Fork seals???

[StPeters21]

No your not rude but I have had everyone I know look at these forks. They have done this since the first month I have had it. I have replaced all the other parts, no nicks in the tubes, they just leak after every 4-6 rides depending on the track conditions. I have tried every seal, oil and trick out there along with everyone else that have worked on them they just leak.

That is crazy. Seems that there is something going on there that is a faulty part. Have you replaced your bushings?

Is the track sandy? Or is there a lot of mulch in the track? What is the typical track conditions there...I would imagine they are similar to what I ride on. I'm in the midwest.

[Wes Woodin]

What fork seals do you guys recommend?? I haven't had my 06' YZ450 for 5 months, and have been through 2 sets and the 3rd just started leaking... I have been having my brother do them and I think he is using parts unlimited seals. He says they are great on his kawi... I dunno.

I like the ones factory connection ofers.

[Inspectahdef]

I've had similar problems with my 2008 yz450f. Just about every 8 hours one of my forks leaks. My quick-fix has been to take a clean, thin sheet of plastic (tear-off or other semi rigid film), and jam it into the fork seals. Once I've got the plastic strip under the seals, i work my way around the circumference until i've gone atleast one full circle. This clears out whatever dirt has hung up the seal.

Just because your seals leak often doesn't mean that they are in need of replacement. Chances are its just a piece of dirt or debris that is caught under the seal, allowing oil to escape.

Also, don't forget to lower your dust seals often and clean & grease the tubes beneath them.

[osheen]

There's more to it than that. Outer chamber oil in the '05 and later models is the oil used for the bottoming resistance. As the bottom of the cartridge nears the end of its travel, it enters a cone shaped pocket at the bottom of the outer tube. Heavier oil here increases bottoming resistance, but also increases the harshness of the bottoming event a little. I do run a heavier oil in the outers vs. inners. It should be noted that if the fork is bottomed frequently, the pressure spike in the forcing cones at the bottom of the cartridge causes some outer chamber oil to be forced into the inner chamber past the seals. So, the fluids should be as compatible with each other as possible if two different ones are used, and changed a bit more often under those circumstances to maintain consistency of fork performance.

I just knnneeww someone would blast me about that, which I agree is true, but for the average (insensitive) guy wouldn't be noticeable. I wouldn't myself run anything too thick.....

[mywifefarts]

No your not rude but I have had everyone I know look at these forks. They have done this since the first month I have had it. I have replaced all the other parts, no nicks in the tubes, they just leak after every 4-6 rides depending on the track conditions. I have tried every seal, oil and trick out there along with everyone else that have worked on them they just leak.

You are definately not alone. I ride an '07 YZF and have come to accept regular seal replacement as a way of life. 4-6 good rides sounds about right. Like you I inspect my tubes for nicks but also after a day at the track I wash my bike and hand dry my tubes to eliminate water spots. Over the years I've been riding I've been through all of the maintainance rituals like cleaning the wipers and pacing with grease, cleaning without packing with grease' cleaning between leaky seals with scraping device, trying numerous brands of seals etc. In the end the result remains the same. Although the OEM KYB's always work best for me. I don't know where you ride but I ride in a mixture of clay and loam. The loam is wet and sticky and no mater what will always find it's way up there. Wet cly can be just as bad. I don't have the energy to fight the inevitable so I end up taking my forks apart often, wich is O.K. with me. Also someone mentioned fork savers. I think there's an intended maintainance/cleaning routine for those too.