Fork seals

I have a sudden fork oil Niagara situation. Amazed by the suddenness of the failure. But hey.

A fellow Guzzi tribes person has worried me though with chat about GRiSO with different fork sizes, and how I need to be careful to get the right ones.

Does that make sense? The bike is an 08 8v and Fowler's reckon the part is AP8123825. Is that right?

Yes, that's what I see for early 1100 G. Sometimes you can clean out the dirt by running a film strip around and up.

I use Molykote#55 O'ring lube 1st to see if it dislodges dirt, it also soften up seal & makes leak stop. I put it on all new seals I replace.

GuzziSteve wrote:

Yes, that's what I see for early 1100 G. Sometimes you can clean out the dirt by running a film strip around and up.

I use  Molykote#55 O'ring lube 1st to see if it dislodges dirt, it also soften up seal & makes leak stop. I put it on all new seals I replace.

Like what Steve says the man what solved my squeaky clunky torque arm silent bloc issues.
This is the original but lots of youtube vids how to make your own.
Gutsibits will know the correct part guaranteed.
Defo try a seal mate copy first as prob a piece of grit salt.
Molykote 55 softens and swells the seal slightly helping to make leak stop.
It's cold this time of year and some items can shrink fractionally.
Better to try the fixes before getting stuck into a lengthy and possibly expensive upside downie fork strip and seal replacement.
Moreso as know you'll be tempted to buy some Progressive fork springs  

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I removed the tubes from the bike and did the seal mate fix on the bench. That made it easier to work the tubes up and down and move the seal mate around. I changed the fork oil while I had them out. The fix worked to perfection and I too had a lot of oil pouring out.

For your 1200, assuming stock forks..I highly recommend All Balls seals. 55-120 are the ones you need.

Turns out seals are the least of my worries. Both fork legs are badly worn, up near limit of travel. Through the chrome on the left, and close on the right. I think they are toast, sadly.

Trogladyte wrote:

Turns out seals are the least of my worries. Both fork legs are badly worn, up near limit of travel. Through the chrome on the left, and close on the right. I think they are toast, sadly.

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Definitely worth considering.
I've had mine done though not the GRiSO a GS1000.
They start off looking like stainless steel tubes due to the grinding process after the rechrome, but soon return to looking like normal.
Got to be better value I would imagine, unless you go for second hand, but even there prices are climbing.

Does anyone know if you can just replace the chrome tube - so remove the hub from the tube? In Fowler's it's only offered as a single assembly, and there are separate left and right part numbers, and slightly different (insane) prices. But Teo Lammer seeme to be offering just the tubes for only a mildly deranged 200 Euro or so a throw.

Yes, the caliper carrier castings can be removed. They are screwed on and loctited I'm told. This is one of those things I farm out to my local suspension specialist so it's not something I've done myself.

Every cloud has a silver lining. Now is the time to get them revalved and resprung so they work properly. They're a great fork when set up well.

Trogladyte wrote:

Does anyone know if you can just replace the chrome tube - so remove the hub from the tube? In Fowler's it's only offered as a single assembly, and there are separate left and right part numbers, and slightly different (insane) prices. But Teo Lammer seeme to be offering just the tubes for only a mildly deranged 200 Euro or so a throw.

You can prob send the tube with hub/lug to Brook and have them remove, that way spec will be spot on.
Or watch this video and have a go yourself, I guess depends on the clamp and how much it costs versus paying someone else to remove them.
Personally I'd have a go if the difference was substantial in favour of the clamp purchase.

Pete Roper wrote:

Yes, the caliper carrier castings can be removed. They are screwed on and loctited I'm told. This is one of those things I farm out to my local suspension specialist so it's not something I've done myself.

Every cloud has a silver lining. Now is the time to get them revalved and resprung so they work properly. They're a great fork when set up well.

What's the deal with that, Pete? If I can remove the hubs and just replace the tubes, there is probably a bit of budget.

I really can't say what you'd pay as services tend to be a lot more expensive in the UK but over here re-springing, a decent shim stack and perhaps new bushes would likely set you back $5-600.

I'm about to get the forks and shock from a Mana done with lowering springs and the springs, front and rear, cost $450 and the work probably $300

Shout if anyone spots ( or has) forks, or the lower tubes with hubs for a price that won't force me to sell the kids and the missus.

Trogladyte wrote:

Shout if anyone spots ( or has) forks, or the lower tubes with hubs for a price that won't force me to sell the kids and the missus.

A set of used Showa upside down forks will set you back £300 easy, best bet, watch the vid, attempt removal of hubs without using special tool to secure leg in vice, use big rags.
Get tubes rechromed, new forkoil and seals and thats it. If they are f*cked what you got to lose.
Definitely consider some progressive springs if you can manage them, valving is for sensitve wealthy f*ckers with too much time on their hands

Buellbloke wrote:

Definitely consider some progressive springs if you can manage them, valving is for sensitve wealthy f*ckers with too much time on their hands

Really? A handful of shims and a bit of time makes one a 'Wealthy fucker'?

