250 Fluid near caliper on Fork

RageD

RageD

Hi guys,

Yesterday I warmed up and took the bike out for a quick ride around the neighborhood to do a quick inspection. When I was done, one thing I noticed was that there appeared to be oil at the foot of my fork near the brake caliper. There wasn't much, but enough to show a bit of build up. As far as I remember, it wasn't there before the ride. Similarly, I cleaned it off and looked again this morning and it's still all clean. Has anyone else seen this before?

Is this maybe a slow leak from my fork seal? I looked at the caliper and everything there appeared to be dry so I don't think it's brake fluid. As a result, the only thing I can think of is fork oil.

This basically brings me to my next question: when do you guys typically rebuild your forks? I haven't tackled this job yet, but I have actually mostly been waiting for a seal to die. It then occurred to me, perhaps there is a bit of maintenance here I would want to do before the fork assembly fails? :) Thoughts?

Thanks!
 
2strokesteve89

2strokesteve89

RageD:
Hi guys,

Yesterday I warmed up and took the bike out for a quick ride around the neighborhood to do a quick inspection. When I was done, one thing I noticed was that there appeared to be oil at the foot of my fork near the brake caliper. There wasn't much, but enough to show a bit of build up. As far as I remember, it wasn't there before the ride. Similarly, I cleaned it off and looked again this morning and it's still all clean. Has anyone else seen this before?

Is this maybe a slow leak from my fork seal? I looked at the caliper and everything there appeared to be dry so I don't think it's brake fluid. As a result, the only thing I can think of is fork oil.

This basically brings me to my next question: when do you guys typically rebuild your forks? I haven't tackled this job yet, but I have actually mostly been waiting for a seal to die. It then occurred to me, perhaps there is a bit of maintenance here I would want to do before the fork assembly fails? :) Thoughts?

Thanks!
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You can clean your fork seals, I call this procedure de boogering, most of the time when a seal leaks it is simply because a piece of dirt or debri can get caught between or behind the seal and the tube....you will need to remove your fork gaurds, use a flat blade screw driver to pry the wiper seal away from the fork tube and slide it down the fork, you now can access the fork seal, now get a plastic soda bottle and cut out a piece about the shape of your finger, this is the tool I use. Next insert the tool between the seal and tube and kind of twist the tool slightly as you move it around the tube, this allows small amounts of fork fluid to go by seal and carry some of the dirt or debris that is causing the seal to leak, sometimes I will shoot some WD-40 up and around the seal while doing this. Sometimes you can see the dirt passing thru the seal, sometimes not, either way make a few passes all the way around the tube then clean tube with a rag, clean the wiper seal then re installi, and you are good to go. I ride in lots of muddy conditions so I may do this a few times a year, but it's an easy fix.
 
RageD

RageD

Thanks for the advice, I'll try to follow around the seal and see how that improves the situation. The last time I actually took the bike out for a real ride was several months ago (when it was warm..), but it was pretty muddy. I usually stick to putzing around the track, but my buddies wanted to hit the trails that day and there was a ton of standing water and mud.

Thanks for the tip!
 
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2strokesteve89

2strokesteve89

RageD:
Thanks for the advice, I'll try to follow around the seal and see how that improves the situation. The last time I actually took the bike out for a real ride was several months ago (when it was warm..), but it was pretty muddy. I usually stick to putzing around the track, but my buddies wanted to hit the trails that day and there was a ton of standing water and mud.

Thanks for the tip!
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Sure thing........I forgot to mention, before I put it all back together, I'll grab the front brakes and compress the front forks as hard as possible several times then re inspect for any signs of seepage if so then repeat the de boogering process.
 
2Wheels

2Wheels

Yes to all, adding only to remove your fork guards after riding/washing the bike and wipe down the tubes with a paper towel. Once the dirt dries on your tube, its harder for the wipers to clear it away.

I actually use those temporary "sunglasses" that you get at the optometrist. They're curved really well for the task, and have no sharp edges you might get with cut plastic. I keep it in a prescription pill bottle in my track bag.
 
Trfsrfr

Trfsrfr

2strokesteve89:
You can clean your fork seals
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What? Really?
Damn I wish I would have known this before I learned the hard way how to replace forks seals and shot dirty fork oil onto the ceiling of my garage!
I hate all hydraulic fluid. This probably comes from the 2-3 years I spent as a fork lift mechanic.
I never learned how to clean seals, but then that doesn't make as much $$$ I guess.
Thanks for that pro tip!
 
2strokesteve89

2strokesteve89

PALMER84ONE:
It only works some of the time. Unfortunately, it has never worked for me. :pout:Replace and rebuild is the only way to get it don so they don't leak..
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Bummer......glad it works up here, I'd hate to rebuild 2 or 3 different sets of forks on a couple different bikes every year.
 
PALMER84ONE

PALMER84ONE

2strokesteve89:
Bummer......glad it works up here, I'd hate to rebuild 2 or 3 different sets of forks on a couple different bikes every year.
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You should be replacing the oil in them every season anyway. But then again, your season is only three months. I I guess you could go 2 years.

Actually, I can do a set of open chamber forks in about 1-2 hours from bike to back on bike. OEM rebuild kit is only 38 bucks.
 
RageD

RageD

PALMER84ONE:
You should be replacing the oil in them every season anyway. But then again, your season is only three months. I I guess you could go 2 years.
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Even so, sounds like it may be time for me to try and rebuild these things anyway :) Not sure the last time they were done. Had problems on the original forks that came on the bike so I bought some used forks that fit the bike last year. Who knows if/when they've last been done :noidea:
 
O

ossagp

I don't ever do seals without bushings. After getting those damned things apart, I am not about to go back without all new surfaces. We used to use camera film, usually 35mm. You don't see it much anymore. Those bubble packages that are adult proof yield some useful pieces. I used to use the grease ring method about every other time I tied the bike on the trailer and snugged down on the straps, seems to keep them clean for eons. I forget more now.
 
O

ossagp

PALMER84ONE:
You should be replacing the oil in them every season anyway. But then again, your season is only three months. I I guess you could go 2 years.

Actually, I can do a set of open chamber forks in about 1-2 hours from bike to back on bike. OEM rebuild kit is only 38 bucks.
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I used to ride ice all winter. rode dirt 7-8 months out of the year. All in all, I would guess that a serious dirtbike rider here in the anchorage area would put about 3 times what most of my friends in the so cal area did each year. we have river bed to ride in the dead of winter sometimes. seems it is always there and once freezeup hits it is more accessible. when the lakes and rivers freeze you get that part of the year where studded up tires mean you can get to places you can't when the water is "soft". FYI, I can probably get 3-5 more hp out of a stock engine when it is 15 degrees out that I can at 90 degrees.
 
O

ossagp

PALMER84ONE:
It only works some of the time. Unfortunately, it has never worked for me. :pout:Replace and rebuild is the only way to get it don so they don't leak..
Click to expand...

Fork bushings, wheel bearings, sometimes steering head bearings, and suspension bearings and bolts are the quickest ways to make the aged bikes feel younger.
 
PALMER84ONE

PALMER84ONE

ossagp:
Fork bushings, wheel bearings, sometimes steering head bearings, and suspension bearings and bolts are the quickest ways to make the aged bikes feel younger.
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Yes sir. I have learned that buying seals and wipers you end up needing all the bushings and all the O-rings. So just get a complete kit. Wheel bearings yes, head bearings can take way more stress than the others as long as the seals are good and the bearings have been taken care of with grease, they tend to be solid in most cases.
 
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