Rebuilding fork tubes

roberts1948 · Apr 10, 2013

I received all the parts but they sent a thin paper gasket that gois on the bushing.Are they to be that thin paper?My other norton may have required one but I never put one in and it works .

Greg Roberts

Hobot · Apr 10, 2013

Greg along with the camp site shaver power plug, no one yet has figured out what those thin paper rings are really for, just where they are shown in pictures but not why or what they do but mystify us. The only place I've found some use for them is to shim my cencentric fork brace adjusters to seat when turned to best alignment.

john robert bould · Apr 11, 2013

The paper gasket is just that! it seals the oilseal edge,the idea is to make a seal between the seal edge /top bush and "helps" to prevent oil creeping past and up the "gap" between the seal outer dia and the slider bore. Everyone know's that Steve :lol:

hobot said:
Greg along with the camp site shaver power plug, no one yet has figured out what those thin paper rings are really for, just where they are shown in pictures but not why or what they do but mystify us. The only place I've found some use for them is to shim my cencentric fork brace adjusters to seat when turned to best alignment.

kevbo82 · Apr 11, 2013

john robert bould said:
The paper gasket is just that! it seals the oilseal edge,the idea is to make a seal between the seal edge /top bush and "helps" to prevent oil creeping past and up the "gap" between the seal outer dia and the slider bore. Everyone know's that Steve :lol:

hobot said:

Greg along with the camp site shaver power plug, no one yet has figured out what those thin paper rings are really for, just where they are shown in pictures but not why or what they do but mystify us. The only place I've found some use for them is to shim my cencentric fork brace adjusters to seat when turned to best alignment.

Click to expand...

when i rebuilt the forks on my dads, the paper seal was missing BUT they did wrap a 1" strip of cloth around the tube underneath the boot. That'll stop that leak! :roll:

MikeG · Apr 11, 2013

kevbo82 said:
john robert bould said:

The paper gasket is just that! it seals the oilseal edge,the idea is to make a seal between the seal edge /top bush and "helps" to prevent oil creeping past and up the "gap" between the seal outer dia and the slider bore. Everyone know's that Steve :lol:

hobot said:

Greg along with the camp site shaver power plug, no one yet has figured out what those thin paper rings are really for, just where they are shown in pictures but not why or what they do but mystify us. The only place I've found some use for them is to shim my cencentric fork brace adjusters to seat when turned to best alignment.

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

when i rebuilt the forks on my dads, the paper seal was missing BUT they did wrap a 1" strip of cloth around the tube underneath the boot. That'll stop that leak! :roll:

Don't laugh...If I recall correctly one of my BSA manuals says to wrap "fine cotton waxed twine" around the threads on the gland nuts and fork crown nuts to prevent leaks. Maybe it works but so does the thread sealer sold for use in hydraulic fittings.

Hobot · Apr 11, 2013

Oh alrighty then, the thinner than lunch bag paper fork seal gasket does have a purpose, to confuse some by it looks and placement that it can actually function as a seal. I am very familiar with the rag wrap back up to also know cloth will not seal either just delay the dribble till cloth saturates then spread its drain paths back to its ground source after coating engine and behinds. So I remain convinced that its the real seal's function to seal and the thin whimsical 'gasket' just to entertain us for many decades of mystery till it falls apart so good stuff shows on the outside...

john robert bould · Apr 11, 2013

Tut,Tut,Tut! Sounds like a few disbelievers here, the twine, goldstar is correct and the paper bag will effect a great Norton oil seal! after all why would Norton list it in the parts book? ..........

hobot said:
Oh alrighty then, the thinner than lunch bag paper fork seal gasket does have a purpose, to confuse some by it looks and placement that it can actually function as a seal. I am very familiar with the rag wrap back up to also know cloth will not seal either just delay the dribble till cloth saturates then spread its drain paths back to its ground source after coating engine and behinds. So I remain convinced that its the real seal's function to seal and the thin whimsical 'gasket' just to entertain us for many decades of mystery till it falls apart so good stuff shows on the outside...

Hobot · Apr 11, 2013

i've made good sealing thin engine and carb and gear box gaskets from grocery bags or cereal boxes, just not in fork sealing use, as there the gaskets don't compress enough to seal for me. Ive stacked a half dozen in there trying so admit I'm not same level as real mechanics, just a jerky pilot. When I put Trixie together with the whole kit of gaskets the only thing i used was the TS cover gasket and the cardboard package backing for primary to case seal as the factory one got rat chewed. If fork lube gets on brake it can be bad ju ju.

guest76 · Apr 11, 2013

would a leather seal be better than paper - at least it won't disintegrate when you tighten the top nut up

Hobot · Apr 11, 2013

Leather is famous for sealing use, pipe organs to rail road size stuff so sounds like a winner mod to try to seal a leaking oil seal with.

john robert bould · Apr 11, 2013

I though the paper washer went under the seal on top bush face?

gtiller said:
would a leather seal be better than paper - at least it won't disintegrate when you tighten the top nut up

pete.v · Apr 11, 2013

john robert bould said:
I though the paper washer went under the seal on top bush face?

This is correct. I believe the paper allows for just enough lubrication to reach the top of the bush and/or keeps oil from escaping through the threaded collar.

xbacksideslider · Apr 11, 2013

OMG !

I'll have to disassemble my forks, and install those paper seals!

pete.v · Apr 11, 2013

xbacksideslider said:
OMG !

I'll have to disassemble my forks, and install those paper seals!

I wouldn't be so concerned.

usefulidiot · Apr 11, 2013

my theory is that the paper gasket is used to prevent corrosion from occurring between 2 dissimilar metals. there is also that paper gasket between the damper rod and the fork body. i believe that serves the same purpose besides sealing the fluid in. I could be wrong...but i'm willing to bet. :^)

cjandme · Apr 11, 2013

roberts1948 said:
I received all the parts but they sent a thin paper gasket that gois on the bushing.Are they to be that thin paper?My other norton may have required one but I never put one in and it works .Greg Roberts

You gotta remember what the engineers of the time had to work with, there wasn't silicone etc... back then. Cork, leather, paper, cotton & silk, (these may seem like odd things to use to us now) but they were all pretty standard stuff used on engines and mechines "back in the day"

CanukNortonNut · Apr 11, 2013

john robert bould said:
I though the paper washer went under the seal on top bush face?

gtiller said:

would a leather seal be better than paper - at least it won't disintegrate when you tighten the top nut up

Click to expand...

+1
CNN

Hobot · Apr 11, 2013

my theory is that the paper gasket is used to prevent corrosion from occurring between 2 dissimilar metals. there is also that paper gasket between the damper rod and the fork body. i believe that serves the same purpose besides sealing the fluid in. I could be wrong...but i'm willing to bet. :^)

If so then the fork bushes would chemically merge with the sliders but they don't nor should the well oiled-insulated interface of the seal. The thick paper-ish washer is just to snug down damper seal not prevent electrolysis currents of corrosion. Undetectable oil tight differences when i stopped paying attention to another item in manual, so mystery remains. I've 2 theories, one is a disgruntled employee inserted it just to add stress of and another item for norton to source and a rub at the new owners for decades and decades to follow. Another is a big scam artist in gasket manufacture had some trash on a Norton principle and blackmailed an order past the bean counters.

front-fork-seal-tech-question-t15736.html

fork-assembly-t13205.html

Rebuilding fork tubes

roberts1948

Hobot

john robert bould

kevbo82

MikeG

Hobot

john robert bould

Hobot

guest76

Guest

Hobot

john robert bould

pete.v

xbacksideslider

pete.v

usefulidiot

cjandme

CanukNortonNut

Hobot

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