[Closed] DIY fork service - 5 things I learned

motor oil does which job very nicely?

take it from me it doesnt substitute well for 5wt in low end manitous, unless you want to effectively lock the forks out.

Works fine as lower oil in RS forks...

Things I found out doing a set of Z1s a couple of years ago:

1. Fork oil is slippery on a wood floor
2. Using the arch on the lowers as a place to push on as you try to fit the spring/damper/shim assembly back into the fork leg is a bad idea.

4. Motor oil does the job very nicely thank you

As bushing lubricant yes. As damping oil, no.

115 ml of 15w40 in the damping side, feeling buttery smooth 🙂

Did some research before I used it. There are some folk who see it as heresy but plenty of others who have used various substitutes and are still here to tell the tale. And more to the point, have forks that are working well. I'll let you know if I have any problems.

But if sourced cheaply (i.e. not from cycle specialist places but from motorcycle specialists) 5w premium fork oil is buttons - I think I paid about £7 for a litre of the stuff.

115 ml of 15w40 in the damping side, feeling buttery smooth

Did some research before I used it. There are some folk who see it as heresy but plenty of others who have used various substitutes and are still here to tell the tale. And more to the point, have forks that are working well. I'll let you know if I have any problems.

How heavy are you? Surely they are massively over damped now?

How heavy are you? Surely they are massively over damped now?

It behaves as a 15W oil when cold and a 40W oil when hot so you would expect it to be over damped really but regardless of that for the damper of a RS fork but you should still use suspension fluid (e.g. Red Line Lightweight). A quick search found that [url= http://www.mobil.com/USA-English/Lubes/PDS/GLXXENCVLMOMobil_Fleet_15W-40.aspx ]Mobil 15W40 is 109cSt @40C[/url] and RS 5W Fork Oil is 16.1cSt @40C so it is quite a different viscosity!

I've used engine oil in the lowers though which is better than suspension fluid for lubrication.

What I learned last week, remember to put all the bits back in before you finish assembly and then spot the left overs sitting on the work bench 🙄

Well I say learned, but will probably do it again next time

A quick search found that Mobil 15W40 is 109cSt @40C and RS 5W Fork Oil is 16.1cSt @40C so it is quite a different viscosity!

Exactly! I'd be surprised if they move at anything over a snails pace.

I read the complicated service manual for my manitou's and just laughed and stuck in 10wt silkolene motorcycle fork oil in the required amounts everywhere. Worked for all the marzocchi's I used to run.

Then I stripped the fork again when I realised I needed to use teflon grease on all the o-rings, doh!

check which way round the lowers are before sliding them back on. otherwise you get a strange fork.

that's my 2p.

Make sure you fit the bottom drain cap before filling with oil - learnt that one by making a lot of mess and wasting a fair amount of expensive fork oil!

Cheers, Rich

check which way round the lowers are before sliding them back on. otherwise you get a strange fork.

Yep! Been there before!

Lol, I had a similar nightmare reassembling my revelations when returning them to 150mm, I really shouldn't take things apart, of if I do I should rtfm properly.

http://iwillbebacksoon.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/will-i-ever-learn.html

Regarding using thicker oil in the lowers, this is just lube on RS forks isn't it? damping oil is held in the stantion.

I've taken loads of rockshox forks to bits before so didn't really stop to think before giving some marzocchi forks a quick fettle. An old rag is enough to catch the oil from rockshox lowers; the same technique for marz forks results in oil all over the garage floor. Ah, so that's what "open bath" means...

I serviced the Mavericks on one of my bikes a couple of days ago, they're now buttery smooth 🙂 but now two of the other bikes feel rubbish, so I'll have to do them too 🙁