frontend

[the chef]

When I bought this 81 model GL 500 a few months back the seller stated he had just serviced everything , changed the oil and filter , new air filter and oil in the front end . I forgot to ask him did he know what he was doing . The front end sprayed oil out onto the radiator for two weeks before stopping, obviously he just filled it up without knowing it was supposed to be filled with a pre-measured amount .
I tried several times to fill it with air as this one has a front end like a goldwing has , under air pressure. Well it would hold air for a few miles sometimes a day or two but always leaked down .
A few days ago I checked the air in my tires and thought what the heck , so I again put air in the front end , more than it said to and that sucker has not leaked yet ! I was prepared to take it apart and rebuild the forks, a job I was not looking forward to doing.
I wonder why all of a sudden it is working right.

[Hoosier Daddy]

Maybe the increase in air pressure finally seated a seal that was not in place?
Or maybe Karma is smiling and you should buy a lottery ticket.

[Rat]

Maybe it stopped leaking fork oil because .....

Gord (none is not enough) Jones

[the chef]

Surely it couldn't have squirted it all out , do you think it just got rid of the excess?

[Rat]

Easy to check.

Do they still work?

Gord

[Papa Bear]

I have drained some pretty empty front ends. As a matter of fact, virtually empty. I'd inspect the front brakes, too, if you haven't already. If you were leaking, chances are, they are contaminated. If they are, change them. Cleaning doesn't work.

Since you don't know exactly what the PO did and you know he did it wrong, I'd drain the forks and clean them well and fill properly. You don't want a weak front suspension for many reasons not the least of which is good braking. A weak front end compromises braking quite a bit amongst other things.

[Hoosier Daddy]

I thought the chef meant it stopped leaking air and now holds good pressure...

[the chef]

It did stop leaking air , brakes work fine. I was just wondering how much oil is in them now , but I will drain and refill sometime , but they work better now than ever before.