Member Contributer Ranger77 Posted October 18, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted October 18, 2014 I'm thinking it's brake fluid. It was all over left tube and all over that brake metal block where multiple brake lines join that's bolted right above the left front caliper. A nice big black puddle on the concrete and that metal block was soaked. Can't tell if it goes any higher than that. I did notice my font brakes seemed a bit "wooden" but just thought it was the pads being old and glazed. How hard is it to change out the two rubber lines that meet at that block? I know refilling the lines and getting the air out can be a pita. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Switchblade Posted October 18, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted October 18, 2014 Fork seal ? If it is the brake line you should be able to change it . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer The mailman Posted October 18, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted October 18, 2014 Two votes for a fork seal gone bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer VFR Capt.Bob Posted October 18, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted October 18, 2014 fork oil or brake fluid. That's all I can think of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Cogswell Posted October 18, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted October 18, 2014 Brake fluid has a very distinct odor. In addition to fork oil as a possibility, the oil cooler line connects to the cooler just above and slightly behind that location. How does that look? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JakeWright Posted October 18, 2014 Share Posted October 18, 2014 When I bough my vfr I noticed a slight oil leak at the front wheel...ended up being the oil seal where the oil cooler and pipes meet had split Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer sa1713 Posted October 18, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted October 18, 2014 Also check the lock bolt at the bottom of the fork. Those will leak fluid onto the axle and then spit off on the rim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Ranger77 Posted October 18, 2014 Author Member Contributer Share Posted October 18, 2014 I replaced the fork seals a couple years ago and they dont have that many miles. When the origunals went, the fork oil was just on the smooth tube and a tiny streak down the rough tube. I dont see how it could have sprayed all over the brake line area. Plus the bike has been sitting in the same spot for over a month with the spot on the concrete getting bigger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer FJ12Ryder Posted October 18, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted October 18, 2014 Brake fluid has a very distinctive odor. You should be able to tell right off if it's brake fluid. Also, if it's that wet the level in the master cylinder should be down, and if there was a puddle, waay down. My vote is for leaky fork seal too. However if it is the brakes, you need to determine exactly where the leak is. Clean everything off, and degrease it and then put some flour on the area where you think it's leaking. That should pinpoint the spot. In the meantime I know I wouldn't be riding it until I fixed the brakes, if that's what it is. It shouldn't be hard to change the lines, just be careful not to get any brake fluid on plastic or painted parts. Bad news. Looking at Partzilla all three lines are only about $75 or so. Of course if you end up needing to replace them you might check into the stainless braided lines. Work great and look cool. You probably should replace the brake pads on that side too if they got wet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Ranger77 Posted October 18, 2014 Author Member Contributer Share Posted October 18, 2014 Its the forks. You got to be kidding me. They're not that old. Even the covers are cracked. Winters around the corner, my garage isnt finished, and everyone around here charges a butt load to changed the seals even if you bring them in yourself. I think I used All Balls seals. I did it myself last time and the only help I need was getting the seal pressed in all the way. The PVC trick didnt work. Even the moto mechanic said they were a tad hard getting to seat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer FJ12Ryder Posted October 18, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted October 18, 2014 When you get them apart, get a very fine hard Arkansas stone and check the fork legs for burrs in the area where the seals move. Could have a small stone ding that did in the new seals. You'll feel the ding with the stone, but it won't scratch the chrome surface. That's why you use a very fine hard Arkansas stone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Dutchy Posted October 18, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted October 18, 2014 Even the moto mechanic said they were a tad hard getting to seat. Seals hard to sit?? not really..... Back on topic. thank you for posting this, for it strengthens my idea of having this kind of work done by someone who knows what he/she is doing (eg not me!