Snapped the valve off my Marzocchi 66 SLs whilst applying surprisingly little torque in the wrong direction – what a pillock.

Untitled by molgrips, on Flickr

That’s after I’d tidied up the ends, by the way. So after a lot of thinking and experimenting with inner tube valves, I decided the best thing to do was to glue a smaller piece of tube between the two broken parts and cross my fingers. Problem is that the bit had sheared off right where the end of the valve core was inside. I realised that the stem of a threadless presta valve inner tube had the correct internal diameter to accomodate the end of the schraeder valve core, but the outside diameter was too large. So I needed to turn the part down a bit on my lathe.

But I don’t have a lathe, the only turny thing I have is a pillar drill.

Untitled by molgrips, on Flickr

Untitled by molgrips, on Flickr

This worked surprisingly well. I kept measuring it top and bottom with a micrometer, and got it down to 5mm within a few hundredths. I hd already drilled out the broken off valve bit with a 5mm bit so I kept trying it til it was a good snug fit.

Now the only problem is how to hold the damping rod to drill out the hole in the end. I drilled a perpendicular hole in a block of wood held in my hand vice so I could stick the rod in it and get it perpendicular also. A bit of water on the wood ensured a snug fit there.

Untitled by molgrips, on Flickr

Untitled by molgrips, on Flickr

Et voila

Untitled by molgrips, on Flickr

It fit, so I glued it in place with Araldite metal epoxy. All I can do is hope that it withstands the moderate torque and tension of tightening up the bottom bolt.

Nice fix, hope it holds

Next thing to try would be linear friction welding….but that might cost a bit…

i would of just cried in a corner, good job

Next thing to try is finding a spare. I’ve no idea if they are still made.. Hopefully.

plyphon, I did that too, and shouted and swore. I just spent £60 and a whole week getting that bike ready to ride in the sunshine… Bah. Nit going to wait another month trying to sort out a spare…

Very Heath-Robinson, but a very neat job. Nicely done!

Nice one did the same, may try and make something interesting with the forks instead, seat or bog roll holder currently top of the list

What forks are they mike?

good fix. I did almost the same thing yesterday but there doesn’t look to be any way back from the mess I made so does anyone know where I can source a 2007 180mm RC2 cartridge? I’ll be on to Windwave tomorrow but I don’t fancy my chances … maybe look on eBay for a otherwise trashed pair. I did have a little cry and then a few drinks.

Are they the same forks? Seems to have happened to a few people. Let me know if Windwave can help.

Well bollocks. Went to refit them, was doing up the nut expecting to feel it tighten.. It had come off without offering any resistance at all. Which is odd because it had felt pretty tight before. Maybe cotact with oil had trashed it.. I hope not.

Fortunately it was the fork end of the joint, so there was room to put a pin through it. Done that, now I just need to try and make it airtight…!

thread forks n broken bit internally, thread (new fatter) sleeve externally. Bish bosh bash ur done.

I had the AM1 SL Airs, the cart was crap and had some known issues that Marzocchi couldn’t fix. Advised to buy different forks as they were 2nd hand and out of warranty. Broke the valve trying to do a bodge service from somewhere online./ Tried to fit another cart but it never really worked. I have 34 160’s now so not bothered. I have enough 150/160mm forks for swapping out. Just might do something more creative with them.

Good work sir, indeed “chapeau”.

I am a mere beginner – I only use the single-file method, with a hand drill.

Amazing what you can do with basic tools and ingenuity.

That’s some good bodging molgrips.

And there was me all pleased with myself because (with some trepidation) I successfully managed to remove a sheared disc bolt, using some careful freehand drilling and an Easy Out.

Well, it failed again, the glue is a complete washout. Maybe it’s the proximity of oil, I dunno.

Then I realised that most of my problems were caused by the broken bit having to do two jobs – hold the fork together AND contain the valve – and it was the presence of the valve that caused all the trouble. So I took out the valve and pinned the piece in place properly.

So then I’m just left with the problem of how to stop air coming out. I ‘machined’ an inner tube valve down and stuck it in the end of the now empty original valve, and bingo.

Untitled by molgrips, on Flickr

I went for the press-fit option for the extra valve. I pressurized it a bit, found a few leaks so dobbed plenty of loctite around the holes. It seemed airtight, so I went for a ride. Worked reasonably well, but the valve fell out after I went to re-pressurise it. So much for press-fit.

I may try some of the loctite mentioned above, cos this will need to be airtight as well as hold it in place. However, when test riding the fork it was full of stiction and felt pretty crap – so I guess I need new seals too.

This Loctite? bearing fit, there might be a better one though might be worth trawling through there site a bit more.
http://www.loctite.co.uk/news-4082_bearing-the-pressure-6232_UKE_HTML.htm