Front fork question

[Thadbaker86voyager]

Front forks are working a small amount of oil out of the top caps when riding. Not enough to run down the shock just oily around the caps. Previous owner changed front and rear shocks to progressive. Looked under plastics caps, and no pool of oil. At first I thought it was just extra oil spilled when refilling, but keeps coming back. What should I look for?

[triton28]

Sounds as though one, or both, of the fork spring seat o-ring/s may be nicked/damaged/missing.
The only other item at the top of the forks which could leak would be the air balance tube just under the top triple tree. This has 4 o-rings, 1 above and 1below the air hole machined into the top of each fork leg.
Dave

[Nails]

I don't know that I've ever had a bike that didn't leak a little like that.
Perhaps little pits are sliding past the seal.
I would have trouble getting concerned until we're talking volumes of oil -- I mean, when the remaining fork oil volume is becoming dubious.

[ghostler]

If touch more oil than normal, seals might need cleaning with Seatmate or reasonable facsimile cut from a gallon milk jug plastic.

[Thadbaker86voyager]

I thank you all for the input. I think the air tube manifold part for air is gone. Might be something there causing the leak. Anyway have some ideas now of what to look for.

[ghostler]

If a previous owner installed Progressive springs, those no longer require pressuring the fork shocks with air. When I did mine, I left the old pneumatic fill hose system intact. If he removed those, would have needed to cap off where removed. Therein may be the problem.

[paulezy]

How can you determine if my new 87 voyager has the progressive springs and shocks already?

[triton28]

Unless someone can attest that the springs are indeed either stock or Progressives, it will be necessary to remove the spring seat plug at the top of the fork tube and see if the only item under it is a spring.
If so then you have Progressive springs as the stock spring setup has a metal spacer on top of a metal disc/plug containing a brass oil filter, directly under the metal spacer, on top of the stock spring.
Dave

[ghostler]

Progressive springs don't require air pressure. They will maintain height and ride. You could check and see if there is any air pressure already applied, paulezy. If the bike rides fine without it, rides through road bumps and dips without mushing through them, doesn't dive on stopping, bike without air pressure is easy to drop and initially set the center stand before lifting, chances are you have Progressives.

When I got my 2001 bike in 2013, unbeknown to me, even at only 33,000 miles on the OD the OEM springs were already sagging even with pressure set to factory max. To compensate, previous owner had over twice the pressure applied, which is a good way to blow out the seals. Handling was poor, with diving on stopping, mushing through road irregularities, etc.

I'd say if there is air pressure, release it and ride, see how it handles. If it dives on braking, action is very mushy with excess motion on road irregularities, may be even bottoms out on good bumps, then you have OEM springs. As triton28 stated, the only other way is to disassemble the fork and physically check.

[voyager55]

http://www.abbikeboard.com/jeff/spring/spring.html

[ComputerGeek59]

I just installed progressive fork springs and rear shocks on my 98 voyager and am well pleased with the upgrade. The idea of not needing to worry about air pressure is also a nice benefit. Since having just gone through what you are talking about I suspect your problem is either the top plug o-ring, or the o-rings that seal the bracket where the air hoses attach to the fork tubes. Since there is an open hole at the top of each tube where the air pressure inflated the forks with the factory setup there is going to be leakage through that hole and if the o-rings are damaged. Either of these areas could be the source of you minor oil leak.

Good luck with finding the leak. Let us know how it goes!

Brad

[ComputerGeek59]

I just installed progressive fork springs and rear shocks on my 98 voyager and am well pleased with the upgrade. The idea of not needing to worry about air pressure is also a nice benefit. Since having just gone through what you are talking about I suspect your problem is either the top plug o-ring, or the o-rings that seal the bracket where the air hoses attach to the fork tubes. Since there is an open hole at the top of each tube where the air pressure inflated the forks with the factory setup there is going to be leakage through that hole and if the o-rings are damaged. Either of these areas could be the source of you minor oil leak.

Good luck with finding the leak. Let us know how it goes!

Brad

[Thadbaker86voyager]

Haven't had a chance to look into it in detail. However it appears that the top manifold where air pressure goes to the shocks, has been cut off and the holes welded..... might be leaking at bad weld or the o-rings as mentioned. Hopefully will get time to tear into it soon! I do have a parts bike with original air manifold. So could use it if needed.

[ComputerGeek59]

Haven't had a chance to look into it in detail. However it appears that the top manifold where air pressure goes to the shocks, has been cut off and the holes welded..... might be leaking at bad weld or the o-rings as mentioned. Hopefully will get time to tear into it soon! I do have a parts bike with original air manifold. So could use it if needed.

Sounds like that could be the problem area. Let us know how it turns out!

Brad

[paulezy]

I have been looking around to find the best way to check front fork air pressure and maintain it. Since it is such low pressure and I read somewhere that you dont want to use a "regular" (whatever that means) air pressure gauge nor high pressure air pump. What do you guys use to test and maintain air pressure?

[ghostler]

This is how I do it. Have a small hand pump suitable for inflating basketballs, footballs, soccer balls, etc., which also has a flexible tube and proper fitting. If it has a gauge, all the better. Lacking that, I use a standard hand held tire gauge that could read the lower end. Every time you use a gauge, you lose a little pressure. By checking a couple times will let you know how much and you can compensate by adding a touch more to compensate.

[voyager55]

You have to have a pump like this to get accurate results
http://www.progressivesuspension.com/pr ... gauge-pump

Best thing to do is get rid of the air forks & shocks thou. You'll get a much improved ride & handling plus no more air pressure to worry about

[cushman eagle]

I have a 2 gallon air transport tank and a 0-20 lb gauge.I pump up the tank just above the pressure that I want,then bleed it down to that pressure,apply the fitting,to the bike air chuck and the fork or shocks are where I want them.

[Thadbaker86voyager]

Finally got some time to take front end/shocks apart. It was the welds where previous owner cut off removed air tubes. Seals all good, re-welded where air tubes were, and no leaks! Wasn't to difficult to do either. Changed fork oil while I had it apart. I had the small antifreeze weep/leak at water manifold to block tube. Was easy to get radiator off, etc. with forks removed. Put new o-rings in and fixed that too! Those are a snug fit!! glad I got those items off my to do list!