Jeremy Wilkey
Owner, MX-Tech
- Jan 28, 2000
- 1,453
- 0
Guys let me have your thouights on this one..MX-Tech Seal care guide:
What makes seals fail, and how can you improve their life? I’ve found the main culprit to seal life has always been dirt. So the real question is how does one prevent dirt from entering the seal.
At the track:
After your ride take a towel and wipe down the exterior of chrome leg. Dirt and dirt film will dry on the tube while you have your break. The first time you compress the fork these small to large particles will be swept into the seal. This is the begging of the leak. If you take the time to keep grunge from drying on the tube, or getting it off before you ride you’ll double your seal life.
At the wash:
Avoid the power washer; in our day and age of instant gratification, I’m sure you will all ignore this rule. That being the case doesn’t point the hose at the seal, or at the chrome. The high pressure can deflect and ram dirt caught in the dust wipers groves right into the seal. After you’ve washed you bike take a towel and clean the forks. Those little water spots are dirt and mineral residue. Mineral residue is sharp and seals don’t like sharp things adhered to the chrome.
At the shop:
Invest in a good seal driver; the home made one is going to cause problems. Use a seal bullet or bag when installing new seals. Always lube the seal with good seal grease. Replace the dirt scrapper and wiper as a set and don’t reuse worn bushings. Follow these steps and you’ll find that every will have a longer seal life.
URBAN fork lore:
Tying you bike down over night or all week does not cause seal problems. The pressure inside a fork actually increases its tendency to seal. If you have a leak after doing this it’s from an imperfection (damage already done) and the extra internal pressure is just helping push oil out.
Bleeding your forks is a good idea for good performance, but has little to do with the seal’s life. If you fail to do this and notice a leak, it’s from the same root cause as the bike being tided down myth of above.
What makes seals fail, and how can you improve their life? I’ve found the main culprit to seal life has always been dirt. So the real question is how does one prevent dirt from entering the seal.
At the track:
After your ride take a towel and wipe down the exterior of chrome leg. Dirt and dirt film will dry on the tube while you have your break. The first time you compress the fork these small to large particles will be swept into the seal. This is the begging of the leak. If you take the time to keep grunge from drying on the tube, or getting it off before you ride you’ll double your seal life.
At the wash:
Avoid the power washer; in our day and age of instant gratification, I’m sure you will all ignore this rule. That being the case doesn’t point the hose at the seal, or at the chrome. The high pressure can deflect and ram dirt caught in the dust wipers groves right into the seal. After you’ve washed you bike take a towel and clean the forks. Those little water spots are dirt and mineral residue. Mineral residue is sharp and seals don’t like sharp things adhered to the chrome.
At the shop:
Invest in a good seal driver; the home made one is going to cause problems. Use a seal bullet or bag when installing new seals. Always lube the seal with good seal grease. Replace the dirt scrapper and wiper as a set and don’t reuse worn bushings. Follow these steps and you’ll find that every will have a longer seal life.
URBAN fork lore:
Tying you bike down over night or all week does not cause seal problems. The pressure inside a fork actually increases its tendency to seal. If you have a leak after doing this it’s from an imperfection (damage already done) and the extra internal pressure is just helping push oil out.
Bleeding your forks is a good idea for good performance, but has little to do with the seal’s life. If you fail to do this and notice a leak, it’s from the same root cause as the bike being tided down myth of above.