Somewhere, maybe in the tech section, there was a very good thread by one of our contributors on adjusting the shimming on the Showas as well as a good description of why the stock valving is so rudimentary and crap.

The thing is the Showas are a magnificent fork. That's why they are fitted to just about every Japanese sportsbike known to man. Often referred to as the 'Poor man's Ohlins' they can, with little effort or cost, be made to work brilliantly. The tools required for disassembly are cheap and readily available on the Bay of Fleas and the only 'Workshop' equipment really required is a vice and a pair of wooden V blocks.

Read up on how the valving works and start experimenting. Yes, getting it right is something that comes with repetition and experience, (And is one of the reasons I farm all suspension work out as I have a very good, exceptionally experienced, specialist just up the road in Canberra.) but it's not something that requires the slaying of chickens or brandishing of voodoo fetishes to get right. Just a willingness to learn.

For the OP? I'd go the re-chrome or tube replacement route. Surely there is someone near you who can perform this task at a reasonable cost? I'm not a huge fan of re hard caroming as it can lead to hydrogen embrittlement of the steel of the tube but I haven't heard of a case of snapped tubes for decades. It used to occur on 'Conventional' forks, usually just below the bottom yoke. I've not heard of it occurring on a 'USD' fork leg.

Pete Roper wrote:

Buellbloke wrote:

Definitely consider some progressive springs if you can manage them, valving is for sensitve wealthy f*ckers with too much time on their hands

Really? A handful of shims and a bit of time makes one a 'Wealthy fucker'?

Somewhere, maybe in the tech section, there was a very good thread by one of our contributors on adjusting the shimming on the Showas as well as a good description of why the stock valving is so rudimentary and crap.

You enjoy quoting me out of context, and there I thought I was invisible it was a piss take hence the chuckle at the end 
Definitely not but throwing this at the poor fellow is enough to make anybody working to a budget cringe  

Pete Roper wrote:

I really can't say what you'd pay as services tend to be a lot more expensive in the UK but over here re-springing, a decent shim stack and perhaps new bushes would likely set you back $5-600.

I'm about to get the forks and shock from a Mana done with lowering springs and the springs, front and rear, cost $450 and the work probably $300

Was trying to lighten his load cus maybe he was happy enough with the forks as they were except for the wear.

Only fork thing I could remember seeing was a member replacing the four sets of valves 2 per leg with some tasty anodised looking potentially expensive option.
That and reading stuff on here about Matris upgrades/conversions.

Think this is the budget thread your refferring to, stumbled across it looking for the other above.
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I personally have yet to experience this, first things first for me.
Drop forks the reamaining 8mmm, remove all preload and set sag along with that of the rear.
If after front end is stodgy and or harsh might consider some of what has been posted above, forks are about to come out for headrace re-grease anyway and a fork oil change is imminient.

At the moment $550 AU equates to £395 roughly. Here that would be springs, revalving, oil, seals and labour. Doesn't sound exorbitant to me. Perhaps I'm missing something???

Pete Roper wrote:

At the moment $550 AU equates to £395 roughly. Here that would be springs, revalving, oil, seals and labour. Doesn't sound exorbitant to me. Perhaps I'm missing something???

Money and how far one is prepared or needs to go, bloke needs his fork tubes replacing or rechroming, add to that the above and he's on his way to kissing a grand goodbye.
The cheaper valve option with the rechrome sounds like the way forward

To be honest, I am reasonably happy with the forks. But you never know, as I tend to grow into a bike and ride round it's shortcomings. So it could be worth a go, if there is any budget. We'll see - I've asked they guy that did all our racing suspension work if he could do the hub swap and stuff.

In case it is relevant I do a lot of pretty enthusiastic urban riding, but also a bit of fast A road and a bit if motorway. I'm about 65kg out of the shower,

Being so light the springs might be adequate for you! Most of us are? Errrr? ‘Bulkier’

Pete Roper wrote:

Being so light the springs might be adequate for you! Most of us are?  Errrr?  ‘Bulkier’

Bulkier, you say Pete? I would have thought, just on the way to obese - I am quoting myself here more than anyone else - hell I had to buy the XL size riding jeans last time - I only just fit these days and you know I am not at all tall - well vertically challenged is probably closer. If I keep going, if I lay down I could be the same height as when I stand up. Maybe I need to do something...

Mum and I just made some Anzac biscuits, so I know it can't be that!

I bought myself a new pair of riding pants today. 4xXL. Most embarrassment....

Here’s how to fix that. Get a cat to bite you. Make sure it’s sinks it’s fangs all the way, deep into your flesh. Wait a few days for the bite area to puff like a balloon and your bones to start to ache. Spend the night in hospital on intravenous antibiotics. You will lose your appetite, and find you can only eat two meals a day. The weight will just fall off you.

Sadly my bulk has nothing to do with too much food and everything to do with buggered lungs from fifty years of smoking so I can't excercise properly and a terrible love of beer.......

It is what it is. There are no Purple Hearts for self inflicted wounds......

If you cut the tag off Pete, no one will know........