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer dutchinterceptor Posted October 18, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted October 18, 2014 Where in Texas are you? I recently had Roger Albert with OnRoad OffRoad Cycles do some suspension work for me. I'm going to have him redo my forks pretty soon. He's based out of Austin but he does mobile work at all the Texas race tracks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spud786 Posted October 18, 2014 Share Posted October 18, 2014 Stick with oem seals, also you have to be very careful with installation, seals can be damaged very easily. But you have 2 options, typical aftermarket crap seals or poor installation, its one or the other. Cause yeah the vfr seals are about the longest longevity seals Ive seen, so why risk aftermarket crap, I don't see the reasoning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Cogswell Posted October 18, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted October 18, 2014 If you've ever thought about a suspension upgrade, since they have to come off again this might be the perfect time to have them done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Ranger77 Posted October 18, 2014 Author Member Contributer Share Posted October 18, 2014 If you've ever thought about a suspension upgrade, since they have to come off again this might be the perfect time to have them done. Im a small guy. Ive never hated the stock ride. Plus I wouldnt know what to change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer MBrane Posted October 19, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted October 19, 2014 When you get them apart, get a very fine hard Arkansas stone and check the fork legs for burrs in the area where the seals move. Could have a small stone ding that did in the new seals. You'll feel the ding with the stone, but it won't scratch the chrome surface. That's why you use a very fine hard Arkansas stone. +1 make sure there are no burrs on the tubes. Put some plastic wrap over the tube ends when sliding the new seals on, and use plenty of fork oil as lube. Pack the space between the oil, and dust seals with grease to catch anything that gets past the dust seal. Lastly keep the tubes clean, and use a little fork oil on the dust seals to keep 'em from drying out. BTW I learned all this the hard way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spud786 Posted October 19, 2014 Share Posted October 19, 2014 You can get the oem kit, that comes with seal and dust cover for about $12 or so (online), keep in mind you need 2 kits if doing both legs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timmythecop Posted October 19, 2014 Share Posted October 19, 2014 Every mechanic I know recommends OEM seals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VFRBert Posted October 19, 2014 Share Posted October 19, 2014 Seals should not be hard to sit a piece of pvc tube should do the trick, so i think they were of poor quality. Buy o.e.m. and youre trouble should be over. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Mohawk Posted October 19, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted October 19, 2014 Boy, I said boy, you're supposed to fill those tyres with air, not oil ! Said in a foghorn leghorn voice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer YoshiHNS Posted October 19, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted October 19, 2014 I've used SKF seals and so far so good. They are 2x OEM prices, but figured I'd give them a shot on the track bike. Used OEMs on the VFRs before no problems. Don't forget to check your bushings if you didn't the first time around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Terry Posted October 19, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted October 19, 2014 If I could add my 2 cents worth... Fork seals that sit unused for long periods of time can start to leak all on their own. It is a common issue for motorcycle dealers with stock that sits on the showroom floor. Something you could try (costs nothing and won't make it worse) is to slide a very fine feeler gauge between the fork leg and seal and work it around the tube. This can (sometimes) dislodge a little bit of grit that is causing the leak. Here's an article that talks about the very same idea: http://rideapart.com/articles/easy-fork-seal-repair The second point I will make is that fork oil leaking into the brake calliper is a Bad Thing; the oil soaks into the brake pad and causes a loss of friction, which might explain your comment about "wooden brakes". You could try pulling the pads out and hitting them with brake cleaner but in my experience that doesn't completely restore the pads, so I'd be thinking about some new pads at this point. If you do replace your seals just make sure that you install them the right way up. Go on, ask me how I know! A decent length of PVC pipe and a rubber mallet make for an easy fork seal driver. Just make sure the PVC pipe is cut off very square. You can put the old seal on top of the new seal to drive on; that avoids the possibility of damaging the new seal. You can use a little rubber grease on the new seal to help it into its new home smoothly.Another tip is to put a piece of plastic bag over the top to the fork tube when you slip the new seals on; again that avoids the chance of tearing the lip of the seal on the top of the tube. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Ranger77 Posted October 20, 2014 Author Member Contributer Share Posted October 20, 2014 I use 35mm film to get funk out. I have one oem set when I bought a binch of spare parts from a guy but I dont k iw how old the kit is. Its been sealed this how time. Of course we dont know how old any of rubber oem parts are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEBSPEED Posted October 20, 2014 Share Posted October 20, 2014 In case you weren't convinced, I'll also recommend oem seals. And if it helps at all, I charge $200 to refurbish VFR forks with oem seals, bushings and oil. Not saying I can do them right now, just saying it might help for comparison's sake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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