Going to attempt to service the lowers on my forks for the first time.

No luck in finding any Isopropyl alchohol in town. Is it just called something else, or is there a substitute?

What do you need it for?

Maplin will have it.

Chemist should be able to sell you some. I always used to get mine from a large Boots in town. Lasted for years.

Bought a squirty bottle full from fleabay.

Maplin definitely, cheapest place would be eBay though. No (decent) substitute.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/isopropyl-alcohol-28994

Just use meths, will do the same thing. Best place for ipa is fleabay in my experience.

Do not use meths, it has stuff added to it.

use cheap vodka, it will be fine.

this stuff contains what you need..
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_categoryId_255225_productId_201119_langId_-1?cm_mmc=Shopping-_-Google%20Product%20Search-_-Car%20Maintenance%2FEngine%20Oils%20%26%20Car%20Fluids%2FScreenwash%20%26%20De-Icer-_-RainX%20Anti-Fog%20200ml&source=shopping

any of the ebay ones will do, like this
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/IPA-ISOPROPYL-ALCOHOL-ISOPROPANOL-500ML-99-9-PURE-/160845735205?pt=UK_BOI_Medical_Lab_Equipment_Lab_Supplies_ET&hash=item2573272525

Might be called rubbing alcohol in some places although that will often be a mix of IPA and Ethanol. Old school hardware shops should have it. Look around the paint bits where the turpentine, white spirits and meths are.

Cheap vodka might work, as will meths probably, the additions are normally volatile. I’ve never bothered using anything, just a wipe down with a lint free rag.

All it will be doing is acting as a degreaser to shift the old stuff. They’ll choose IPA to use as it is relatively safe for the user and won’t damage the seals.

I did service my Reba fork for the first time recently too. The other thing i didn’t have was some new crush washers and a deep 10 mm socket. Very satisfying once you’ve done the job.

IPA = PROPAN-2-OL

Blimey, I would use paraffin and make sure I dried it all off.

Liberal splash of lighter fluid and a match.

Got it on Amazon

http://www.amazon.co.uk/ISOPROPANOL-Isopropyl-Alcohol-Courier-Shipping/dp/B003D8QFQO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1357408802&sr=8-1

don’t use meths or acetone as they can damage rubber seals and o rings

Brought a litre off E-bay, delivered in a couple of days, emptied it into an empty muc-off bottle. Hey presto, one squirty bottle of IPA.
Made cleaning out the lowers a doddle.

nwilko – Member

this stuff contains what you need..
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_categoryId_255225_productId_201119_langId_-1?cm_mmc=Shopping-_-Google%20Product%20Search-_-Car%20Maintenance%2FEngine%20Oils%20%26%20Car%20Fluids%2FScreenwash%20%26%20De-Icer-_-RainX%20Anti-Fog%20200ml&source=shopping
Cant say I’ve ever felt the need to prevent my forks from steaming up oddly.

You can buy it Halfords or any other motor shop. It’s sold as brake cleaner. Isopropanol Alcohol is a degreaser that evaporates leaving a spotlessly clean surface. It’s very good at dissolving build ups of oil/gunk etc. It won’t damage o-rings, seals etc. (otherwise it wouldn’t be safe on brake calipers). Isopropanol / brake cleaner is quick and fast – just don’t soak your hands in too much or you’ll end up with cracked skin.

One comment though. For servicing forks it isn’t really necessary. All you want to do is clean off the old oil/grease and make sure there is no grit when you reassemble. I used to use Muc-off pink stuff to degrease and then rinse well with lots of clean water (just make sure everything is fully dry before reassembly). Other degreaser should be fine also.

I wouldn’t recommend white spirit or petrol as both leave a residue which could react with the new oil/grease. Meths is OK, however it doesn’t clean particularly well Meths is just 90% ethanol and 10% methanol. The only thing added to meths is purple to stop tramps drinking it! It won’t do any harm to o-rings etc.

It uses IPA as the solvent. I think it also contains silanes and siloxanes as the active ingredient – they stick to the glass surface and make it more hydrophobic. Not sure if this would be a problem in a fork. Not the most cost effective way of buying the stuff.

I can’t remember if Acetone attacks nitrile seals? Could use nail varnish remover if it doesn’t.

that ebay link is pretty damn cheap tbh.

I would keep acetone well away from your forks. Not worth the risk and acetone is a definite NO with nitrile seals.

I got a 5ltr tin for about £11 but can’t recall where from. I’ll have a gander through my bookmarks in a bit and post-up the link.

I use surgical spirit from Boots or Superdrug. About £4 for half a litre.

Try this – http://www.ecfibreglasssupplies.co.uk/p-1628-isopropanol-alcohol.aspx

Cheapest I’d found for IPA (400ml spray cans) were CPC Farnell. I use the stuff all the time for cleaning disc brake rotors & pads. It flashes of fairly quickly, and leaves no residue.

I ebay it as well, Maplin is stupendously expensive (but the aerosol one is pretty handy). I’ve got it from a couple of chemists too, they’ve never had it on display but I’ve asked and just explained what it’s for and no fuss.

jonba – silanes and siloxanes, pretty specialist stuff… Who do you do your chemistry for???

Akzonobel – Polysiloxanes are used as the resins in some of our industrial coatings (where I work).

“Going to attempt to service the lowers on my forks for the first time.”
What forks are they?
In general it is good circlip pliers and other decent tools that are needed more than alcohol.

Plus some new seals etc
http://enduroforkseals.com/id1.html

Alc Ho Ho l?
“Is it just called something else…”

Just found it…!

10ltr (not 5)

http://www.shinyhardware.co.uk/prods/showprod.asp?pid=24280

Just look for this badge on the beer pumps: