My brand new Reveleation rlt arrived from Chain Reaction this a.m.
Installed them in my bike along with new Hope headset.
Not surprised , but a little bemused by the multi-lingual, yet utterly worthless “owner’s manual”. All I’ve learned from that is that I may die without the correct reflectors for my region.

So, onto the SRAM site to find out how it all works. Still haven’t found anything about the gold floodgate knob, but could at least find how to inflate pos and neg chambers and get started……..
Well actually not…
Unless I’m really missing something…….Ensure lockout knob is turned to unlocked. Inflate pos chamber to 110 psi, fine so far, fork lengthens. Inflate neg to match and watch as travel shortens to about 100mm. Sit on bike and try to cycle through travel, it shortens again to maybe 80mm.
Release air from neg chamber and apparent full travel is restored, yet if I put the shock pump to the pos side it shows no pressure……
Utterly confused and feeling as though I may have a dud fork now.

Please, can anyone see where I’m going wrong ?

do you trust the shock pump?

you wanna do a search on here as it was covered extensively a while ago

fill +ve (top), then -ve (bottom) equal pressures
check the sag
twiddle the rebound
the floodgate controls how easily the lockout is over-ridden (iirc)

Sounds like a DOA; send that one back.

Best thing to do is only inflate the never chamber enough to cause the fork to creep a mm or 2 into its travel, all set then. Ignore the pump..

these? http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=67900
not sure what’s up with yours but just a thought: send them back, buy from Merlin, pocket £130 difference?
http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/psa-revelation-white-15mm-remote-now-270-at-merlin

or do you have the more expensive dual position?

I’ve seen quite a few rockshox leak air from new.Bit of usage to lube the seals and they’re usually ok (my new rev did that).And what jameso said.

I think the shock pump is ok, used it fine on the old Tora and to set a mates Fox fork up last weekend.
Is it possible that it is worn and not inflating the pos valve ?
Seems ok initially whilst first inflating pos side, yet shows no pressure when re attached. It almost feels as though all the air is somehow getting into the neg side once I try to pressurise that.

oh right, then you have a blown o-ring probably. i’d use this as perfect excuse to return them and get a refund, unless you really need black or QR or something from CRC.

Check the valve cores,

Smiff ! Yes that’s them. The Merlin deal wasn’t up on friday when I ordered them and couldn’t afford the fork and hub upgrade to 15mm, prior to the Merlin thing so went for the C.R. deal and retained 9mm qr.
Steerer cut and fork fitted now.
Just wish I could find set up and specific manual info from SRAM.

yeah i’d guess as you’ve cut them you’ll need to go through the warranty and can’t return – not sure, ask CRC? shame as that saving would have paid for new wheel anyway. but CRC or SRAM should honour this so you’ll have a working fork one way or another.

To save time i’d probably just order a seal kit from ebay, about £8 iirc, and service it myself, which you’ll need to learn at some point anyway! lots of info around on that, first i’d wait for Loco or someone to confirm a bad o-ring between + and – is likely issue. you haven’t got dual position so pretty simple fork.

try filling +ve, then -ve, then +ve again (and maybe -ve again) especially if you’re going from much lower pressures, then see if they’re still not working properly

I’ll be on to Chain Reaction in the morning. Ther’s not a prayer that I’ll accept that cutting the steerer and fitting the fork, prior to setting it up, voids the warranty.

Smiff may well be right, saw a few with nicked o rings from new a while back, pita but an easy fix.

I had this happen to me recently.

I had cut them and installed them but wasn’t getting the travel, emailed/spoke to Merlin who advised I probably had screwed up the pressures so I downloaded this: and did what it said.

As I pumped up the pos side you could see the fork shrinking so I checked the neg to find it had gone up to 150! So I let a bit out and pumped to original setting, then did same with the pos. I think I did this a couple of times but they are fine now.

I’d wager yours are the same 😀

Why are people continuing to bang on about a warranty?

If the forks don’t work, CRC are liable under the SGA.

They will, however, keep saying “you have voided your warranty” until you demand to be referred to their supervisor and keep quoting the SGA.

