F15a shock absorbers

[Jacques Reed]

Hi Dave,

Great to hear you mostly had success with rebuilding your shock absorbers.

I too, have one leaking shock absorber at the cover even after being professionally restored.

I noticed on some other shock absorbers I have, and in the parts list that there is a gasket between the cover and the lower ring: Part No. C01TS 18032 Gasket- Reservoir. The black gasket can be seen in the photo of the unrestored shock absorber. The restorer just smeared Silastic at the joint between the cover and the lower ring and didn't make a gasket for there. I was a bit annoyed about it but it held on three of them.
He obviously thought he would take the easy way out with silicon sealant.

One day I might dig out the old silicon sealant and cut a neoprene gasket to fit. I should be able to back off the cover and massage a new gasket into place. For the time being I can live with it, as annoying as it is.

As a matter of interest, did you use one of the weaker Locktite thread sealants? That stuff is pretty good. If you use the stronger stuff, however, you would need a gorilla to help you loosen the cover next time!

Cheers

[Harlé Sylvain]

Hello
My schock are also in parts now , I order new gaskets, and waiting for them.
For the reservoir ,I find a small O ring that fit, but will maybe use a tread sealand . I also change the small ring of the adjusting screw .

The schocks were full of a sort of mud and smell ricin oil.
I think cleaning them without opening them would be fast impossible.

Removing the arm is not easy, and need to be heat very hot.

Thank you all for your help!

We know more about this schocks now
Sylvain

[Dave Schindel]

hmmm...I don't recall seeing any sign of a seal, but I was wondering how the unit was supposed to hold oil.I think I will follow your idea and try to fit a seal in there without taking the whole thing apart again. I did not use Loctite, just a pipe thread sealer,thick stuff. Great info!

[Jacques Reed]

Hi Dave,

Thanks for that information too.

I just had a look at the Locktite website and Locktite 565 thread sealer might be a good sealer for added leakage protection on those fine threads on the reservoir cover. It states in the characteristics "controlled strength for ease of disassembly" (Saves calling in a gorilla mate if you ever have to open it up again!)

The beauty of Locktite is it fills microscopic gaps in threads which prevent even low viscosity liquids from passing through.

If I ever pull mine apart again I would consider using it in addition to the gasket.

Cheers,

[Dave Schindel]

Good idea,Jacques,and thanks for all the info.
Dave

[Jacques Reed]

Hi Dave,

You are most welcome. Always glad to help.

Had a look at the shock absorber that I pulled apart and I have another thought about the gasket between the reservoir cover and the lower ring.

Looking at the sealing area between them, there is a very distinct taper and not a square mating surface as shown in the photos.

I am thinking maybe an O-ring would do the job there instead of laboriously cutting a gasket. The V groove formed by it would squish the ring tight against the threads and against the edges of the tapered surface.
Those kits to make your own O-rings might do the job. Perhaps 2-3mm diameter O-ring material would work there.

Just a thought anyway. Gluing a length of O-ring material is a lot easier than cutting out a thin rubber gasket and may be worth a try.

Cheers,

[Dave Schindel]

Hi Jacques, now I think I see what I did wrong. I was not aware of the O ring gasket. When I took the cover off the ring came off with it, in one piece. How does the ring separate from the cover?