Has anbody ever tried Leak Proof fork seals?

Last time I thought about replacing fork seals, I asked the parts guy
at the Screwzuki $teaker$hip if he had Leak Proof fork seals on hand.

He didn't have them, so I postponed the replacement.

This is what Leak Proof claims:

Leak Proof Fork Seals
All Leak Proofâ„¢ Seals are made in the USA and include a Manufacturer's
Lifetime Guarantee. Sold in pairs. Teflon-coated to reduce seal drag
by up to 80%. Pro-Moly Fork Seals Superior to other moly fork seals
with a thin coating of moly which wears off. Made of a special rubber/
moly blend that results in a permanent 20% reduction in stiction for
smoother action and less wear on sealing surfaces. American Classicâ„¢
Fork Seals Patented ‘Pressure Balanced’ design floats in the seal
cavity adjusting to varying pressure spikes under all conditions for
longer life and less drag.

http://www.motohaus.com/html/seals/leakproof intro.htm

In 1970 Leak Proof Fork Seals were introduced to the Motorcycle
industry - at first only a few applications were available, mostly for
dirt bikes. The popularity of these fork seals also created a huge
demand for seals for the ever popular street bikes. Leak Proof Seals
responded by making fork seals for more and more makes and models of
motorcycle.

So popular were Leak Proof Seals that at one time they were OEM
replacement seals for Triumph and Husqvana.

Now, over 25 years later, Leak Proof Seals manufacturers fork seals
for virtually every motorcycle made!

Advanced Design From Hydraulics Technology
Leak Proof Seals patented 'PRESSURE BALANCED' design performs unlike
any ordinary fork seal. Made of state-of-the-art material, the seal is
allowed to float in the seal cavity, adjusting automatically to
varying pressure 'spikes' under all conditions, thus resulting in
longer seal life and substantially less seal drag (stiction).

'Push Fit' Installation
Leak Proof Seals feature easy 'PUSH FIT' installation unlike stock
seals which are 'PRESS FIT' and often require special tools to remove
and install. Leak Proof Seals are pliable and can easily be installed
with just the forefinger and thumb, making it problem free for the
shop mechanic or do-it-yourself consumer. Detailed instructions are
included with every kit.

Lifetime Guarantee
Provided that the seals have been correctly installed and the
associated fork components are in serviceable condition, each and
every set of Leak Proof Seals is backed by our LIFETIME GUARANTEE.

Inventory And Packaging
Because Leak Proof Seals cross reference to many makes and models,
dealer inventory can be kept to a minimum while covering a large
number of motorcycles. For example, 20 of our most popular Leak Proof
Seals part numbers cross reference to over 200 OEM part numbers of the
four Japanese manufacturers. They are simply a must for the multiple
brand dealership!

Leak Proof Re-Invents The Fork Seal
With the Competition Dirt and Street rider in mind, we have developed
the new Leak Proof PRO-MOLY fork seal. Originally, we took our basic
Leak Proof Seals and applied a thin coating of moly. While this
process has helped reduce stiction, the moly coating was susceptible
to wear and would eventually wear through. Now, we have produced a
material consisting of a rubber/moly blend which provides permanent
moly performance lasting the lifetime of the seal. This results in
over 20% reduction in stiction over the stock seal.

Our PRO-MOLY line is also backed by our unique LIFETIME GUARANTEE and
is packaged in four colour, bright neons. We have selected our 25 most
popular dirt and street seals for production in our unique moly blend.
Leak Proof Seals
Performance under Pressure

 

<snip>

Jeez, just post a url next time....

All seals will leak eventually, some time. God's immutable law. I find
it hard to believe that aftermarket ones will be significantly better
than units fitted as OE, but if they're cheap and available, why not
try them?

 

I tried them on my RZ-350 and my VF750S Sabre. They worked, and yes,
they were easier to install, which is why I became interested in them.

They never leaked and they never came back out, so I guess that would be
a positive sign. I was worried if they were that easy to install, then
they might be easy to blow out.

However, after all my leaky seal problems is when I started using fork
gaiters, so that may also have helped things not leak.

-gc

 

http://www.motohaus.com/html/seals/road listings/suzuki road.htm

Wow. Do they really have nothing newer than 1998?

I looked at the Honda listing too.

Maybe this is why your dealer doesn't stock them?

Obviously this makes "Leak Proof Seals manufacturers fork seals for
virtually every motorcycle made!" total bullshit.

