forks leaking oil

[Barton]

Took the bike for its MOT today, strapped it down with ratchet strap from handle bar to loading eye in floor of van. When I got home stuck bike in garage, went out to fit map switch and both fork , legs have oil dripping from them.
Are thre any special tools needed to strip and fit new seals.

[britishgas]

Originally Posted by Barton

Took the bike for its MOT today, strapped it down with ratchet strap from handle bar to loading eye in floor of van. When I got home stuck bike in garage, went out to fit map switch and both fork , legs have oil dripping from them.
Are thre any special tools needed to strip and fit new seals.

no need to fit new seals get an old negative from a camera film , slide the dust seal down on your forks ,slide the film between the seal and the fork then move up and down in a sawing action move right around the fork , this will trap the dirt or foriegn object in the film , or you can buy a tool on ebay here is the item number 130964523519 {it looks quite easy to make one} , anyway 99.9 percent of the time this will cure leaking seals

[Barton]

I will give it a try. Dont understand how it can go from standing in the garage ok to leaking in the van

[sevenfourate]

Originally Posted by Barton

I will give it a try. Dont understand how it can go from standing in the garage ok to leaking in the van

"......strapped it down with ratchet strap from handle bar to loading eye in floor of van"...................would be the clue i suspect.

Ive always been told not to do this, but to maybe put a piece of wood etc between top of front wheel and underneath of mudguard; before ratcheting down to prevent excess pressure being put on the seals.

If the forks were already pulled down hard, and then the bike is movng about, there only one place for any forces building up in the forks to go: Straight out past the weakest point. ie: The seals.

[Barton]

Wel may be but have always transported bikes in this way from my schoolboy mx days right up to retirement in 1990 and never a problem with showa, kyaba, and wp. So as something changed in the milinium as how forks are assembled.
With the bike on a box stand there is oil running down the leg leaving quite a pool of oil. Isnt the oil at The bottom of the leg below seal level.