The fork of the bike I bought used - a Fox F120RL (installed on a 2011 Trek Fuel 8 EX) has started leaking a weird see-through fluid from the side where you adjust compression and rebound. Does anyone know what happened or what is leaking? Is it worthwhile fixing? Have I been scammed? What even is that fluid? (Pics in the end of the post)
The full story:
Recently I bought an amazing-feeling 2011 Trek Fuel 8 EX (second hand, of course). After a couple days I significantly lowered the pressure on the fork and rear shock and achieved that perfect feel (15-25% sag). The bike could clear a small speed bump without feeling anything - true magic.
But after I made my first ride on a rocky trail with the new sag and air pressure settings, I noticed black oil on the front of the fork. Being naive, I thought this is just a bad seal and temporarily made the decision to turn the compression up to the maximum. After that, I took my bike home and stopped using it until I can take it to get the fork rebuilt.
Today I woke up to a weird smell and a pool of clear fluid on the floor. It is on the the right side, opposite to where the hydraulic disc brake is mounted. I have never seen any fork leak this badly before. If I turn the compression it makes bump noises and it maybe losing air pressure...
side view of the leaking fork. the "dirt" on it, is oil from a previous ride. notice the fluid leaking down the leg: