New fork seals leaking - Grrrrrr

I replaced my fork seals about 2 months ago with new factory OEM seals. Paid $26 for the pair, took apart the forks the right way, checked for any nicks on the forks, reassembled them correctly, and now 2 months later..... The same right fork seal is leaking ! I checked the forks for any nicks or scrathes really good, now Im kinda ticked off the new seals are leaking. Only the left fork, same fork that was leaking to begin with. I hate having to go back and fix things again. When I re do the seals Im gonna make sure I polish up both forks to a smooth mirror finish. Looks like I will be putting the bike in a nice warm basement for the winter after all soon. Then I can be warm while I adjust the valves, re-do the fork seals, and all the other little things that need to be done......

Did you lube the seal with grease before reinserting the tube? All it takes is a bit of grit in there to make them leak. Before you tear them down again try pulling the dust boot up, then take a piece of film negative and work it between the seal and the tube. Do this all the way around. You might just need to dislodge a particle.

New dust boots also help to prevent this.

Greased the new seals really well. I going to try that idea and see if anything is just caught in between the tube and new seal. Like you said, it might be a small particle of something that is in between....

Hey Dan,
Another trick I've seen is to cover the metal parts at the end of the fork tube with electrical tape before you fit the end of the fork tube through the seal. That way you're sure not to damage the seal. I use a split piece of PVC pipe clamped around the forktube with hose clamps to drive the seal into the slider after the seal is on the tube.
Hope this helps
KZCSI

I have put the seals in hot oil to soften them before sliding them down over the fork tube and as said before tape up all possible sharpe edges. Also be sure everthing is very clean and well oiled before putting them on the fork slider. Hope you have better luck next time...

1045

This has got me thinking. Do you usually install the seals in the slider then insert the tube or put the seals on the tubes, then try to install the seals?

I beleive in the past I've installed the seals first into the slider.

Hey Saved,
At least on the newer forks the bushings won't fit through the seals. Therefore, you have to slide the seals onto the fork tube, install the bushings and then slide the fork slider over the bushings. This means that you have to drive the seal into the fork slider with the fork tube in the middle of the whole affair. As I said a split piece of PVC pipe is the solution.
KZCSI

I assembled the forks then slid the new seal all the way down the tube. I used the old seal on top of the new seal to "tap it down" into the groove. I slid the piece of film around the seal like suggested. Today when i go riding I will see how it works. I also did saturate it will oil before sliding it down the tube. Whats weird is.... the right side fork does have a small scartch in it about 1 1/2 inches above the dust cap, but that seal is perfect. The left side fork tube is perfectly smooth, and thats the problem tube.

Just a follow up to my old post here,
Winter will be setting in soon and I made room in the basement for the bike and a few projects over the winter. I picked up a really nice set of forks on E-bay for $40. They are very clean, no seal leaks, and look like new. Over the winter I will put them on. I was going to take my old forks apart again, but the time, $22 for new seals, and $12 for fork oil, swayed me into just finding new forks. The oil in the ones I got on E-bay is like new. Plus with the old forks... when I was doing the seals, the original left side fork on the bike was bone dry for who knows how many years. The spring was really rusty and so were all the internal parts from being dry. Better to replace the whole thing..