The Hodaka Club Forum

For those of you who haven't done this in a while or are new to doing it, here are a couple tips that make the job easier. Take and cut a short length of film camera negative. (just enough to go around the tube). Coat both sides with a little fork oil and the inside of the new seal. Make a cone with the film around the top of the fork tube and then slide the new seal over it. The film will protect the new seal on its way down to where it seats, especially if you have any small rust spots or rough places on the tube. Seal goes on with the writing side up. Cheers, JackM

Film camera negative?

When you get 35mm film developed, the negatives the pictures were printed from are included with the prints.

Matt, is there any way to use a thin layer of the electrons my digital camera uses?

Ed
(. . . and I thought I was "old school" . . .)

Indeed there is, Captain. Simply remove the lens from the camera and set it aside. Next, hold the camera's sensor exactly 2.3759129 inches away from the fork tube/seal interface. Got it there? Good. Now activate the shutter release 24,219,457 times and...PRESTO! You can slide the seal into the fork tube on a thin film of electrons with no potential for damage. Mind you, this technique only works with "Full-frame" of "FX" format cameras manufactured after 2010.

PS - yes, I'm an anachronism. I really should be living in a world lit only by fire.

Wow, Matt! And I thought I was doing good just driving the new seals in place with a piece of 1 1/2" PVC pipe! Victor

I'm super high-tech here, Victor.

I've used thin plastic film for years to protect seals on installation. I have used 2-3 mil drafting mylar or photographic film. I'm trying to think of what could be currently used. I'm thinking that Hobby Lobby has thin plastic in their crafts section. And an office supply store might have thin mylar page protectors. Or you might find thin plastic in packaging.
Be creative.