Fork Seal Debris

Hi folks,

Anyone who has seen my gallery will guess at the condition of the fork seals.

So, I tried to get the first one out this evening, replacements ready. A piece of rubber just came away in a shard, the inner spring disappeared over my shoulder.

Now I'm left with most of it in there, and it's like welded to the metal by hard packed rust. I don't want to start carving it out with a screwdriver. No way is it coming out as a piece.

Can I immerse it in something overnight ? Burn it out ? Boiling water ?

Sugestions please, and thanks.

 

I just used the upper fork tube as a slide hammer to pop out the old seal. Took a few pulls but the old seal popped out in one piece.

 

It doesn't need to come out as a piece. It's junk. Treat it like junk. Just protect the finish on the tube with some duct tape and pry it out of there.

Grab on to whatever you can and chunk-it out.

Grind sharp points on some good-sized nails and tap the nails between the edge of the seal and the tube ... until you can get a tool in there and pry it out like a diseased tooth.

Pay more attention to not bunging-up the tube and have no mercy on the old seal.

It went it. It comes out!

 

Thanks guys - I guess not being in any hurry, I was happy to avoid the risk of gouging or scoring the tube, by letting something eat away at it overnight.

I did the best thing possible - went away and had a cup of coffee. When I came back half an hour later out it popped within seconds... a lesson there.

 

Patience grasshopper...

 

Nothing would have "Ate" it! It's solid aluminum. I love aluminum!

 

Er, I meant I'd rather let something eat away at the rubber overnight, than hurry and gouge the alu. ;-)