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Another fork seal ?

3K views 13 replies 7 participants last post by  Cloud 9 
#1 ·
Just tore down my forks to replace seals. The seals and washers underneath the seals were both put on different by po. One of the seals, the writing was facing up, one was facing down. Same with the washer, the flat part was up on one down on the other.

Anyone know which way they are supposed go?

Thanks for your time!
 
#2 ·
Wow.

With the washers I haven't ever found it to really matter so long as they are free of damage/burrs, but the seals are certainly uni-directional. The large side of the seal (with the writing stamped on it) should face the dry side of the fork. I -think- the service manual has an illustration of which they should go.... did you check in the front fork section for that?

It's hard for me to find how to explain it, but almost all shaft oil seals in this type of application have seal faces that are asymmetrical... you can see which side would be better for wiping (cleaning the shaft), and which side would be better at holding fluid pressure (sealing) by the way the face of the seal, erm, "faces", and the direction of the taper off the face of the seal.

Too confusing?
 
#3 ·
Rub your finger over the edge of the washer, youll feel a sharp edge on one side and a rounded off side on the other. The sharp edge always goes against the seal, and the the rounded off part always goes towards the tube.

As for the seal I dont have one infront of me to look at. Hopefully someone can chime in.
 
#6 ·
When changing the seals should you also change the washer an snap pin?:dontknow:
 
#11 ·
You guys have any pix of the washer an snap pin?
 
#13 · (Edited)
The washers don't really matter, but the 'sharp' side is marginally flatter and supports the seal better if you want to be pedantic. But the seal's orientation is critical, the 'open' side of the seal (as mentioned previously, one side has all the no's etc on it, the other is hollow, or open) must go towards the pressure side (inside the fork), it expands the seal against, in this case, the fork leg, and helps it seal against the pressure trying to escape past the sealing lip(s).
 
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