Shock leaked oil out of sherader valve

[1kevin662]

I was adding some air to my shocks and I got oil out of the valve???
Anyone had this happen? What was the out come

[cactusjack]

How were you adding air to the shock? It sounds like the air bladder has ruptured and you need a new set of shocks.

[ringadingh]

Others have had oil leak out as well, there is a how to somewhere, perhaps on Gadgets Fixit that explains on replacing the shock oil.You Must use a hand pump on those shocks.
I'd try to refill them before I replace them myself.

[cnc]

Is the shock holding any air pressure now? What did you add air with and what pressure did you pump it up to?
Only 2 ways that you could have oil in the valve IMO, the bladder is leaking as Scott said or it came from the pump. Of course the second source is unlikely.

[barticus73]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/60-PSI-Rear-...d94834&vxp=mtr

http://www.amazon.com/PROGRESSIVE-GA...vglnk-c1253-20


Are these decent pumps or are there other brands you guys are using?

[cnc]

Originally Posted by barticus73

http://www.ebay.com/itm/60-PSI-Rear-...d94834&vxp=mtr

http://www.amazon.com/PROGRESSIVE-GA...vglnk-c1253-20


Are these decent pumps or are there other brands you guys are using?

Yes both are the type that should be used. I didn't notice either ad mention zero loss when you unscrew but I imagine they are as they are identical to my Progressive pump. The gauge on these read 0-60, that's a good range any gauge that reads higher, say 0-100 will be harder to read the exact pressure in each shock.

[cactusjack]

Originally Posted by barticus73

http://www.ebay.com/itm/60-PSI-Rear-...d94834&vxp=mtr

http://www.amazon.com/PROGRESSIVE-GA...vglnk-c1253-20


Are these decent pumps or are there other brands you guys are using?

Either of those pumps should do the job. However, I'd buy the Progressive model since it is a known brand.

[Kawhead]

I bought the one from ebay some years ago and haven't had a problem with it. I've dropped it several times and knocked the gauge all to pieces and put it back together. It still works good. The Progressive is only a few dollars more.

[Peg]

You guys are talking about a bladder in there? I'm not sure there is one.

I've entirely rebuilt my OEM shocks, going much further than the instructions from Gadget's site by removing the plungers and dismantling the shocks entirely. I never found any bladder.

The dismantle was accidental... I took them to a local dealer and asked them just to take the tension off the spring - showed them how. That fellow passed them to someone else who opened the wrong end of one and then couldn't get it back together properly.

I took them back home, started the job myself... and the shock fell to bits in a puddle of oil on my workbench and floor! You should have seen the look on my face ... It was a real "Oh Shit! break out in a sweat" moment, which probably led to me having to become a forum expert on the interior workings of my shocks... I had to take the other one apart to figure out why one worked and not the other, and how it all fit back together, and determined that the dealer had left a tiny roll-pin out.

But anyway... So far as I could see the oil sits in the bottom of the shock, where it's available to the plunger to be pumped through an adjustable aperture (Your 1-4 presets for rebound damping). Your air pressure affects the shock travel... the higher the pressure the less travel / the less chance the shocks bottom out when loaded up.

If there was a bladder in there - Gadgets instructions for replacing the oil wouldn't work, since the oil couldn't simply be drained from the Shrader valve?

Over-filling with air, or using a compressor to fill the shocks, would overwhelm and damage the seals in the plunger body. I was lucky when my shock fell to bits, that the seals were undamaged. When they're damaged, they won't hold air pressure, and the oil either takes a short-cut avoiding the presets, or leaks out with the air... Either way they don't work too well, and are unbalanced.

Rebuilt, with clean new 15W Belray shock oil - Perfect... Capital P. It's the first bike in the last 3 that I've not installed Progressive shocks, because I can't see how they could possibly be any better.

I'd also recommend a zero-loss Progressive pump, with a 60PSI max pressure.

[1kevin662]

my shocks are plumbed together with a 0-40 psi gauge with a shout off that keeps the gauge from getting pegged every time I hit a bad bump.... so i use small compressor and turn the regulator on the compressor down to about 10 psi and bring the pressure up according to the pressure showing on the gauge on the bike..
the day before I hit some really bad bumps running down the interstate at about 70. after talking to a very knowledgeable mechanic i think that some of the oil from the shock some how bypassed a seal and got into the air lines... does anyone have a breakdown of the shocks? after adding more air with me and my wife the bike done fine and rode about 100 miles today with no issues..
http://www.gadgetjq.com/gw_shockfill.htm
#5 makes me feel better about loosing some oil out when adding air and i will be getting a no loss pump
also I will be refilling the shocks and lifting the rear tire to add air

[Peg]

Originally Posted by 1kevin662

... after talking to a very knowledgeable mechanic i think that some of the oil from the shock some how bypassed a seal and got into the air lines...

There's no seal between the oil and the air. Gravity ensures the oil sits in the bottom of the shocks, and the air simply pressurizes the whole system. A little oil coming out through the valve is not unusual, especially if the bike has recently been used. The Schrader valve (there, I got the spelling right finally) slopes slightly downwards and probably collects a few splashes at the valve after a hard ride or a few big bumps.

Your small compressor might be ok, and provide the air slowly. What you need to avoid at all costs is a big hit of high-pressure air that will invariably blow the seals and cause leaks of air, oil, or both. Personally to be safe, I'd never use any kind of compressor, just a hand pump.

[1kevin662]

Originally Posted by Peg

There's no seal between the oil and the air. Gravity ensures the oil sits in the bottom of the shocks, and the air simply pressurizes the whole system. A little oil coming out through the valve is not unusual, especially if the bike has recently been used. The Schrader valve (there, I got the spelling right finally) slopes slightly downwards and probably collects a few splashes at the valve after a hard ride or a few big bumps.

Your small compressor might be ok, and provide the air slowly. What you need to avoid at all costs is a big hit of high-pressure air that will invariably blow the seals and cause leaks of air, oil, or both. Personally to be safe, I'd never use any kind of compressor, just a hand pump.

thanks for the the information... i had that really sick felling think i was going to have to buy shocks!!! not worried at all now... like i said i will go ahead and buy a hand pump... I will refill the shocks this winter with some 15 weight oil.. to busy riding right now

[Cajunrider]

I had both shocks fail on my '07 Nomad and leak their full volume of oil onto my garage floor. Not a whole lot of oil but enough to make a mess. Both were replaced by the extended warranty.

[Monkeyman]

Many have replaced the factory shocks with Progressive 412s. Not cheap but a hell of a lot cheaper than OEM replacements. The Progressives are not air shocks. As others have said, I'd try to fill them and see if they hold air first.

[1kevin662]

Originally Posted by Monkeyman

Many have replaced the factory shocks with Progressive 412s. Not cheap but a hell of a lot cheaper than OEM replacements. The Progressives are not air shocks. As others have said, I'd try to fill them and see if they hold air first.

how do you like the 412s? i think i am fine with my oem they are holding air pressure and riding fine just scared the crap out of me when the oil came out...