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Fork seal leak and stanchion repair :(

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john24ssj
Trackday Trickster



Joined: 08 Aug 2014
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PostPosted: 11:33 - 26 Mar 2016    Post subject: Fork seal leak and stanchion repair :( Reply with quote
Hi Guys,

So my fork seal started leaking I took the forks a part and realised that the stanchion is at fault here as it has small rust bumps in it which cut the seal.

I can't afford a new stanchion is there any way I could repair it?

Thanks
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Last edited by john24ssj on 13:08 - 26 Mar 2016; edited 1 time in total
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Pjay
World Chat Champion



Joined: 18 Jan 2016
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PostPosted: 11:51 - 26 Mar 2016    Post subject: Reply with quote
I know it sounds odd, but I have in the past used kitchen foil scrunched up soaked* in T-Cut. It works in the theory that the foil wont damage the stanchion, but along with the mild abrasive properties of the T-Cut, it gives you just enough abrasion to remove the rust and not affect the chroming.


Someone is bound to call me an idiot, but it has worked a treat for me on more than one occasion.





*I know foil wont soak.
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Rogerborg
nimbA



Joined: 26 Oct 2010
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PostPosted: 12:25 - 26 Mar 2016    Post subject: Reply with quote
Pjay wrote:
Someone is bound to call me an idiot

You learn fast. Thumbs Up

I'm a fan of foil + vinegar for cleaning chrome. Some people use coca-cola as an acid.
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Robby
Dirty Old Man



Joined: 16 May 2002
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PostPosted: 12:29 - 26 Mar 2016    Post subject: Reply with quote
The only proper repair is to rechrome or replace. Both are expensive.

A fix that may work is just sanding it back. If the pitting very bad, use fine emery paper with gentle pressure. If the pitting isn't too bad, rub it down with a finishing pad. This will remove the roughness and high points and give the seal a fighting chance.

Remember that rust is a lot softer than chrome - so you can sand it a bit. The rust will wear away long before the chrome is affected in any way, and it doesn't matter if you wear away a microscopic bit of chrome - the stanchion is fucked already.
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Islander
World Chat Champion



Joined: 05 Aug 2012
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PostPosted: 15:51 - 26 Mar 2016    Post subject: Reply with quote
Robby wrote:
The only proper repair is to rechrome or replace. Both are expensive.

A fix that may work is just sanding it back. If the pitting very bad, use fine emery paper with gentle pressure. If the pitting isn't too bad, rub it down with a finishing pad. This will remove the roughness and high points and give the seal a fighting chance.

Remember that rust is a lot softer than chrome - so you can sand it a bit. The rust will wear away long before the chrome is affected in any way, and it doesn't matter if you wear away a microscopic bit of chrome - the stanchion is fucked already.


This^^

Fine emery, light pressure and check your progress frequently. This will also hone the edges off of any pits and should get you going.

If the stanchions are very badly pitted then there's a ghetto fix using epoxy resin to fill the pits that'll last a while. If you search the forum for stanchion repair and author Stinkwheel, you'll find a detailed post.
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whitedevil
World Chat Champion



Joined: 28 Nov 2010
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PostPosted: 16:29 - 26 Mar 2016    Post subject: Reply with quote
Islander wrote:
Robby wrote:
The only proper repair is to rechrome or replace. Both are expensive.

A fix that may work is just sanding it back. If the pitting very bad, use fine emery paper with gentle pressure. If the pitting isn't too bad, rub it down with a finishing pad. This will remove the roughness and high points and give the seal a fighting chance.

Remember that rust is a lot softer than chrome - so you can sand it a bit. The rust will wear away long before the chrome is affected in any way, and it doesn't matter if you wear away a microscopic bit of chrome - the stanchion is fucked already.


This^^

Fine emery, light pressure and check your progress frequently. This will also hone the edges off of any pits and should get you going.

If the stanchions are very badly pitted then there's a ghetto fix using epoxy resin to fill the pits that'll last a while. If you search the forum for stanchion repair and author Stinkwheel, you'll find a detailed post.

I've done similar with super glue instead of resin. It works great.
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Skudd
Super Spammer



Joined: 01 Oct 2006
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PostPosted: 16:43 - 26 Mar 2016    Post subject: Reply with quote
Does everyone split the forks when changing the seals, mine are a pain to split.
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Islander
World Chat Champion



Joined: 05 Aug 2012
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PostPosted: 16:55 - 26 Mar 2016    Post subject: Reply with quote
Skudd wrote:
Does everyone split the forks when changing the seals, mine are a pain to split.


