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16-04-14, 09:11 AM
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#1 |
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Guest
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Old fork oil - different colours?
I changed my fork oil at the weekend and was a bit surprised when the old contents of each fork were completely different colours - one fork's oil was a sludgy grey liquidised brain kind of colour whilst the other's was a sludgy reddish brown evil curry sauce sort of colour. They also both (mostly) stayed separate from one another in the oil tray I poured them into.
Googling suggests this is not an entirely uncommon finding but I couldn't find much to explain why. The main theory I saw is that the factory put different types of oil in each fork (possibly even different grades). This would seem to be an obvious answer but it sounds a tad unlikely to me. Anyone know the answer? |
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16-04-14, 09:42 AM
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#2 |
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Member
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Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Troon, Ayrshire
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Re: Old fork oil - different colours?
Maybe it had a leaking fork seal at some point in the past and only the affected fork leg was dealt with. So could maybe be original oil in one leg and newer stuff in the other.
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16-04-14, 10:02 AM
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#3 |
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Guest
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Re: Old fork oil - different colours?
Can't say with absolute 100% certainty but I am 99% sure this is the first time the forks have been off the bike since new. Bike was just over a year old when I bought it with 3k on the clock so wouldn't have thought it would have had any fork work done in that time.
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16-04-14, 02:20 PM
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#4 |
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Member
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Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: here as devil's advocate
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Re: Old fork oil - different colours?
rust...
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16-04-14, 02:25 PM
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#5 |
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No, I don't lend tools.
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Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Skunk Works, Nth London
Posts: 8,680
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Re: Old fork oil - different colours?
Water contamination changes fork oil into weird colours and smells.
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If an SV650 has a flat tyre in the forest and no-one is there to blow it up, how long will it be 'til someone posts that the reg/rec is duff and the world will end unless a CBR unit is fitted? A little bit of knowledge = a dangerous thing. "a deathless anthem of nuclear-strength romantic angst" |
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16-04-14, 06:33 PM
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#6 | |
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Re: Old fork oil - different colours?
Quote:
Anyway, here's a piccy of my multi-coloured gloop, for your viewing pleasure... fork gloop ii.jpg |
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17-04-14, 07:10 AM
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#7 |
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Member
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Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Dunfermline
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Re: Old fork oil - different colours?
... and think of the amount of bikes where no one has changed the oil!
Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk
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Learn to maintain your bike, take it apart, rebuild the engine & more (using better bolts  ), drop it & fix it again!K3 Job c.v: Engine:remove/split/rebuild/refit. Replace:Gearbox,Fuel pump,Gaskets. Piston clean,rings. Overhaul:Throttle body,Injectors,Brakes,Forks. Remove/refit:Exhaust,Radiator,Oil cooler,Throttle,Air filter,Tank. Replace: Oil,Coolant,grease,brake hoses & bleed. |
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17-04-14, 09:00 AM
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#8 | |
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Member
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Join Date: Feb 2011
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Old fork oil - different colours?
Quote:
As disgusting as that is from a functional point of view, it is actually quite pleasant to look at. Like one of those sand landscapes you get down the beach. Maybe you can sell it was a bit of modern art?
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2011 Triumph Daytona 675, Arrow exhaust and QS! |
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17-04-14, 09:15 AM
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#9 |
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Member
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Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: High Wycombe, where the chair factories used to be
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Re: Old fork oil - different colours?
That block paving could do with a clean... [/derail]
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We are the Goon Squad and we're coming to town, BEEP BEEP! |
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17-04-14, 09:18 AM
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#10 |
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Noisy Git
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Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Halifax/Leeds
Posts: 26,645
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Re: Old fork oil - different colours?
Yeah that's normal, like sid says water and oxidation of the oil from seal leaks.
Reason you don't get rust inside is oil is designed to stop it. Emulsifier additives etc.
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Currently Ex Biker
Now rebuilding a 63' fishing trawler as a dive boat |
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