Stubborn Dust Seal

[pkpk]

Late this season I discovered the factory dust seal deformed on one side of my 07 ST1300 front wheel.  I removed the axle and spacers and figured out what must have happened was the dust seal had somehow spun in place and sort of melted.  My guess is this seal must not have been properly seated from the factory.  The important thing here is the seal never detached from the wheel and it was still sealing.

However when replacing the seal, it would not come out easily and I wound up with a fair amount of seal material in the seating trench.  This trench is very narrow and somewhat difficult to dig anything out, let alone material that appears to be stubbornly bound to the aluminum surfaces.  I've been successful at getting probably 50% of the material out of that trench but a substantial amount remains to prevent proper seating of a new seal.  I've been trying to dig it out with an exacto blade and application of Goo Gone but with only limited success.  Any ideas on how to make that material loosen up for easier removal?

[Deplorable, thank you!]

 a 90* pick and something more caustic than goo gone---or a whole lot of patience.

Those dust "seals" (I use that term very loosely) really do not fit that tight to the axles or actually seal anything when new-typically they are simply there to keep the big stuff (sand) off of the axle and bearing, as your bearing is already shielded. Moisture often gets right by that dust "seal" -but it does limit the amount of moisture and dust.

[Aprilian]

Paul, can you melt it a bit with a heat gun?  Also consider using dental tools since they have a broader scraping surface than a pick.   The Ace Hardware in Rosemount has a container of used (clean ) ones at the counter.  A picture would help me come up with other suggestions since I don't have a good image of waht you are up against.

[pkpk]

Dental picks.  Hmm, why yes, I have some of that stuff.   I'm not sure about the heat gun though.  I've been known to do more damage than good with my two level heat gun.  I suppose I could have Lloyd lecture it for 10 minutes and see if that loosens it up some.   

I attached a pic describing the issue.  The needle is in the trench, which is still 30-50% full of material. 

[Aprilian]

Do you have the new seal?  Can you confirm that the sloped piece (beneath the needle) is not part of the original seal?  That would certainly describe why the material was stuck to it and why you have a "trench" - if that is part of the seal you are trying to take the outside material off it 1 pinhead at a time.  Also, I have not heard of anyone making a seal seat that has the profile like the p-trap under your sink.   No point in tooling up for a recess behind the seal.  The ones I have worked on have a 90 deg seal fitting in a 90 deg seat.

[pkpk]

Attached more pics.  One is the backside of the new seal.  The other is the other side of the wheel showing an installed seal along with the new one. 

The dust seal seats in the trench.  I'm concerned that if I don't clean that trench out properly, it will distort the seal some. 

[Deplorable, thank you!]

Is your question?

That the outerlip (on the inside edge--closest the wheel bearing) actually fits down insude what you are calling a trench?

My analog screen doesn't allow me to see the pictures any too clearly so they are of no help to me but.......

Generaally those dust seals are a pressed fit into the wheel hub (so the outer sealing surface is actually the machined hub and the outer most circumference of the seal)

then on the inside-either the axle simple slides through or a wheel spacer-which are rarely a very snug fit.

I dont think that any part of that dust seal should slide into a "trench"---but I guess without seeing it in person I have nothing more of value to offer.

[vince]

Looks to me like you have only remove some of the rubber of the old seal. You still have all of the metal frame of the old seal still in place. Dig it out of there by imploding it with a chisel or screwdriver.

[pkpk]

I don't think the pictures are working.    The picture of the side of the wheel showing the intact seal is supposed to demonstrate which way the new seal is to be oriented on the other side (the first picture in this thread).  It is not the side of the wheel where the seal is being replaced.  Sorry for that confusion.  I was trying to clarify things for Ian.

[Aprilian]

good side vs trouble side - measure depth of seal seat on trouble side and then bend your pin 90 degrees and slide under bottom of good seal to measure that side.   My guess is that you will have two different depths because something was either machined wrong (causing the first problem) or is still jammed in there.   without seeing it with my eyes, I can't tell for sure.  check with a magnet that the indent (which the seal is trying to sit in) is aluminum and not steel.  Steel indicates a piece of seal left in there.   Don't get stuck on "the original assembly was correct" since it clearly wasn't and at this point it is still not clear to any of us, what got screwed up at the factory.

[pkpk]

Hmmm, you guys are making me think harder...not necessarily a bad thing. 

I assumed Vince was confused, but then I got to looking harder at the wheel and thinking about what Lloyd was explaining.  But then something jumped at me, how would a guy replace the wheel bearing if that metal was actually part of the wheel??  So I got an aluminum rod out and gently levered that middle piece and it popped out.   LOL, well there went an hour of my life to dig dig dig but I've probably wasted more time on other things....I just can't think of it right now. 

At any rate, you guys rock....but you already knew this.   Thanks for staying riveted to your computer screens until I got it figured out.  Oh and Lloyd....really....an analog screen?!?!   

[Deplorable, thank you!]

It is a digital monitor--but the digital card went bad last year so it is used in analog mode---likely even worse picture than a true analog monitor..

Glad you got it fugured out without too much ado

[pkpk]

I have not changed a dust seal since 2001 or something like that.  All four came out nice and clean on that project.  So I don't feel too bad about getting fooled by one that needed to be ripped out in pieces.  Ian was spot on with the warning to not make assumptions about how the seal is mounted and such.  Vince was correct that it was a part of the seal and Lloyd provided the ultimate hint on how a seal should have been installed.  All in the course of learning I say.  Thanks again for the help Ian, Vince and Lloyd.

[Deplorable, thank you!]

Well I hope while you were in there that far you popped the rubber seal off the actual wheel bearing and serviced those. (especially if you drenched them with goo gone)

[pkpk]

LOL, I was wondering why you took so long on that one.  Yeah, I ordered another set of seals and bearings (they're probably due now anyway) for next season.  It's too damn cold to do this work now so I'm putting things back together tomorrow so I can shove the bikes against the wall and make room for the van.  I entertained the neighbors enough this week with me running out to start the van in a bathrobe.