Having had another fettling attempt…Can get them to “work” after a fashion at full travel, but only by pressurising + side. As soon as pressure in – side reaches about 70psi, the fork just sucks down into a reduced travel and struggles to return , even to 110mm.
As far as warranty and SGA goes, all cutting and fitting has been done as per manufacturers instructions and setting up would not be possible without them in situ, when all said and done.
It may not be their fault, but CRC will have to sort it, as goods not fit for purpose, in the case of this particular item and that’s who my contract is with.
Just really brassed off, as daft though it sounds, I’ve been really cash strapped lately and this was a real “treat” to myself.
Aaahh, well.

That’s the same guide document I was using MH ! It seems I have the reverse problem to yours ! I may have another go in the morning and see, before I make a call.

Had this with a set of RLTis bought from On One. Knackered seal inside, posted back to O-O and the forks were replaced by SRAM. It did take 2 weeks though…

Try a different pump if you can, I had a similar thing with mine using my old shock pump on new dual air rebas, it would pump +ve but not register once the pump taken off. Soon as I put any pressure into the neg, it just sucked up.

Bought a new RS pump before blaming the forks, emptied all the air, got a brew and checked all the instructions and online tuning guides and it worked perfectly. Seem to recall having to do a couple of pump cycles before it all sorted itself out but been fine since. May not do anything for you but worth a try?

Thanks Nick ! I guess it’s worth a go.

Had the same symptoms when i serviced mine last week. Firstly I had managed to nip bits off the new damper O ring when reinstalling, the same as I presume suggested above on new ones. How I have no idea. I also then applied more judy butter to the new dual air O rings. Everything now fine.

If someone knows the exact size of this o-ring we might have some at work, or our supplier might.

most likely fork sat in storage for months or seal was damaged at the factory.

http://cdn.sram.com/cdn/farfuture/AI2eab6UCQXF2oI6WYGjmfGn2AKwj8ORWSnDla3YG14/mtime:1301946040/sites/default/files/techdocs/2011-revelation-technical-manual.pdf

Page 13-14. interesting for me they do 20mm spacers.
+

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rock-Shox-Reba-Race-O-rings-Seals-Crush-Washer-kit-/180908359291?pt=UK_sportsleisure_cycling_bikeparts_SR&hash=item2a1efa7e7b

or get CRC to sort it out. learn how to do it though or you’ll spend a fortune on services over the life of the fork.. but as new and you don’t know if any other problems probably best to ask CRC!

seals btw are classed as a wear item by SRAM so they don’t have to warranty that later, but CRC still have to replace or fix it as new, i think. meh, ask them. good luck CRC not as good as they were.

I would thoroughly recommend sending those back – having spent a year nursing a set of leaking / underperforming ones – I can vouch that some defo leave the factory in poor shape. TF tuned got them perfect in the end – but that did cost me about £100 and a load of faff.

Send them back. Ask for a replacement (imo).

I put more air in the +ve chamber, and I fill the -ve first, so I can set the travel without cracking open the legs. fnarr.

This is bloody annoying, I had the same thing on a new set of Revs myself.

I think that they should be using a quad-ring for the air chamber seals, and oil instead of grease. It isn’t lubricated properly and it aint a tight enought seal!

The fix if you want to sort it without sending it back is to buy this:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rock-Shox-U-Turn-Reba-O-rings-Seals-Crush-Washer-kit-/180899923204?pt=UK_sportsleisure_cycling_bikeparts_SR&hash=item2a1e79c504#ht_1985wt_1515

and rebuild using a thick oil (e.g. float fluid) instead of grease. You don’t need much, just a few CC over the in the air chamber and a few drops on each o-ring.

Rorschach – Member

I’ve seen quite a few rockshox leak air from new.Bit of usage to lube the seals and they’re usually ok (my new rev did that).

Mine too. Neg chamber would lose it’s air overnight when new. Rode them for a bit and they began to work properly.

