andysv1k Posted July 7, 2009 Report Share Posted July 7, 2009 (edited) Well, one of the first jobs to be done after buying my txt250 was to change the fork seals, the fok legs were pretty wet. It was a bit of a pig getting the old seals out and just as difficult getting the new ones in. but all was done, new oil in and the bike rebuilt. after a couple of hours riding on the bike, i have noticed that they are both weeping, the left hand side (brake side) is even worse than before, so much so that its killed the front brake by leaking all over it. Has anyone had this problem before? ive just been out and stripped the left fork leg again and drained the oil out. the oil is quite grey considering it hasnt done much work. another point that could be related is that the black ajuster on the top of the fork leg is stuck fast and will not adjust. the other leg adjusts ok. the right fork is also leaking although nowhere near as bad. both chrome legs look in good condition, not sure what sort of scoring im looking for but they both clean up nice and nothing obvious wrong with them. please help as im really getting fed up with the bike and starting to think about selling it after so many problems. Andy. **EDIT** its an Edition version by the way, not Pro. Edited July 7, 2009 by AndySV1K Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jse Posted July 7, 2009 Report Share Posted July 7, 2009 after a couple of hours riding on the bike, i have noticed that they are both weeping, the left hand side (brake side) is even worse than before, so much so that its killed the front brake by leaking all over it.Has anyone had this problem before? ive just been out and stripped the left fork leg again and drained the oil out. the oil is quite grey considering it hasnt done much work. another point that could be related is that the black ajuster on the top of the fork leg is stuck fast and will not adjust. the other leg adjusts ok. the right fork is also leaking although nowhere near as bad.both chrome legs look in good condition, not sure what sort of scoring im looking for but they both clean up nice and nothing obvious wrong with them. Andy. its an Edition version by the way, not Pro. Andy, You may have missed the cause of the seal failure, which may likely be small pits in the upper fork tube. Use your fingernails to go over the whole surface of the tube that is exposed (not the part from the lower clamp on up or below the fork wiper, just the area where the seal lips rub). Fingernails are very sensitive to surface imperfections and you will be able to detect pits and nicks that are hardly visible to the eye. If your nails feel a scratch, that slightly raised sharp surface will quickly cut a seal lip. If you find one, use 600 grit wet/dry sandpaper on a flat piece of steel and sand around the tube at the nick spot, not just on the nick, which will cause a flat depression. As for the adjuster, take the plastic knob off and put some penetrating oil in the screw area, let it sit for a time and then carefully work the screw back and forth slowly (light pressure) to break it free. Jon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dschigoda Posted July 7, 2009 Report Share Posted July 7, 2009 I have the same model Edition, and have successfully fixed the leakage problem by doing as Jon said (above), and by doing as the GG maintenance video advised (from Rising Sun Imports, Indiana, USA). That would be to shorten up the springs in the seals. See the video for details. I also filled in some of the deeper nicks in my fork tubes with super glue, and then wet sanded them. Just to be sure, I also waxed the tubes (where the seals run) with carnuba paste wax. But the wax has worn off long ago, and my forks have not leaked a drop after 2 years of heavy use. Sanding the nicks and tightening the seal springs are doing most of the work. I have also heard that bees wax can be used to fill the nicks. Since your fork fluid is gray, you may want to also flush out your forks with kerosene, dry them, then reassemble and fill with fresh 5 wt fork fluid. I also used Jon's recommendations for added spring preload, and addtional fluid. It helped. I added a bit more preload and made things even better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andysv1k Posted July 7, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 7, 2009 Will sanding the forks remove the chrome though? how about using T-cut with a rag and.....er... cleaning them vigorously, you know the sort of 'cleaning' that could make me go blind! surely if the scratches are that small, a bit of abrasive paste will do. 600 grit paper is pretty harsh stuff and i would have thought would do more harm than good. if sanding is the answer, how about 1000grit? (not questioning your methods.....well actually i am! but not in a negative way, i just dont want to end up having to throw even more money at it cos ive trashed the fork legs.) I do have an electric polisher too if it needs something extra. Andy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dschigoda Posted July 8, 2009 Report Share Posted July 8, 2009 Yes, #1000 sand paper would likely work better than #600. Use water with a couple of drops of dish washing soap in it. In order to save the chrome finish, sand just hard and long enough to take the sharp edges out of the nicks, but not so hard as to remove the chrome. Use your fingernail to check your work frequently as you go. At some point you will have to make the judgement that you've done enough, and then stop sanding. I am only a moderately skilled desk jockey / weekend play-mechanic and this method worked fine for me. Alot may depend on what your nicks are like. Through sanding, I changed my nicks from pointed/jagged ridges - to smooth, very shallow valleys. The tighter seal springs keeps things working fine. Also, the GG replacement tubes are relatively expensive (hundreds of dollars), and the finish on them isn't as good as what they offered when our bikes were new. No nitride coating, only marginally adequate chroming. That's why I shipped mine back to the dealer and fixed my tubes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b40rt Posted July 8, 2009 Report Share Posted July 8, 2009 I do have an electric polisher too if it needs something extra.Andy. Did you get that from Anne Summer's ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andysv1k Posted July 8, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 8, 2009 Did you get that from Anne Summer's ? Er, no its an industrial one, it could really make your eyes water! Andy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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