Fork seal and anti dive question

1) Did my fork seals last year roughly and i look today to what seems so be a slight leak and im curious if my seals are bad or just have a little piece of dirt inhibiting the seal that could be moved with a thin piece of plastic.

2) Been working on my brakes and ive seen fluid coming out of the top hat portion of the anti dive unit and im really considering just buying the plates they have for them just to completely get rid of them. i doubt they work since i've never rebuilt them and i dont wanna deal with any issues in the future.

i guess more or less im looking for opinions. im pretty discouraged at having the do it all over again at the moment.

 

1: Use a peice of plastic cut from a 2 liter soda bottle, Cut that peice into a curved hook and use that to clean out the crud from your seals. Also carefully inspect your fork tubes for nicks. Even a small imperfection will cause the seals to leak.

2: The anti-dive can be removed without disassembling the forks (you will need to refill the fork oil afterward though). BY top hat do you mean the adjuster that is at the bottom of the unit, or do you mean the upper part that the banjo fitting is on, or do you mean the bleeder? Here is the exploded view: http://xjbikes.com/forums/index.php?threads/anti-dive-fork-explosion.41895/

 

i used a piece of film. wiped the forks. inserted film. rotated 5 times then pulled out and wiped it down again. inserted dust cap. then i did a pump and i got oil so i wiped it down and pumped again and no oil on the forks after. probably from riding with no fender gonna keep an eye on it for any leaks now.

ive had it off but i just dont know if its worth rebuilding. ive been splattered by it the first time because i forgot about the 3-5 psi i had put in and since i was a noob to it i didnt know oil ran there haha. it was leaking at the top hat which i mean by where the banjo fitting connects. and it was leaking while i had the system under pressure for brake bleeding (pumped till pressure then tied to the handle) for a night so i could get air bubbles.

 

The anti-dives are not hard to rebuild, they mostly "don't work" because everyone neglects them for 30+ years or so........they are relaly rather simple devices, we've got all the necessary parts/seals/etc. needed to rebuild them.

 

but i mean should the part with the banjo fitting be leaking were it bolts to the fork part if i have it under pressure for the night?

 

The entire anti-dive assembly is bolted to the lower fork tube, and no it should not leak at that interface, ever. If it does, it is because the 2 o-rings that seal the assembly to the lower tube are bad (or, the retaining bolts are loose!).

If you are talking about where the brake hose ("banjo fitting") is attached to the anti-dive assembly, a leak there typically indicate worn crush washers, which can be easily replaced (or, the union bolt is loose!).

I'm not sure what is meant by "have it under pressure for the night"? The only time pressure occurs in the system is when the brake lever is engaged, i.e. when braking.

 

its not at the bolt. its where the banjo fitting goes to the anti dive. ive been bleeding brakes so i pump them up and tie the handle to keep pressure on. helps with getting the air bubbles out

 

i need some help how do you get 31 . 66 apart? i found one was leaking oil and not brake fluid.

 

You unbolt 29•64, one bolt on each side of the antidive assembly. You may need to nudge it with a rubber mallet as the o-rings will be a bit sticky after 30 years time. You will need a drain pan, as the entire fork leg will now be open and the oil will drain. At this point you may want to consider a full teardown and inspection of the fork since there are other bits that are also 30 years old.

A very good guide: http://xjbikes.com/forums/index.php?threads/doing-the-750-secas-forks-rebuild-now-a-how-to.18730/

 

forks have done been torn apart last year i redid the fork seals. i just neglected the anti dives. which is biting me in the ass right now. the anti dives are off already i just need to know where to begin tear down. is it a c clip below the rubber?

 

The rubber on the bottom is a cap that covers the adjusting knob. The knob completely unscrews to gain access to the anti-dive valving (be careful, it is a fine thread and is under spring pressure just like a fork cap). The upper section comes apart via the screws (32•67 in the above diagram) near the banjo fitting. The upper section contains the a small piston (which is likely stuck as it does not get flushed well during a normal brake fluid change) and associated seals that actuates the anti-dive valve when the front brakes are used. The lower contains the anti-dive valving and associated seals.

 

well heres the problem. the adjustment screws are seized in and i may have broke the slot for a screw driver ok ok i actually did. all the pistons work surprisingly just not good enough. i can see how to take apart the upper part but the bottom part is what im bamboozled on. i cant figure how to get it apart. i would of thought a c clip on top which slides the whole unit through the top of the bottom unit.

 

ok i appreciate your help but i figured out where they hid the little bugger. i pressed all the way around the seal and stuck a screw driver in the tip and gently pried until... now comes time to take apart and clean... so anyone know a good replacement for the little screw bit i broke trying to turn the adjuster or am i just gonna have to wing er

 

That is very interesting. Your adjuster looks entirely different from mine.

[EDIT] I goofed big time. I totally missed your sig line and that you have a 900. The anti dive unit on the XJ900 is somewhat different from the 750 unit. My apologies.

 

Which piece did you break?

 

lol its no problem k-moe. im looking at all the links you guys are giving and im like "this is entirely different! is mine aftermarket or something?"
the adjustment screw on the bottom under the removable cap. not to be confused with the rubber i showed in the 2 previous pictures. :/ it had the really small and fragile slot in it for a flat head and i tried turning it and it was seized and i broke the slot.

(not mine but this guy)

 

We should have a replacement available, drop us a note for more info and pricing, etc.