a tiny screwdriver, i can't get any gap. do u think i'm gonna have to take the forks apart to get the dust seal out? doin that, i'd probably just replace 'em. i just don't wanna spend the $$ and time i don't need to do it.

 

[minutz]

I'm confused how would you get the forks apart without takin the dirt scraper out first. There is a snap ring that holds the seal in place which is under the dirt scraper.

 

[whenfoxforks-ruled]

Come at the fork at a right angle, between the wiper and outer tube, with a normal sizes flat blade screwdriver, With pressure against the joint, wiggle and turn a little. Then go 180 degrees and repeat. Initially it is tight, and loosens the more you get out. I can not believe you could not grab it and twist it off. If you are messing around the by fork inner tube, you are at the wrong joint.

 

[gthoma23]

dude, that thing was IN there. i had to take the forks off, cut a little hole in the seal/wiper just the above the metal piece inside it, and then jam a screwdriver in there to get it to move at all. the sucked balls. guess i gotta buy new ones now, oh well at least there off.