Who engineeers this stuff????

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inkjunkie

inkjunkie

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Fork tube started leaking on the bike. All of my Japanese bikes had a cap on the the top of the fork tube. The tube was secured to the triple clamps by a pinch bolt of both of the parts it went thru. Not HD. That would be to logical. Instead they use this frigging thing

View attachment fork tube cap.JPG

You slide the tube thru the bottom triple clamp and push it until in is up against the top one. You then put a washer, similar to a garden hose washer, on to the bolt that threads inside of this contraption. The garden hose washer is supposed to seal on the flat area on the top of this contraption. Notice how it has the two flat areas and how thin the area on the top is. I have been thru a couple of washers now, still can not get the bastard to stop leaking. I can not understand why they made the center of it open to the bottom. The fork oil is working its way past the threads of the bolt and around the washer. Beyond frustrating. Why they did not seal the inside so that the top garden hose style washer was not needed is beyond me. Did a quick net search to see if I could find one that is not drilled all the way thru....came up empty.....glad I bought a 10 pack of washers....might take all 10 of them to get it to stop leaking....
 
Just spitballing here, but maybe get some copper washers? Like oil pan drain plug washers?
 
can you use some teflon tape in there? just a couple of turns to seal the threads?
 
I thought Harleys were engineered to leak.
 
Like the copper idea. Friend has a 07 Night train. The headset bearings,need to be readjusted every 3-6 months. Had four Ninjas, it's driving him nuts.
 
805moparkid said:
can you use some teflon tape in there? just a couple of turns to seal the threads?
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tried that....still leaked. did not want to wrap the snot out of them for fear of a piece of the tape ending up plugging something up....

next trip to napa I will take one of the new washers with me, hopefully they will have something close to it in copper. only thing is it needs to be somewhat thick in order to seal everything up...
 
Maybe high temp RTV on the threads?
 
RustyRatRod said:
Maybe high temp RTV on the threads?
Click to expand...

When I put it back together I am goin got coat the threads of the bolt with some rtv.

magnumdust said:
And be painfully slow
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bike is not actually a H-D...it is a Custom Chrome Bike in a Box form several years ago. But it is basically all aftermarket H-D parts. Has a Rev Tech 110" motor, puts out 125 hp and the same amount of torque so it is not exactly slow. My old GSXR1000 would destroy the thing, but it is quick enough to be entertaining.....
 
mopardude318 said:
fork seals leakin on a harley huh? very typical. not a harley fan.
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Not the seals.....out the bolt that goes thru the top triple clamp. Go figure, has long fork tubes and somehow the oil is finding its way out the top....:banghead:
 
isn't that cap for a dresser with air/hydraulic front forks? I would think White bros should have a solid cap replacement. or maybe custom chrome. either way, there is an alternative sealing ring, it's a steel washer with a rubber or silicone seal ring bonded to the ID . we use them a lot on low pressure fuel systems and some hydraulic applications.
 
funwithfuel said:
isn't that cap for a dresser with air/hydraulic front forks? I would think White bros should have a solid cap replacement. or maybe custom chrome. either way, there is an alternative sealing ring, it's a steel washer with a rubber or silicone seal ring bonded to the ID . we use them a lot on low pressure fuel systems and some hydraulic applications.
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Looked thru the Custom Chrome catalog, no luck. Checked Joker Machine, nada. Can not find a White Bros. site, will look again.

I am not a H-D guy so I don't know what all the letters stand for. Custom Chrome as them listed as Wide Glide fork tube plugs....

Would make sense that they are of a pass thru design for a bike with air forks....but other than that why they are drilled all the way thru is beyond me...
 
No luck on finding a different washer that will fit.....at least from NAPA. Nothing even close to the right thickness. Everything he had that was the right id was to small of an od....and if the od was right the id was way to large and would not even have covered the thin section of the fork tube cap. Have to build a shelf in the garage today...will put it back together on Thursday probably and cross my fingers hoping for no leak
 
1970Duster said:
Harley Davidson=the best scam out there.
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Yep.....will never own an actual H-D......this knock off is close enough for me. Don't get me wrong, I like my bike. Just some of it's problems are frustrating....and some of it's engineering makes our A-bodies look like modern day wonders....
 
I don't remember who makes it ,but somebody offers an air elimination kit. My uncle has a dresser with air, he wanted to swap handlebars, that's the only familiarity I have with them. You might also look at JP cycles online catalog. good luck.
 
Going to tap the bottom of the fork tube cap so I plug it with a 3/8 npt plug.....
 
Stick weld it. Paint the bike flat black and air brush rust on it. Leaks won't matter then.

Ride it hard. and put it away wet. I wish I had my HD yet . I would just let it leak. Half the **** I bought for it vibrated off anyway. But i never lost the woman. She dug all 20 nails in and stuck fast like a tick. She is still hanging fast I can't shake her.
 
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