-gc

 

I usually don't post an URL, unless I am going to discuss the subject
at length.

Some users on other groups find amusing web sites in their idle
surfing, and they post
links in messages with enigmatic subject lines.

I could spend my whole day, sniffing their trail, without gaining any
useful knowledge whatever.

 

I dunno. Maybe?

www.motohaus.com may not be Leak Proof's own website. Motohaus.com
also hosted an overly-active motorcycle e-mail group that I once
subscribed to. I used to delete 300 unread e-mails from them every
day.

Leak Proof seals were listed in the 2006 Tucker Rocky catalog.

 

But you did ;-)

 

wrote

I tried some "leak proof" (no idea if it is the same outfit) fork seals
years ago, and they were so bloody tight around the stanchions the front
suspension wouldn't move.
Waste of time and money.

 

Do you do it any other way?

 

Given the choice between verbosity and vagueness, I prefer the former.

 

<snip>
*************************************************************
I've had bad results from leakproof seals, both in dirt bikes (tried
several times on various dirt bikes from early '80s to 2000 models)
and street bikes (late '80s.) Leakproof seals have invariably
started leaking earlier than the more "conventional" fork seals.

They were all installed correctly.

The best, and longest lasting, fork seals that I have used are the
Japanese NOK fork seals. They are generally more expensive, but well
worth it.

If they are not available for your bike, you might try the
inexpensive K&S fork seals. I have had pretty good service out of
them; but not nearly the same service as from NOK seals.


Wudsracer/Jim Cook
Smackover Racing
'06 Gas Gas DE300
'82 Husqvarna XC250
Team LAGNAF

 

Wudsracer wrote

 

Wudsracer wrote

 

I think you have it backwards. TOG wants to debate for the sake of the
game, rather than discuss the objective merit of supposedly "leak
proof" fork seals,
which he has never used.

If my web browser is set to display the format of this group in
English, the threads are called "Discussions". If I set my browser to
display the format in Spanish, the threads are called "Debates".

"Debate" sounds more like an invitation to argue, but, when I read
Spanish language newsgroups, I find that the participants are usually
quite well behaved, compared to the participants of English language
groups.

Discussion and debate are words with similar meanings.

To "discuss" something involves taking the subject apart and analyzing
it.

Discussions should take place without ad hominem attacks.

To "debate" also involves analysis of the subject, but it goes further
than analysis. Debate involves apparently logical rhetoric and
maneuvering to somehow cause one debator to accept the other debator's
viewpoint.

Many debators believe that somebody should somehow "win" the debate.
But two debators often have a clash of logic and rhetoric and part
with neither side having changed their original point of view.

What actually happens, is that the "loser" in the debate considers
better arguments and tries to "win" the next discussion, because he
firmly believes in certain ideas.

Somebody once said that ideas were neutral, but rigidly-held beliefs
caused wars...

Yes, I most certainly did introduce the topic with a succinct
question. That's the way interesting technical discussions are often
started.

And I posted Leak Proof's claims to see if anybody could argue
directly with
their ideas about fork seals. I have never used Leak Proof fork seals,
so far as I can recall.

I did NOT want to get into meta-discussion over how this group should
be used or who should be allowed to offer their experience or
knowledge of the subject, or how long-winded the post should be.

I wanted to hear from people who had actually used Leak Proof seals.
So far,
I've heard from about three people who've used them, two responses
were negative, and one response indicated that fork gaiters may have
kept leakage from occuring by excluding road grime.

If you have ever used Leak Proof fork seals and want to share your
experience, then please do so.

 

"Advanced Design From Hydraulics Technology
Leak Proof Seals patented 'PRESSURE BALANCED' design performs unlike
any ordinary fork seal. Made of state-of-the-art material, the seal
is
allowed to float in the seal cavity, adjusting automatically to
varying pressure 'spikes' under all conditions, thus resulting in
longer seal life and substantially less seal drag (stiction)."

The above statement from Leak Proof made me wonder if fork oil
wouldn't just weep past the outer perimeter of the seal as it
"floated" in the seal cavity.

Did you ever observe any such leakage?

 

**************************************************

*************************************************************
First, before I reply, I hope that you all will indulge me a short
"side note".:

This is a very good and instructive group. I've started posting here
to hopefully pay back some of what I have gained by lurking in the
background. The assembled knowledge and experience here is truly a
resource.

