bikeuser1231412

Hi there,

I have this 2009 RockShox Argyle 318 fork that I want to sell. It is brand new, never mounted, never used. I had it sitting around in its box since I bought it. The only problem is that a few years ago I laid it down on the floor (not standing, to clear up any confusion) and when I checked back on it a few months later (~ 10 months ) I noticed oil had been leaking between the seals. Right after I put the fork in the standing position. The amount of oil that was leaked wasn't much at all. Is this normal to happen or the seals were damaged during that period of 10 months? Or were they just temporary damaged, so to speak, as seals are made out of elastic materials. And as it is with elastic materials, they turn back to their initial form once force ceases being subjected onto them. The seals present no cracks whatsoever. Also, how come all the oil didn't leak? Could've something else been damaged during that time as well?
I don't want to hide anything from the customer, all I want is to get a fair price for what it is.

Thank you!

P.S.: The temperature I kept the fork at was ranging between 32 F ( 0 C ) and 95 F ( 35 C ), no humidity, and I kept it away from sunlight. There weren't any sudden changes of temperature.
I'm selling the fork only in my country, which is not part of America.

Amt0571

I think It shouldn't leak. However I never kept a fork on its side for 10 months.

Based on my fork maintenance with various brands (Rockshox, Manitou and Suntour), they all leak somewhat, in a barely noticeable manner, in use even when new. After a couple of months riding, all have less oil inside than was originally put. And it's not unusual to find external contaminants inside (mainly a low amount of water).

Never seen a fork leaking while stored however.

trailangel

I think it would be normal for a fork to leak it you stored on it's side.

jimc101

Not thinking that leaking will be an issue, but it's a 10-year-old fork, would suggest either you get it serviced before selling (regardless of it never being used) or clearly state this when selling, as there has been no movement to lubricate anything for the last 10 years and as you state, some oil has also been lost, and that the buyer really should get it serviced before use.

bikeuser1231412

Thank you to all of you! But I'm still keen on hearing more opinions.

bikeuser1231412

I was going to state that to the buyers and let them service it. What if I were to service it, what does this presume in this case? I'm sorry, I never serviced a fork before.

eshew

That fork has dust seals and oil soaked foam rings below those seals. Chances are the dust seals have contracted a bit with age and aren't fully sealing. Although the seals probably weren't that great to begin with.

Any fork that old is going to need at least a lowers service, you might get by with just that, but if you want top dollar you'll want to do seals as well.

If you need to take it to a shop to do the lowers service and seals just sell it as is and mention in the ad & to the buyer it would used a service. That service at shop prices is probably more than you can get out of the fork.

Amt0571

I would replace the lowers oil bath and the seals. Being 10 years old the seals are probably dry and stiff. I'd probably replace the rebound cartridge oil too.

bikeuser1231412

Again, thank you to all of you guys for helping me out! I will go along with letting the buyers know about the issues and I will recommend them to have it serviced.
Have a nice day!

jimc101

Didn't want to say that, but let's be realistic, the Argyle 318 was a low end freeride fork BITD (that's not saying it was bad, a quick look at review are all positive, but it's still a 10 year old low-end fork), add to that, it will have a 1 1/8" steerer, as tapered was not mainstream back then, and as tapered is now pretty much standard, you need to find a buyer who wants a 10-year-old fork, in a configuration that is not compatible (without additional expense) with current bikes, It's going to be a hard sell, although suspect that there will be plenty of interest on say eBay, just don't set your sights on too high a return.

bikeuser1231412

I am well aware of that as I've been asking around about a year ago for how much I should expect to get for it. Regardless, thank you for the advice!