Turning fork upside down bad?

[Radamus]

I recently was working on the bike and had it upside down in my shop. It has a Fox Talas fork. So after a while, several hours, I flipped it back up. I noticed the fork seal wet. Is this a no-no habit to work on my bike?

[AndrwSwitch]

For that amount of time, no sweat.

It's more debatable if you're actually storing that way. I wouldn't, but I'm sure plenty of people will now post that they do and it's fine. (Or maybe they'll post that they do and they ended up with a huge mess in their garages.)

[Norman Clydesdale]

It's a good thing.
It keeps the foam rings and wiper seals lubed.
Cuts down on initial stiction etc.
Oil seals and foam wipers dry out and dry seals drastically increase friction inside the fork.
Depending on the lower leg bath oil levels and service intervals, just riding and compressing the fork may not provide the optimal lubrication for the seals.
You'll have no problem with leaks unless you have seal failure already. Compressing your fork due to trail surface impacts during riding produce far more pressure on the seals than turning the bike upside down.
Now, whether or not your hydraulic disc brakes benefit from the upside down treatment is another topic entirely.

[mrmas]

It's a good thing.
It keeps the foam rings and wiper seals lubed.
Cuts down on initial stiction etc.
Oil seals and foam wipers dry out and dry seals drastically increase friction inside the fork.
Depending on the lower leg bath oil levels and service intervals, just riding and compressing the fork may not provide the optimal lubrication for the seals.
You'll have no problem with leaks unless you have seal failure already. Compressing your fork due to trail surface impacts during riding produce far more pressure on the seals than turning the bike upside down.
Now, whether or not your hydraulic disc brakes benefit from the upside down treatment is another topic entirely.

Yea that ^...........couldn't have said it better myself.

[ForrestJones]

I think its only bad if you are still riding it.

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[Radamus]

I think its only bad if you are still riding it.

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Copy that!

Great guys! Thanks so much! No issue with the brakes. They seem to be a pretty much closed system. Couple grips and they are full firm again, yet never totally gone either.

Thanks again.

[zebrahum]

Copy that!

Great guys! Thanks so much! No issue with the brakes. They seem to be a pretty much closed system. Couple grips and they are full firm again, yet never totally gone either.

Thanks again.

If it takes a couple squeezes to get the brakes back you need to bleed your brakes because there's air in the system. Inverting your bike for a few minutes shouldn't cause your brakes to go out.

For the forks: if you are seeing oil on the stanchions after inversion then your fork seals are worn. You shouldn't see any oil for any reason after inversion. It is true that it re-wets the foam seals but that should only leave a very minimal residue after you cycle the fork. If oil is coming out from the fork being upside down then your seals need to be changed.

[EABiker]

If it takes a couple squeezes to get the brakes back you need to bleed your brakes because there's air in the system. Inverting your bike for a few minutes shouldn't cause your brakes to go out.

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Not really; it's virtually impossible to get all of the air out of the brake's "master cylinder". When you invert thing for any length of time, that bubble rises up into the line, and causes the dead lever effect. When you right things again, that bubble then rises back into the master cylinder.

It's all good!

[DennisF]

I have a Fox Float 29 RL which I stored upside-down between rides for nearly a year. No problems, but the lockout won't work until you cycle the fork several times.

[zebrahum]

Not really; it's virtually impossible to get all of the air out of the brake's "master cylinder". When you invert thing for any length of time, that bubble rises up into the line, and causes the dead lever effect. When you right things again, that bubble then rises back into the master cylinder.

It's all good!

All current brake systems should be resistant to short term inversion. Air will not flow from the master cylinder into the lines during short inversions. In my experience, inversion problems are always due to air in the system. When there is no significant amount of air in the system then the lever will always stay firm even after inverted. The ports and line openings do not allow easy flow of air when the lever is not depressed so there would have to be a lot of entrapped air to create enough air flow to soften the lever.

It might not be a problem for most people, but it is a solvable (or at least greatly reducible) issue should the OP wish to take care of it.

[GreenCanoe]

Mine is stored upside down next to my bed in my hotel and has been for about 7 months. If the brakes are bled properly, and you don't have any leaks, there is no reason you would have any problems with your brakes. I haven't. A closed system with no air will not produce air when inverted.

[Radamus]

Good points noted!!! Thanks

I have not bled the brakes on this thing yet- so no telling the situation. as for the fork, no oil leaked out, but I noticed a more prominent dust ring so it was obviously oily on the surface so what I've seen is the foam seal being wetted from inversion as you guys have stated. All good! but I'm planning a fork service,

[MTBeing]

It's a good thing.
It keeps the foam rings and wiper seals lubed.
Cuts down on initial stiction etc.
Oil seals and foam wipers dry out and dry seals drastically increase friction inside the fork.
Depending on the lower leg bath oil levels and service intervals, just riding and compressing the fork may not provide the optimal lubrication for the seals.
You'll have no problem with leaks unless you have seal failure already. Compressing your fork due to trail surface impacts during riding produce far more pressure on the seals than turning the bike upside down.
Now, whether or not your hydraulic disc brakes benefit from the upside down treatment is another topic entirely.

Ditto. I actually do this with my bike the night before a ride. The next day the fork feels great!