Water and Dust seal upgrade for the V20c headset

[RojoRacing]

This one is for the 1% of you who are both willing to pull out your internal shifting cable and or brake hose from the steering tube, and will ever ride in the rain or hose down your bike to clean it. For everyone else riding in dry weather with only the occasional wipe down, you'll probably be fine for years. When I built the V20c I couldn't help but notice the complete lack of dust or water seals keeping the headset bearing clean and dry. Since I'm going through all the trouble of installing a Crane Creek viscoset, I figured I'd do something to keep that friction stack as clean as possible for longer service intervals. If you do want to give this a shot, it'll cost you about $17 in gaskets and O-rings and a new brake hose end because you have to cut off the existing one to remove it from the fork to install these seals. You don't need to install a Viscoset to benefit from the mod, it'll protect your stock bearings all the same. If you are going through the trouble of installing a viscoset like @Greg S is , you may as well do this all well since you already have to take everything apart.

Link to the parts used
2x59x63mm

Amazon.com

2x46x50mm

uxcell Nitrile Rubber O-Rings 50mm OD 46mm ID 2mm Width, Metric Sealing Gasket for Automotive Machine Plumbing, Pack of 5: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific

uxcell Nitrile Rubber O-Rings 50mm OD 46mm ID 2mm Width, Metric Sealing Gasket for Automotive Machine Plumbing, Pack of 5: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific

www.amazon.com

1.5"

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09JB98QPB?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1

For example, here are the built-in seals on a typical bike headset kit, the V20c stock has none of these.



Here's the open gap I'm concerned with.


If you want to do the bare minimum and avoid the risk of extra friction from, using the large silicone gasket in the next step, then all you need is a single 2mm O-ring. This should be 99% effective and cause zero added fiction. I'll be doing the same to the gap on the lower race as well, with no additional internal gasket because I can't find one that would fit.


If you want to go the extra mile and experiment alongside me, you can also install this silicone gasket in addition to the external O-rings. The gasket is one piece, but made up of one a large middle flat flange, and a raised O-ring style protusion on each side. You'll need to trim off the O-ring from the side you face up with some flush cut pliers, because otherwise it's too thick and causes noticeable friction in the steering. With one side trimmed flush and greased all surfaces to let it glide during turning, and with the viscoset already installed, I don't feel any additional friction.

 

[Frito Bandito]

That's pretty snazzy Rojo. Excellent idea! At the year end's overhaul on my V20 soon I will take a look at mine to keep it in tip top shape as well.

 

[Rolling Along]

The gap on my V20c is less than 1 mm. I can barely get 2 old laminated healthcare cards through - I measured these and 3 is close to 1 mm.

 

[Greg S]

Cool! Most definitely going to do at least the o-ring (viscoset arrives Tuesday). That gap has bugged me since I first built my V20.

Thanks!

 

[RojoRacing]

The gap on my V20c is less than 1 mm. I can barely get 2 old laminated healthcare cards through - I measured these and 3 is close to 1 mm.

Whether 1 or 2mm it's still plenty big enough for dust and water, since water travels via surface tension and not pure gravity.

 

[ccf]

Why install a viscoset? Is the V20c prone to death wobble?

 

[RojoRacing]

Why install a viscoset? Is the V20c prone to death wobble?

I can't comment for others since I ride my V20 unlike most. I regularly descend mountain roads at speeds between 40-60 mph, and the road surface can have raised cracks across the road that bounce the bike and me off the ground. In those moments, the weight of my legs can cause unwanted steering input, and that has an adverse effect on stability. When this happens at over 50 mph while cornering it can make even me nervous, so I'm hoping the viscoset will reduce that unwanted movement.

I doubt I'll feel any benefit while pedalling since I don't really have any stability issues while on the flats or climbing. The other benefit is being able to move the bike around by hand and not having the front end flop over backwards, which I've already tested, and it works great.

 

[Greg S]

I can't comment for others since I ride my V20 unlike most. I regularly descend mountain roads at speeds between 40-60 mph, and the road surface can have raised cracks across the road that bounce the bike and me off the ground. In those moments, the weight of my legs can cause unwanted steering input, and that has an adverse effect on stability. When this happens at over 50 mph while cornering it can make even me nervous, so I'm hoping the viscoset will reduce that unwanted movement.

Haven't done them yet on the V20 but your situation parallels mine perfectly: lots of steep descents where I can routinely hit 35+ MPH. On one that I can think of that I've done quite often I can hit 50 MPH on a DF if I let it run and there is a curve right at the bottom with a lot of washboard bumps. I'm fairly certain I'd have the same experience as you: legs moving due to the bumps causing unwanted steering inputs which would be pretty scary at that speed.

I'm installing the viscoset preemptively with that in mind.

I doubt I'll feel any benefit while pedalling since I don't really have any stability issues while on the flats or climbing. The other benefit is being able to move the bike around by hand and not having the front end flop over backwards, which I've already tested, and it works great.

After riding the S40 (with viscoset) for a few days the V20 feels "twitchy" by comparison for the first few miles. I get used to it pretty quickly but it'd be better if they both had similar feel.

And thanks once again for doing the trial and posting the part #'s. I've ordered the O-rings and will hold off installing the viscoset until they arrive. Not really a hardship this time of year as it's below 0F here and I'm in trainer land anyway.