the james kit is a good one

 

Thanks 72 for posting manual. Thanks John, I'll order the James kit. Are the scored damper tubes a point of concern and were the springs in upside-down?
Thanks in advance.

 

I would use stock springs the dampers are always scored, use 30W lawn mower oil

check the tube to lower leg wiggle DRY if its really moving around you need leg bushings installed as it wont stop leaking with just the seals < it is expensive to install them not a home owner thing

 

Roger that thanks John. I just ordered some springs, a seal kit and a pair of breather valves just in case. On one side, the PO coated the lower damper valve, the tube plug, (that's why I couldn't find the hole in it) and the breather valve with this red, silicone caulk like material. Obviously, it was leaking and this was his remedy. Don't know if he over filled the tubes or what. If he did it leaked out because there wasn't much in there when I originally removed the drain holes. Hopefully, returning to stock springs and replacing the seals and generally cleaning everything up will solve the problem.
Thanks again.

 

usually we see them near empty as the bushing wear is at a point they cant seal any longer - most of the oil is gone out the top, make it all work as it was designed if you fix it once correctly it will last you many years

unlike the fork oil the 30W does not brake down like fork oil the non detergent properties let it stay an oil so to speak they live well in it

 

 

 

 

Thanks 72 for the parts book pages. Thanks John. I'm going to clean everything up today and try to find some lawn mower oil ( never heard of such a thing until John mentioned it in several threads). Springs and seals should arrive next week and it's on to reassembly. I have several shovels and this is the first time I've had to disassemble the forks. The others I've just drained and replaced the oil and they've all had oil in them ( dirty though). Seems like a maintenance item that a lot of owners neglect.

 

all you need is the book, the beer and the tools