Snow is in the forecast so I have terminated my riding season. Decided to investigate the leaking forks caused by the agressive tow truck operator this past summer.
On the right hand fork I found the circlip that retains the upper bush had popped out of place and was nicely nestled in the oil seal cavity. The seal and all other parts appeared in good condition.
On the left hand fork, the circlip was still in place. The seal and all the other parts looked good.
I guess the oil leaks were initiated by high pressure oil pushing past the threads of the oil seal holder. On the previous fork build, I only put nylon cord around the recess at the bottom of the threads of the fork sliding tube per the BSA Service Sheet. On this rebuild, I have put nylon cord in the recess and pink PTFE tape on the threads. Pink tape is intended for petroleum applications.
Good thing that the second circlip stayed in place, otherwise an Evil Knievel style jump would have been catastrophic.
