Which way do the Fork Seals get installed?

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rwalker28

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Hi All,

A quick question. Starting my rebuild, bike is a 1974 850, and installing the folks. I cant find a reference for which way the oil seals go in. Or does it matter?

I seem to recall that the end of the fork seal, where a guy can see the spring, goes up (up meaning toward the handlebars.)

Any help appreciated.
 
I've always put them in spring down, on Nortons and every other bike I've done. No leaks, so....
 
You face the spring on any oil seal on the side you wish to keep the oil in.
Don't forget the paper washer below the oil seal. Its important.
Cheers,
Thomas
CNN
 
"You face the spring on any oil seal on the side you wish to keep the oil in.
Don't forget the paper washer below the oil seal. Its important."

May be a silly question, but what does the washer do?
 
komet said:
"You face the spring on any oil seal on the side you wish to keep the oil in.
Don't forget the paper washer below the oil seal. Its important."

May be a silly question, but what does the washer do?
Click to expand...

Nice tidy workshop in your avatar Komet !!
 
Fast Eddie said:
komet said:
"You face the spring on any oil seal on the side you wish to keep the oil in.
Don't forget the paper washer below the oil seal. Its important."

May be a silly question, but what does the washer do?
Click to expand...

Nice tidy workshop in your avatar Komet !!
Click to expand...

Thanks! Although in my defence I bought the bike soon after moving in. Left the unpacking to sort a few issues and it soon turned into a full resto. Then I came home after the February earthquake and found the man cave like this. The bike wasn't damaged but you can see it wedged against the sawbench at the back. 185 dead and most of the CBD and eastern suburbs destroyed, including 2 Cathedrals and most of the heritage buildings. Weird to go up the hill and see the centre of town all dark. Had over 11,000 aftershocks but thankfully seems to have settled now.
 
CanukNortonNut said:
You face the spring on any oil seal on the side you wish to keep the oil in.
Click to expand...

Although unlikely to apply in this instance, some fork seals now have an external as well as an internal spring.

http://www.ariete.com/en/catalog/ari-pa ... orcella-1/

Which way do the Fork Seals get installed?


Which way do the Fork Seals get installed?
 
komet said:
Fast Eddie said:
komet said:
"You face the spring on any oil seal on the side you wish to keep the oil in.
Don't forget the paper washer below the oil seal. Its important."

May be a silly question, but what does the washer do?
Click to expand...

Nice tidy workshop in your avatar Komet !!
Click to expand...

Thanks! Although in my defence I bought the bike soon after moving in. Left the unpacking to sort a few issues and it soon turned into a full resto. Then I came home after the February earthquake and found the man cave like this. The bike wasn't damaged but you can see it wedged against the sawbench at the back. 185 dead and most of the CBD and eastern suburbs destroyed, including 2 Cathedrals and most of the heritage buildings. Weird to go up the hill and see the centre of town all dark. Had over 11,000 aftershocks but thankfully seems to have settled now.
Click to expand...

I guess an earthquake is a fair excuse for an untidy workshop!

I hope things are getting back to something close to normal?
 
As we've not had any earthquakes in Devon recently, I'll have to think up some other excuse for my untidy workshop. That said, I'm certainly glad that we didn't have to go through what all those poor New Zealanders did! :shock:
 
komet said:
"You face the spring on any oil seal on the side you wish to keep the oil in.
Don't forget the paper washer below the oil seal. Its important."

May be a silly question, but what does the washer do?
Click to expand...
Komet,
There is no such thing as a silly question. This has baffled(pun) me as well. But I can tell you from experience that these need to go there. I fitted my shocks up with the new Lansdowne components and not paying attention to detail I fitted up the rest. Rode the bike and each time I came back from a good run there was shock oil dripping from the top shock nut. I disassembled the Top nut and discovered that I put the paper shim above the oil seal...Dooh! I then corrected the mistake with new paper shims this time in the proper location BELOW the seal. Reassembled, refilled the correct level of oil and rode the bike. The problem went away with no more leaks. The paper shims might act as a baffle or tortuous path to the oil jetting up the walls of the inside of the slider. That's my guess.
Cheers,
Thomas
CNN
 
I believe that paper washer is merely use as a gasket to keep oil from migrating up the sides of the bore past the seal. Needed when using original style plane steel seals. Don't believe they are needed when using newer style rubber coated seals.
 
Makes sense. I use leakproof seals floating up and down with each bump in a floating situation of fork oil. The seals move. No leaks.
 
Fast Eddie said:
Nice tidy workshop in your avatar Komet !!
Click to expand...


I guess an earthquake is a fair excuse for an untidy workshop!

I hope things are getting back to something close to normal?[/quote]

What's my excuse?
Which way do the Fork Seals get installed?


Actually it's just the old " two buckets of shit in one bucket" problem. :lol:
 
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