[Mark_h]

Update and seeking more advice.


Right then..... Main fork seals still not leaking. New dust seals look pretty. However still leaking oil out of one of the top-caps. Fork bounces up and down so clearly it's got an air gap. Maybe not the right air-gap, but it has an air gap.


I took the top cap off and the o-ring looked in good condition and no signs of grit or chewing up . Cleaned it all up, torqued it down to the correct torque, put everything back together again and it still leaks. Have ordered a new o-ring but not convinced it's going to make a lot of difference.


Significant problem is that working on the forks requires me to work on them together as the mudguard is pretty much welded on.


So without too much grief, if I wanted to check the oil level, how would I do it with a fork leg full of springs and other gubbins you are supposed to take out to fill them up? Does anyone know the oil level of a correctly filled leg with all the gubbins fitted but the wheel unloaded or some other measurement I can take without stripping the internals?


Also, When you take the top cap off it only lifts a couple of inches then hits a lot of resistance. It feels like if you pull and twist and pull and twist it will eventually some all the way off but not sure if this is correct. Are these symptoms of bigger fork problems or is the top cap effectively held captive by the preload mechanism?


If I just take out a few syringe-full of oil and see if it still leaks, any idea what that would do to the handling while out for diagnostic rides?


I feel I'm getting out of my depth a little. Maybe just keep a cloth wedged in the headlamp and wipe oil up until it stops leaking out.