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Set my bike up last night and the air pressures in the fork (Pike 426 air) were fine.
Went out this morning and at the bottom of the first climb i wound the forks down and set off. Halfway up i noticed there was something odd about the bike and realised the forks had packed down right to the crown. Tried to put air back in but it was escaping as fast as i could pump.
Ok, seals have blown i thought so limped home.
Thing is, now i'm in the warm the forks are apparently holding air again. Tried the washing up liquid trick around the dust wipers and the valve and can only see some very small bubbles around the valve core when i cycle the forks repeatedly.
When seals blow do they go catastrophically and lose all air or do they leak slowly? Is it the valve core, and if so how do i replace it?
I'm wondering if the below zero temps have had an effect on the forks as well.
Hi muddydwarf,
Robin here from the Evans Suspension Centre. If you've bubbles coming from the valve core then its quite a simple fix. You'll need a valve core removal tool which is a slotted tool that unscrews the valve. Some dust caps have a slotted top section for this task.
It may just be that its got dirt around the sealing part of the valve. Or might just need tightening half a turn.
As for seals failing? Sometimes they can leak slowly, othertimes with a pop! There's quite a few air seals in that fork so might be wise to get it serviced for peace of mind.
Feel free to contact us for advice. Mon-Fri 015397 32262 or suspensionservicing@evanscycles.com
Regards Robin
Thanks Robin, going to pop down to the local car parts shop for a core removal tool and a new core and see if that works first.
Can the very low temps this morning have affected the forks at all? I'm wondering if some rubber bits went hard in the cold.
Hmmm thats a tough one. If there's some water or moisture in the fork then this could freeze i guess and might lead to problems?
I'm sure there's some folk on here with various theories and extreme geekiness when it comes to things like that 😉
A thorough clean and service with new air seals would certainly be worthwhile if the valve core isnt the solution.
We sell parts if you fancy doing it yourself and guidelines are available on the web.
I'm mnot often on here so best to contact me via the details above.
Good luck