Hi fellow Ninja Warriors. My right fork leg is leaking oil. It is not leaking out of the top of the inner tube at the dust seal. It seems to be leaking out where the lower section of the inner tube connects to the black, lower assembly that mounts the calipers, fender & wheel axle. The oil pools right at the bottom of the inner tube, but the upper part around the dust seal is always dry. I had the oil & dust seal replaced, but it is still doing it. Any ideas? Is there supposed to be oil down in the bottom of the leg? I'm thinking yes, because my shop manual shows a gasket on the allen bolt at the very bottom of the leg, but that is not where the leak is-it's up where the inner tube joins the lower assy. Any ideas? This is making me crazy. Thanks for your help.

Shouldn't be any oil anywhere pooling.There will be a VERY LIGHT film on the piston(lower fork) moving up and down in the upper tube.VERY LIGHT.Been doing wheelies?Hard landings?Bottoming out the forks with too soft preload?

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 8/1/2017 @ 4:29 PM *

If you have been doing wheelies, I would say that was excellent use of your OEM forks! Now go out and buy some fancy Ohlins!!

Actually, The Ohlins tube is at a disadvantage to the stock tube when it comes to changing fork height and also possibly doing wheelies. Get the internals or one of the other fork internal upgrades.

I'm not certain about ZX14 forks but on others I've worked on the lower part is threaded onto the tube and sometimes there is an o ring in there. It is a very tight fit and often takes some heat to get them apart. I'd find and expert in fork repair and see what they say.

Mad

I've looked at the service manual on this...there is no mention of a leak happening at the lower front fork assembly.I think what you're seeing is the upper seal is failing.Sounds like the fluid is working it's way down the fork tube and settling on that Black assembly.I know you said the 'fork' is dry,but I think it's such a fine film you're not recognizing what it's actually doing.I mean...just a thought.Pump your forks with brake on.Several times.Then check the upper fork tube surface.I've never had one seep from below...but I've had two fail at the upper seal.

Mad says"the lower part is threaded onto the tube and sometimes there is an o ring".Yep.In the diagrams there's no picture of the lower fork assembly having an o-ring or anything.They show it as one unit,apparently not able to leak.It is possible that as you ride,the seal allows some leakage.When it's parked and sitting,it could appear that the upper seal is fine.The fork could seem 'dry'.????
I'd check it mid ride,just to see if there's any fluid on that lower assembly.If there is,then take a paper towel and wipe the upper fork.Almost guarantee ya it'll have residue on it.I mean,more than normal.
How about under the dust cap lip?If you lift the edge of the cap a bit with a very small flat bladed tool,is there fluid trapped in there?Below the seal.

Also,you don't have any pits or scratches on that lower leg do you?maybe a rock nailed it and gouged it just right.

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 8/2/2017 @ 9:44 AM *

SAM

When was the last time you had a full service on the tubes? Been a few yrs and miles, thought so?

I would do, or have done by a competent shop, a complete disassembly and over hall. If its never been done that is needed after 6 yrs. Fork oil every 3 yrs, 2 if ridden a lot is SOP.

Good luck, you can do it!!

It looks like the lower fork is not serviceable on the ZX. On my old Ducati and KTM you could remove the lower part where the calipers mount from the tube. It CAN come off. It was put on there in the factory after all. Hopefully , as Grn said, it's a seal leak. If it is a faulty seal at the bottom you may be forced to replace the fork.

Mad

Thanks for all the input & ideas, folks. No, this old guy doesn't do wheelies, or abuse my beloved '14er in any way. I am going to try having the oil seal replaced again, this time with the OEM part. The Honda/Suzuki shop that replaced the 1st one for me used an after-market seal made by All Balls Racing. I am used to seeing leaky seals with oil on the tubes-this is the first time I've ever seen the oil at the lower end of the tube, but the upper part dry. Thanks again for the responses, and I'll let you all know how it goes with the new OEM seal.