Have a set of 7 year old TALAS forks. Been pretty good apart from regularly chewing through stanchions. After the 3rd replacement set I decided that given the age of the forks I'd run them until failure, and have just changed the oil on a regular basis.

However, noticed over the last few months a gradual reduction in travel and failure of the TALAS height adjust. Reluctant at this point to hand over £100 to have seven year old forks serviced so decided to leave it.

This morning, when adjusting the pressure after the bike had been stored upside down, a load of filthy greeny-grey, thin, oil squirted back through the shock pump. After initial panic subsided I discovered that the forks have regained full travel and the TALAS works again.

So… how important is this oil that was, rightly or wrongly, in the TALAS chamber (which should be isolated from the oil elsewhere in the fork)? There is a slight scraping noise on fast rebound, but I think it's the worn stanchions and not the TALAS shaft.

Keeping the forks upside down means you have to cycle the forks quite a lot ater turning them back over – The oil could be from this ? so did you cycle to forks before you put the pump on? Of has it been sucked into the air chamber?

it's not fromt he TALAS chamber, I expect more from the air spring.

problem is you can't get to the air chamber to top it up with float fluid without the special talas valce thingy.

if there was lots I'd be worried as the float fluid is what lubricates the inside of the stanchions, if just a little then not too bothered.

it's float fluid, there several chambers in side the talas leg with differ levels of float fluid.
As your riding them till they die, leave it as the talas is failing already.
can't really be sorted without a service. £84.99 with me btw. 😉

Ahhh,,, just found a thread on the mtbr forum discussing this. It seems it's a consequence of using lighter weight oil in fork (which I do because I think it gives better damping), and it gets sucked past the seal into the lower air chamber.

Will keep an eye on it from now on, but feel that being nearly 8 years old I'm happy to run the forks until they fall apart. By the sounds of it, the oil from the lower leg that's being sucked in will serve to keep things lubricated anyway. 🙂

I'd say it was more a case of a worn seal at the bottom of the talas leg letting the the oil in not the weight of the oil. There's only 10ml in the lower leg on the Talas side so not alot to dilute any 'solids' that get past the seal.
The fluids that came out the valve will be float fluid as the bike was upside down, floats will do the same thing and most likely came from one of the air chambers.
Doesn't make much difference either way if your going to ride them till they die. 🙂