How else can you check and change the bushes and clean the shite out of the fork bottom and damper rod?
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Nobby the Bastard
Harley Gaydar



Joined: 16 Aug 2013
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PostPosted: 19:02 - 26 Mar 2016    Post subject: Reply with quote
Skudd wrote:
Does everyone split the forks when changing the seals, mine are a pain to split.


All forks are a pain to split....
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mauzo
Nova Slayer



Joined: 30 Jun 2015
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PostPosted: 22:19 - 26 Mar 2016    Post subject: Reply with quote
Pjay wrote:
I know it sounds odd, but I have in the past used kitchen foil scrunched up soaked* in T-Cut. It works in the theory that the foil wont damage the stanchion, but along with the mild abrasive properties of the T-Cut, it gives you just enough abrasion to remove the rust and not affect the chroming.

It's not just the abrasion: 'tin' foil is actually aluminium, so the acid encourages a thermite-type reaction which turns the rust back into steel.
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Islander
World Chat Champion



Joined: 05 Aug 2012
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PostPosted: 22:36 - 26 Mar 2016    Post subject: Reply with quote
mauzo wrote:

It's not just the abrasion: 'tin' foil is actually aluminium, so the acid encourages a thermite-type reaction which turns the rust back into steel.


What did I just read?? Shocked Rolling Eyes

If it were any type of 'thermite- type reaction' You'd be in a lot of pain as you severely burned the ends of your fingers. Laughing
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mauzo
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Joined: 30 Jun 2015
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PostPosted: 23:53 - 26 Mar 2016    Post subject: Reply with quote
Islander wrote:
mauzo wrote:

It's not just the abrasion: 'tin' foil is actually aluminium, so the acid encourages a thermite-type reaction which turns the rust back into steel.


What did I just read?? Shocked Rolling Eyes

If it were any type of 'thermite- type reaction' You'd be in a lot of pain as you severely burned the ends of your fingers. Laughing


It's not the highly-energetic reaction you get when it burns, obviously Smile.
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Islander
World Chat Champion



Joined: 05 Aug 2012
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PostPosted: 00:06 - 27 Mar 2016    Post subject: Reply with quote
The reason aluminium works is that you're actually using aluminium oxide from the surface of the foil and that harder than steel and acts as an abrasive.
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temeluchus
World Chat Champion



Joined: 01 Oct 2008
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PostPosted: 01:15 - 27 Mar 2016    Post subject: Reply with quote
Nobby the Bastard wrote:
All forks are a pain to split....


It's a 5 minute job on sachs forks.

I was able to replace the fork seals on a K75, refill with oil and refit the front wheel in a grand total of 15-20 minutes.
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Islander
World Chat Champion



Joined: 05 Aug 2012
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PostPosted: 01:19 - 27 Mar 2016    Post subject: Reply with quote
temeluchus wrote:
Nobby the Bastard wrote:
All forks are a pain to split....


It's a 5 minute job on sachs forks.

I was able to replace the fork seals on a K75, refill with oil and refit the front wheel in a grand total of 15-20 minutes.


The ability to drain and refill them without having to remove them is something all fork designs should incorporate. Superb design. Thumbs Up
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temeluchus
World Chat Champion



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PostPosted: 01:34 - 27 Mar 2016    Post subject: Reply with quote
Islander wrote:

The ability to drain and refill them without having to remove them is something all fork designs should incorporate. Superb design. Thumbs Up


managed it in under ten when we did my chums K100, for a giggle.

jack under motor, remove wheel and bungee the calipers out the way, put a big pan under the forks, undo bolts and pull off sliders and led the oil splat out into the gert pan. Yank the seals out, put in the fresh, stuff the sliders back on and re tighten the bolts, wipe the oil splashes off, wheel and calipers back on. squeeze fresh oil back in from the top, cap screw back in.

Stanchions stay in the yokes, the sliders stay attached to the brace and mudguard and the fork caps have holes in em so you usually only need to remove them to replace the springs.

After working on forks that seem to be designed by Japanese sadists it was one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen.
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Ichy
World Chat Champion



Joined: 15 Jul 2005
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PostPosted: 08:45 - 27 Mar 2016    Post subject: Reply with quote
Skudd wrote:
Does everyone split the forks when changing the seals, mine are a pain to split.


No, not always. At risk you can use a wood screw to pull the seal out.
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john24ssj
Trackday Trickster



Joined: 08 Aug 2014
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PostPosted: 13:39 - 27 Mar 2016    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thanks for all the replies guys Smile Cleaned off as much crap of the forks as I could and will see if the new seal will hold, if not I'll try to find the forks on ebay or something.
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