Charger Damper leaking...?

[born-again-biker]

Should my Charger damper suck & squirt splash lube out of the small hole near the top?...or is it leaking damper fluid 'coz something is buggered?

In the middle of a lower leg service on my Yari's tonight. Done many times before on RS products.
While I was feckin' around cleaning & lubing the lowers I noticed the damper side of the uppers was dripping oil into the pan for ages.
Hmmm....
Didn't think much of it at first because I just had the forks upside down while I was tapping the bottom bolts to free the lowers. I figured the splash oil
was running back out slowly ....but it didn't really stop at what I thought was "about 10ml"....

So I unscrewed the whole damper rod from the upper and had a bit of a fiddle on the bench. It's definitely responding to changes in rebound/comp OK.
It squirts & gurgles oil outta the little hole near the top at full compression....?
There's no nasty bits in the rod travel - it feels smooth from top to bottom when I move it by hand.

As I said, I've done plenty of lower leg services but I've never dived into a damper.

Should I be worried?
I rode it this 'arvo, pre-service, on my local trails & the fork felt fine.....I think....

 

[_______]

no RS exp here but plenty on FIT cartridges: sounds like a split/suspect bladder - hold it upright with rebound fast af and cycle it from normal "extension" to bottom out a few times with a bit of comp damping wound on and back again: any undamped movement near either end of stroke? Usually most noticeable on rebound (top of stroke) so try a click or two and see.

if you can't get it to go undamped anywhere in its travel like that it's probably fine, might just have sucked some lower leg oil in where air should be whilst upside down as you suggest.

^treat as bollocks as soon as someone who speaks sram shows up

 

[born-again-biker]

Just got back from LBS (...they have suspension workshop & knowledges...)

He reckons' it's fine. Said it's hard to tell how much oil leaks out when it spreads across the pan i.e. - looks like more than it is.
He cycled the damper a few times & said it feels completely normal.
The little hole on the side near the top is an escape for the big hits.

 

[c3024446]

If you test the lockout / Compression set to firm with the damper out and it's solid - it's ok. If it has lost fluid it'll move more than the 2mm that is allowed.