Seal replacement on Ohlins forks

[bikelee]

Just noticed the fork seals are leaking on my Rossa's Ohlins. Easy fix ? Bike has 8700 miles and is 10 years old. I guess sh?t happens. I did replace the fork oil last February so the internals are not foreign to me. Are these forks prone to leakage ? Anyone ever fix these before ? Does anybody have any tips or tricks to fixing these. Any help would be appreciated.

I just had major surgery on my abdomen last month, so it may be awhile till I can tackle this. I want to save some money as I just had a clutch replaced and an oil leak in the tranny fixed and it was big bucks. I think I can fix these seals my self as long as no expensive special tools are needed.

Thanks guys. Leon

[gstallons]

Ohlins are the best fork on the planet. You need to replace the wipers , bushings and seals on these when you do this. Have a good clean work area and a service manual on hand. You might need a seal install tool to install the fork seals. Get them at MotionPro . Be sure to get a good quality fork oil and install the correct amount of oil .

[mznyc]

Seals on the Scura were recalled for leaking.Assuming those were sorted for yours.Pro Pilot in NJ rebuilt mine when PO had it and they have 22K on them no problems,so 9k doesn't sound long enough for me.As Gene says,do it yourself or send it to the pros with winter coming as I would do.

[GuzziMoto]

I think at this point age is a bigger factor in the seals leaking. And lower mileage may actually be worse as without some use the seals just sit there and dry out.

But to have to replace the fork seals on any 10 year old bike regardless of the brand forks is perfectly normal. Just use quality seals and oil when you replace them. Some people have used a Suzuki seal instead of the OEM Ohlins seal. Reportedly the Suzuki seal last longer and is less prone to leakage, but you would loose a little of the ride quality of the Ohlins as part of the equation is the low stiction of an Ohlins fork seal.

[Baldini]

I think at this point age is a bigger factor in the seals leaking. And lower mileage may actually be worse as without some use the seals just sit there and dry out.

But to have to replace the fork seals on any 10 year old bike regardless of the brand forks is perfectly normal. Just use quality seals and oil when you replace them. Some people have used a Suzuki seal instead of the OEM Ohlins seal. Reportedly the Suzuki seal last longer and is less prone to leakage, but you would loose a little of the ride quality of the Ohlins as part of the equation is the low stiction of an Ohlins fork seal.

This

I've replaced seals 4 times in

Concluded that long periods of standing will reduce seal life.

Ohlins are designed for optimum performance with short service intervals. Seals are manfactured with low stiction in mind rather than longevity.

No sp tools needed. Ohlins fork top nut tool is nice but can be bodged. I use a strip of alloy plate across opening when prying out seal, to avoid damaging fork leg. Careful of small needle valve flying out of damper tube & getting lost on workshop floor if over-enthusiastic when pumping forks to remove oil.

KB

[earemike]

If you want OEM seals don't forget the 2006 Yamaha R1 LE ran ohlins forks with the same seals. Apart from being cheaper getting them through a Yamaha dealer (in my neck of the woods)  was also much quicker than the regional Guzzi shop.

[bikelee]

I finally fixed the forks !! Yea ! It was a pain in the ass but i finally got them done. I bought the Motion Pro seal install tool, Ohlins fork oil and a seal and wiper kit from Kyle Racing. Nice folks !  Took me most of a Saturday afternnoon. These videos from Youtube were a big help:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cX7mASNcDVg. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADRNjEnGPvI. The forks in this video are very similar to the ones used on the Rossa, Scura and some Sport models.

Just some observations from my experience. I know they are Ohlins forks but do not be intimidated. You do not need any Ohlins special tools. Just take your time, have a clean, uncluttered work area. If I can do this anybody can.

Watch the videos ! I know the they are long but contain a lot of good info. I could not have done this without them. Gave me a lot of confidence.

Have a pin wrench handy. Got mine at Amazon.com

Get the motion Pro seal installer. Makes the job much easier.

When installing the seals, heat the fork tube to about 150 degrees F. Makes the installation a little easier. (same thing when removing the old seals. Use a little heat ).

Before working on the forks, while they are still in the triple trees, loosen the fork caps with a pin wrench. Then when they are off the bike, you can spin them off easily.

I made a simple wooden vise (it is shown in the video ) to hold the forks when in a regular vise to avoid scaring or distorting the tubes.

As I like the action of my forks, I measured the amount of fluid that came out of 1 fork and put the same amount of new fluid back in. Saves a lot of trying to figure out oil height etc.

Hope this helps someone else.

Everyone have a safe and happy Thanksgiving.

Any questions, let me know. I am by no means an "expert". But I will try to help if i can.

Leon

[doug m]

If you want to save your seals it is a good idea to install a set of fork slider covers, such as seal savers. They keep dirt, bugs, and grime from working its way through your seals.They will protect your sliders from rock pitting also.I have not replaced a seal since installing them  years ago..Definitely download an ohlins manual.Couple of notes;   Note the number of turns your preload nut is set at, before you back it all the way out for disassembly. you can do this while still mounted on bike.Once the top assembly is pulled out you have to undo the nut that is just above the tube by pushing or holding down tube to expose the top nut and then loosening the top preload nut.  You may have to hold the top assembly tool on while loosening the two nuts (spring preload and nut under tube).      ## note nut under tube is about 3 or 4  threads up from  bottom which is approx. where assembly bottoms out when screwing on to piston rod.. Once apart you can pull apart upper and lower tubes.  It is agood idea to measure your oil level before and after assembly/  Rinse forks with fresh oil and drain again...solvent may damage the seals.