Well, tried a new pump ( another few quid) today, to no avail.
Have decided to send back to CRC and told them that either way I need it sorting fast, either replaced or this one working, just quickly !
It’s not their fault, but I just want to get out on my bike with new fork !….Meanwhile back on the Tora….
Thanks for all your input people 🙂

How come fluid seals the rings better than grease? I put a small amount of oil in my Reba’s but used liberal amounts of grease in my Revs after watching Rockshox vid.

Scamper – Member

How come fluid seals the rings better than grease? I put a small amount of oil in my Reba’s but used liberal amounts of grease in my Revs after watching Rockshox vid.

If you’re replying to me, I don’t know if grease seals better as such, I meant the o-rings i linked to (whuich seem to be a tighter fit than the OE ones and do not lose air or oil).

Oil does seem to lube the seal better though as the grease tends to end up scraped away from the working surface.

According to some chaps on MTBR (i.e. unofficially) the reason for the switch to grease was because the o-ring doesn’t seal well enough to keep the oil in – hence why i think they should use a quad ring there.
Sure there must be a good reason why they don’t but I can’t think of what it is.

According to some chaps on MTBR (i.e. unofficially) the reason for the switch to grease was because the o-ring doesn’t seal well enough to keep the oil in – hence why i think they should use a quad ring there.
Sure there must be a good reason why they don’t but I can’t think of what it is.

Probably stiction

oil does migrate from the +ve to the -ve by gravity and use.. this is ok (better than having air get around) and why it’s maybe good to periodically add oil to the +ve through the air top cap (24mm spanner), to keep the o-rings lubed. something thick like Fox Float Fluid, not damper oil. only like 5mls won’t affect spring rate or anything. you’re probably already letting enough oil out the bottom if you adjust -ve with fork upright, or maybe take the valve cores out and fully compress the fork, so it doesn’t hydrolock. this is my experience not from manuals.

yeah RS forks are kinda basic but that’s why they’re cheap (vs Fox) and fun to work on 🙂

btw grease on o-rings and oil, suspension stuff not just any kind.

The use of grease may be due to a common servicing regime across all forks in a family. I don’t think it would be OK to use oil in the Dual Position Air forks as it would migrate to one chamber, potentially leaving one drier, hence the use of grease. Perhaps because of this they have changed the procedure on all Revs?

^^ not if the o-ring is sealing properly, i’ve had mine in a month at least now – probably 2, no oil migration and no air pressure changes. Before I changed the o-rings I was having to adjust the pressure every ride due to leakage.

RockShox o-rings + grease = leaking air
RockShox o-rings + oil = leaking air & oil
ebay o-rings = no leaks

I had no problems with 2008 or 2009 revelations. My latest two pairs have both had these problems. (2011 + 2012) incidentally, the same time they switched to using grease in the air chambers.

I think the slightly incorrect sizing of the ebay kit i linked to makes them seal better.

Food for thought, thats for sure.

Mine are 2010 and manual suggest grease for dual air and oil for damper rings. Not totally sure as they were second hand, but think they actually came oiled.

I’ve used that eBay seal kit with good results . The moco seals were a bloody tight fit when reinstalling the damper

that’s nuts if the unofficial kits are fitting better than official.. maybe tolerance differences in fork parts also so ymmv i guess.
yep i use the unofficial but only because they’re cheaper, haven’t noticed a difference.

do people normally change the rings routinely (during oil changes) anyway or just wait till they blow/leak? used to change them but now don’t really bother.. unless going away maybe.

Cheezpleez – Member

I’ve used that eBay seal kit with good results . The moco seals were a bloody tight fit when reinstalling the damper

Yep, forgot about that. My MoCo also leaked its oil into the lowers with the OE seals. Useless!

It’s annoying, because with Enduro wipers (more importantly the hydraulic seals underneath) and the ebay o-rings, they’ve been a solid fork requiring very little maintenance.

Yep, forgot about that. My MoCo also leaked its oil into the lowers with the OE seals. Useless!

It’s annoying, because with Enduro wipers (more importantly the hydraulic seals underneath) and the ebay o-rings, they’ve been a solid fork requiring very little maintenance.

I hear the blue enduro fork seals rape stanchions. Confirm/Deny?