One fork leg leaking after new seals - wrong way round?

[stay_upright]

I replaced dust and oil seals on my Marzocchi's and one leg appears to be leaking/weeping after 1 race.

I'm wondering if the oil seal could have been put in upside down? I know the seals are not symmetrical (I checked) but I could not find any info on if there is a specific way round to put it?

Any other suggestions?

[GMP]

Did you wrap the end of the tube with tape or cover it with a heavy plastic baggie and grease it before sliding the seals on? If not, likely you nicked a seal lip. Also, you can damage the seals driving them in the slider with the wrong driver or some other ghetto/hack method.

[stay_upright]

Used tape and grease - all slid on fine. Did not have a $$$ marzocchi driver but did use two pieces of plastic water pipe cut in half and was as gentle as I could be - looks like I need to strip it again and inspect it?

[ferguscawley]

Oil seals need to be installed with the side of the seal that has writing on it facing the air (ie staying dry)

[GMP]

Making your own PVC pipe driver in fine, as long as you bevel the inside edges to clear the seal lip when it contacts the seal. If you didn't, I'd bet thats your problem (damaged seal). My buddy did the same thing with his WPs rather than wait for me to help him, one ride, leaking seal. Drivers aren't that expensive, I picked up a dual use (45 Zoke/43 WP) seal and bushing driver for less than $40 US. Zoke seals seen to fit a lot tighter in the sliders than WPs, so it makes the job a lot eaiser. Even if its pricey in the UK get a couple guys to split the cost.

[gasmonkey]

My goofy mate put both oil seals around the wrong way on his wp's.On the first ride the oil just flooded out on both legs.He was highly embarrased and rushed to fit new seals the next day.
Your situation sounds like a nicked lip on inner part of seal.
Not a big deal but can happen.

[stay_upright]

Just refitting the oil seal now, the bike hadn't been used much since I last fitted teh seals 2 or 3 times but it had lost a surprising amount of oil.

I've inspected the seal and there's no damage to it so the plastic driver has not harmed it.

[gasser]

You could have had a speck of dust in your grease or on your plastic when you installed the new seal - or you could have gotten it under your seal during your 1st ride. Since there was no damage to the seal only 2 possible reasons foe fluid loss come to mind: (1) some foreign object under the seal lip and (2) pressure build up causing the oil to be blown past the seal. Zooks aren't bad to build up pressure (I almost never bleed mine) but WPs are.

[stay_upright]

I think Feugus had it right - the seal was the wrong way round - a quick bounce up anfd down on teh fork and everything looks good, a ride will tell properly.

[Boomhauer]

Originally Posted by GMP

other ghetto/hack method.

Glenn you just made me spit my soda on my computer! That is too funny!

Thanks for the laugh buddy!