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Bike leaking
Topic Started: Sep 15 2013, 09:21 PM (249 Views)
andyjh
Mud Lover
Had a good ride yesterday and the bike was nicely covered in mud :) Got around to cleaning it today before the rain really got started. Whilst drying, a brown liquid started to weep from the head bearing down the fork leg :( I'm guessing that either my head bearing is shot or my bike has sprung a leak! A quick wiggle of the bars and the clunking confirmed all was not right with the front of my bike :blink:

Anyway, I'm not great with this sort of stuff so the bike went in the back of the car and off to the local shop. Would really like to get more confident with doing my own work but it will take me ages to sort stuff out, find the right parts, research how to do the job, tidy up my garage! So anything like this will keep me off the bike for weeks :( This way the Bike should be ready by Friday so I should be good for riding next weekend :)

Moral of this story, must get better with bike maintenance!
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belugabob
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Mudking
Definitely benefits to be had from doing your own servicing...

  • Cheaper than the LBS
  • No need to have your bike out of action while it's at the LBS
  • You're more likely to do regular servicing, resulting in longer life = spending even less cash.

There's nothing too complicated on a bike, with the fiddliest bit probably being suspension fork, but even they aren't too difficult if you take your time.

The symptoms you describe sound like rusty grease/water leaking from your bearings. Depending on what type of bearings they are, a replacement set could be as little as a couple of quid - and they can be changed with nothing more than one or two allen keys, a clean cloth and some new grease.

The Park Tool website is a good starting point for servicing hints and tips.
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andyjh
Mud Lover
Cheers for the encouragement Bob, I will be attempting some more stuff over winter. I did start doing some bits myself a while back and the misses bought me a nice Park stand to make it a lot easier. In my last house I was able to bring the bike into the back room which I shared with the dog and my workshop :lol: This made fiddling with the bike a lot easier as it was warmer than the garage! I've recently moved house and although I have a much bigger garage, I need to sort it out, paint the walls/floors etc before I can empty out all the boxes since the move.

Rambling now :( I do plan to start learning more about this as I know you are right, its not too complicated. I just like things to be just so and work in an organised and clean space. Need to pull my finger out and get my garage sorted :unsure:

Oh and thanks for the Park link, that looks really helpful B)
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darth vader
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Mudking
If there is no play at the head set [ put font brake on and give it a shove]
then you might be able to get away with just a god clean out and re grease
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andyjh
Mud Lover
There is deffinately play in the headset so a new bearing is going to be required. I'm not that bothered to be honest as the bike has had a fair bit of use over the years with very little maintenance or at least replacements of items like this I should say. So it's about time it had some nice fresh bearings ready for the winter.
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rickyritchie123
Collecting Speckles
My headset is on its way out. I gave it a good clean and a grease up. It's still not right so I ordered a Chris king one. This headset is meant to be amazing. Good luck with yours mate. You know it's always worth having a look to see if you can find the problem even if you don't fix it. The more you play with the bike the more you will learn
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belugabob
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Mudking
andyjh,Sep 16 2013
10:02 AM
There is deffinately play in the headset so a new bearing is going to be required. I'm not that bothered to be honest as the bike has had a fair bit of use over the years with very little maintenance or at least replacements of items like this I should say. So it's about time it had some nice fresh bearings ready for the winter.

The play in the headset may be due to insufficient preload.
Loosen the top cap, then the bolts that hold the stem on the steerer.
Apply grease to the bearings. (top and bottom)
Nip the top cap bolt up - not too much - just enough to remove play, but not so much that the wheel doesn't turn easily.
Tighten up the stem bolts - a little bit at a time on each, alternating between them to keep the pressure even.
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andyjh
Mud Lover
Too late I'm afraid, bike is already in LBS booked in for service and repair, whatever that may be.

You are both right, I should start resolving these issues myself and I will endeavour to do that. Trouble is I knew if I didn't use the LBS I wouldn't stand a chance of getting the bike back and sorted for next weekend. I'm keen to get out next weekend in order to keep up with what I've started routine wise, especially as the club ride is the following weekend. Having said all this I hope the LBS don't leave looking at my bike until Friday at which point they release they need to order parts in, that would frustrate me considering my motivation for using them! Fingers crossed that I will be back out riding soon.

Thanks for the advice though Bob, much appreciated B)
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andyjh
Mud Lover
Slight twist to this story but a spooky link to the thread title. Had a call from the LBS today and they are getting the bike sorted for me to pick up tomorrow, all good. However they mentioned that the frame had about half a litre of water in it! Gawn knows how that has happened as I only use a hose to wash and not a jet wash. Anyone else ever had water get into their frame?
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Chadders
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Mud Connoisseur
Yep. my Pitch does it all the time. if it gets a hosing I have to empty the seat stays and sometimes the front triangle.

Only REALLY worrying on a steel frame.

That's an extra .5 Kg you were dragging up hills too!
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darth vader
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Mudking
My Gary fisher picks up water to Have thought of drilling a hole below the BB but no doubt would invalidate warranty sadly the water seems to knacker the pivot bearings
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andyjh
Mud Lover
Well thats good to know it's not just something weird that mine has done :)

I did think of the silver lining that I've been riding a heavier bike so harder training, will all go wrong when I'm slower next time out! :lol:
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