I originally started looking in here when the flame wars and drivel
got to be to much for me to find all the tech content that I crave on
rmd, which is still my "home group" and primary group.
(I have been posting there since 1996, and have between 6 & 8K posts
there in that time period, from different profiles. Not all of it is
worthwhile reading, but I have nearly always tried to take the high
road in my discussion participation.)

Each of the principle posters here has posted information which has
helped me, both in my former business and in my pastime (obsession)
for keeping both my bikes and my friends' bikes in good working order.

From the first paragraph of this post, one can easily surmise that i
don't care much for flame wars or what I consider to be petty
bickering.
Not knowing everyone, it is hard to tell where the line is between
friends ragging on friends and simple petty trollish bickering.

I'm bringing all this up, because lately I have seen more and more
antagonism filter through the posts here. It worries me, as I want to
keep getting all the resources from this group that I can possibly
get.
I want this newsgroup to stay healthy and grow.

Even though I can see everyone's (I mean everyone's) point in what
they say, that doesn't mean that we can't agree to disagree in a
congenial manner.
Why can't we all just throw out (contribute) the info that we can
share, and then pick it apart in a logical, factual, and constructive
manner, without animosity.

Personally, a lot of my information is from what others have shared
with me. A lot of it comes from my personal experiences from 45 years
of riding and working on my own bikes. (I am currently 54 year of
age.) A whole lot of my info comes from running a general motorcycle
and atv shop for nine of the last ten years, and asking questions from
a lot of industry resources. The shop was primarily an off-road race
shop for dirtbikes and atvs, and a franchised GasGas dealership. We
also did some street bike repair, when we were talked into it, and the
shop work was slow.
(We closed the business last June 1st. All that is left of the shop
is some remaining inventory and the bulletin board from the web site.
http://www.smackovermotorsports.com/bb/index.php )

Nevertheless, I realize that I don't (and never will) know anywhere
near everything, and also realize that not everything that I think I
know is completely true. It is just the truth as I have come to
believe it to be.
I really like it when someone can correct me when I am incorrect,
and help me know what is correct.

Repeating myself, I want to thank each poster for the help that they
have (unknowingly) given me in the past in my capacity as a lurker.

I make this statement/plea to the group to please not let BS get in
the way of keeping this newsgroup the quality resource that it has
been to me.

Please pardon my long winded off-topic ramblings, and please take this
in the constructive way it was intended.

* * * * *

Now, to answer your questions.

On the different dirt bikes I have installed the leakproof seals,
they have always "weeped" at the sealing surface; and in one case a
seal blew out of it's seating area altogether. I think that the
momentum the seal gained by moving, just continued when the forks
bottomed ('87 430 WR Husky) and took out the keeper ring/clip with it
on the seal's way up the fork leg. That was the last time that I used
them on a friend's dirt bike.
I had better luck with the Leakproof seals on my old XV920RH ('81
Euro model) forks. Still, they started weeping and then leaking
within one year after installation. The OEM fork seals worked
perfectly for 6 years.

Except for the above mentioned incident where the fork seal traveled
up and out of it's seating area, I have not observed any leakage
around the outside of any Leakproof fork seals. (The range of movement
that the Leakproof seals require is only about 1/8", if I remember
correctly.)

I stand by my recommendation of NOK fork seals.

Good Riding to You.


Wudsracer/Jim Cook
Smackover Racing
'06 Gas Gas DE300
'82 Husqvarna XC250
Team LAGNAF

 

That's not what I said, though, is it?

So nothing to do with being made to look a fool again (wasn't it
something to do with your interpretation of what fibreglass was?) and
hoping nobody will notice your new persona, then?

 

Which is fairy nuff.

In many, many instances I find that OE is best. Seals, exhausts,
cables....

There are exceptions - suspension is a good instance, especially on
budget bikes. Brakes, sometimes. Bearings - almost always available
elsewhere, to the same quality, and cheaper. Electrical items.

But for serious stuff, it's always wise to assume that the manufacturer
knows better than you do.

 

I don't know what fiberglass is? Hah!

Pay close attention now. I was laminating fiberglass for aerospace
vehicles when you were still making model airplanes. Some of the
fiberglass that I laid up in 1968 went to the Moon and back in 1969.

 

But it wasn't a thermosetting plastic? (Or whatever it was pointed out
to be?)

Look, cheer up, chill out. Morphing constantly is the hallmark of a
troll, and you ain't that. You're knowledgeable - with the distressing
tendency to make howling errors and then try to walk away from them. Get
over that hump, and your utility rate will increase a hundred-fold.