| Author | Message | ||
     Desert_bird |
Front shock seals leaking. Was thinking of going aftermarket. Still in Brazil so need something that will last a few thousand more miles, and don't want to worry about it. http://www.thunderproducts.com/Leakproofforkseals. htm Any experience out there with these? The website lists a 47 mm seal with the following dimensions: 47mm x 58mm x 10. No cross reference with OE part number or any other info. Anyone know what height and outside diameter of the stock seals are? | ||
| Mark_weiss |
When I popped a seal I made a temporary band-aid by taking a strip of rag and wrapping it around the fork tube a few times. Secured with zip ties, this took care of the bike for a few weeks until I could get home and replace the seal. Naturally this did nothing for the leak itself, but it did prevent the leaking fluid from migrating down to the axle mount or the brake caliper. I did not think of saving the old seal, nor recording the dimensions. | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
When I changed my blown seal I did not replace the dust seal. It has been many months and no problem. I know that this does not answer your question and a new dust seal is inexpensive anyways. | ||
| Pontlee77 |
The fork is a Showa, so i'm sure there are many if not most of it in normal measures, so we just need to sort out witch Showa model it is. | ||
| Desert_bird |
Thanks of the comments. Mark, If I can't open 'er up and throw some new seals in here, then I'll have to ride her 1,000 miles south to the nearest dealer - and I'll have to rag it all up! Don't imagine I'll damage anything in there if it runs dry. Hey there, EG'97. Dust seal is fine but the oil seal is weeping constantly. Inexpensive? Depends on how you look at it. Getting seals out here will cost several hundred dollars after shipping and duties are taken care of! Yup. A "standard" 47mm Showa. Just need to get the measurements. Of course. I could quit trying to screw with what works, and just get the factory seals sent out. Seals are like motor oil; everyone has a favorite color, but usually the standard new stuff is best. ... still, an inquiring mind would like to know what the size is? A few pics from coast of north east Brazil.   | ||
| Uly_dude |
Wow, looks super nice there Bird Man. Especially if you live in 20 degree farheneit(sp?) weather like me! If I were you I'd order up those seals from Al at A S B. You already know the interior diameter(47mm), but it's the outside, with it's ridges and certain bends that fit this particular fork that you're never going to figure out, unless you find the part number on the fork and cross reference something that way. Otherwise, I'd order them up from the US and wait for three weeks. Customs won't charge too much for those would they? Daydreaming about Brazilian weather n women now..... | ||
| Motorfish |
Take a piece of camera film, and slide it between the seal and fork tube. Work it around the diameter if the tube to clear away dirt. It worked for me one time and I still have not had to replace the seal, no leaks. Its worth a shot. | ||
| Tjocksteffe |
+1 but I used the thinest feeler gauge, just slide down the dust seal first  | ||
| Desert_bird |
I've tried to clean stuff out of there multiple times, using a card, film and feeler gauge. This time, seal actually bad. I think it has a micro-slice after sliding over little knick/crater on on the fork tube. (A former mechanic with KTM here in Brazil taught me the baking powder and super glue trick to buff it out.) Uly_dude, 20 degree weather? Baaad for the gonads. You speak wisdom. I'll just order a stock pair of seals - and praise the industrious Chinese. At least I know they'll fit. Nasty little puncture 500 km from nowhere deep in the Amazonas. Thank god for stringy sticky little puncture sticks (3 for one puncture) and portable compressors!  (Message edited by Desert_bird on December 09, 2011) | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
I envy you and your trip. Your photos look so much better on this HP2511X monitor I just purchased. I know you are below the equator, even so, shouldn't that ULY be on it's wheels or is that just another result of the Coriolis effect? | ||
| Desert_bird |
How any monitor can make a 67 Kb photo look good is beyond me. Don't envy. Come on down. Gas to get here (15,500 km) cost me all of $1,100. Bike was great the entire way. Normal maintenance stuff. Food and hostels all cheap. And very nice things to look at the entire way down . . . . Toilet water ain't the only thing that turns the other way down here. That Uly's puncture happened on a seriously hot tarmac. At speed and with all the weight . . . nearly melted a new Trail right off the rim. Tire was literally smoking !! Was empty by time I came to stop. Side stand couldn't hold it up. Had to lay her down gently, cool off and scratch my head a little. 3000 miles later and still riding that Trail. Great tires. | ||
| Uly_dude |
Hey there's an idea. We should embark on the 1st ever Badweb adventure tour down to Brazila! We can start in Arizona or something like that, take a couple weeks...... Right about the first of the year, 2013, might work.  |
