Suzuki RG500 GAMMA

From: Scott Baldwin 
Subject: Fork Seals - Advice -Forwarded
----------------
From: "Carlos A Rubinstein"  
Subject: Fork Seals - Advice

Hey, Camsters,

Picked this up on the BMW list --

Carlos

P.S. Cylinders go to the boring shop tomorrow (psyched!).

===============================================

One little item I want to pass on to you and others on this list is
something that I was taught a few years ago (back in 1958) when I went
through A&P school regarding the use of any lip type of seal (aka:
garlock seal, chevron seal, etc.) such as those used on most front fork
seals.

Prior to installing any such seal look at the sealing lip with a 10x or
stronger magnifier and most of the time you'll see that instead of a
smooth sealing surface it will look like a rocky ridgeline of the Sierra
Nevada Mountains.  The manufacturing process is not exact.  Prior to
using that seal take a piece of 400 or 600 grit abrasive paper over your
finger and with a circular turning motion remove the jagged edge.  Now
you have a seal that is "broken in" prior to use and 99 percent of the
time will not leak.  Don't get carried away as it usually takes only one
or two soft turns to have a clean sealing surface.  You will see the
difference with the magnifier. Most of the older mechanics on this
thread probably do this without thinking about it.  I've changed seals
"ONCE" on every bike I've owned and I've never had a leak again.  Don't
forget to prelube the seals prior to assembly.

You might want to buy a third "spare" seal in case you bend/distort/ruin
one of the seals installing them. 

Best of luck with the seals replacement!

Jim Larsen
K100RT & K100RS
SF Bay Area, Northern Calif.




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Rob Koopman ( Rob.Koopman@inter.NL.net ) ^{RG500 Index}