Reverb.. Home servicing

Symptoms are – sagging in to height a lot but other than that just a lot of wear on the bush and tube

l’m happy to remove the outer sleeve and clean/replace the top bush etc.. But how easy is it really to strip it completely, fit all the new seals, rebuild and then get the oil volume correct. I guess the proper tool is the only option?

It’s not worth sending it off and getting it done as its well past economical repairs by others and I’m sure replacing the tubes and the service will be as expensive as a new one anyway (I’ll be buying a new one today)

Cheers

Look on YouTube. Full instructions on there. Looks simple enough, just a case of being methodical. I’m going to give it a go myself as soon as I can get a bench and vice sorted in my garage.

Yeah I watched all the videos but it’s the oil volume that could be the tricky big to get right as I can’t find a volume chart or info on how much to put in

I was shot down fairly quickly

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/full-service-of-a-reverb-at-home

There isn’t a oil volume to measure.

It’s a (major) faff but it is doable. The amount of oil is set by filling it up then pushing the right amount out- the 3 rockshox tools really do their job well, even if one of them is just a tube.

Allow a lot more time than you expect. My first attempt (which didn’t actually produce a working post) tool me most of a Sunday afternoon and evening. I have since managed a strip and rebuild in90 minutes but that’s pushing it

Swanny beat me to it. Look at the SRAM youtube channel for help and follow it exactly as shown on the clips. I’ve done mine three times now and whilst it is a faff and a bit messy it saves a lot of time and money and is really satisfying. If you are local to Swansea/ Carmarthen I have the tools you’ll need.

The tools aren’t really necessary. The oil height just corresponds to the posts drop (125mm drop has oil height/depth of 125mm, and so on). The bleeding tool is probably a good investment, but you can do it without too (I have a couple of times). There are instructions for bodging a bleed on mtbr. It’s a faff, but doable if you take it one step at a time.

Did you guys that did your own full rebuild source your own O rings or get the full retail rebuild kit (bit steep at around £40 ? ) Full service is around £85 so seems very good value taking into account kit price.

I used the basic rebuild kit, plus additional O rings sourced from spares I already had lying around. They are not silly sizes from what I remember, just whip them out and go to a local supplier for replacements. TBH not all of them will need replacing either, probably best to do the shaft seals and ifp seals though.

Cheers Ambrose,that’s what I was thinking to do as and when as the main failure bits do seem to be those very O rings and they are pennies.I was also thinking why can’t you just do a top access purge/bleed/refresh through the poppet valve orifice of the main chamber as a ‘quick’ fix to a post that begins to sag overtime.My non-stealth has served me over 2 winters so far and is doing well .

It’s not too hard following youtube vids. I got the oil height wrong, first too much, then too little and spent a while scratching my head until I worked it out. Soft jaws for the vice help, as does a whopper of an adjustable to do the collar. I’ve done a few now and it still takes me about an hour of faff.

Hi for those of you hat have done it , how do you know what In particular needs doing? I have a spare reverb that has sat in a drawer for a while. It sinks when I sit on it . I have looked at servicing it myself but was told it was a lot of effort ( see my link above) it’s one of the older silver collar ones

Is it a case of buy the service kits and do a full service and it’ll work? As its spare I’m willing to give it a few tries . Am keen to learn as I have two of these

If you want to know all the O ring sizes, Peter Verdone has this handy summary..

Reverb O ring made easy

Great info there steel4real thank you.

I used this sram tech video guide. Hardest part for me was getting the air valve unscrewed with out a soft jawed vice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxgUK3gC_Fk&list=PLtfnVpdul4H069_F5b9k5Uya0DySg0ndU

steel4real- respect 🙂

Cheers – but the respect should really be for Peter V !

howsyourdad1 – If the post is sinking when you sit on it, then (from my understanding) the air and oil have likely mixed in the post. A post bleed and changing the relevant O rings should cure this. Well, it cured mine.

noahhowes – Member
howsyourdad1 – If the post is sinking when you sit on it, then (from my understanding) the air and oil have likely mixed in the post. A post bleed and changing the relevant O rings should cure this. Well, it cured mine.

Well after a days riding at Antur Stiniog and hanging the bike on the uplift trailer, it would seem the post now sinks all the way down when you sit on it.

What’s the easiest way and how do you do a POST BLEED??

You can follow the SRAM service video for a full strip and service. It is quite involved.

Alternatively, we were discussing on another thread how to bleed without dissassembly- here

Ah, right. I might try that as opposed to a full on strip, I’ve nothing to loose. I was hoping it might have been a little easier than all that faffing.

Well that’s my evening sorted

Have you got the post oil height tool? You’ll probably need it to try it that way. For a full service the 3 rockshox tools do make life a lot easier!

Nope, no oil height tool (or the other Rockshox ones) but after about an hour and a half of faffing and understanding what bits (appear) to do what, I now have a seat post with out any sag 🙂

There is no guarantee how long its going to last and it was probably more luck than judgement that its worked.

carlos – Member
Nope, no oil height tool (or the other Rockshox ones) but after about an hour and a half of faffing and understanding what bits (appear) to do what, I now have a seat post with out any sag

There is no guarantee how long its going to last and it was probably more luck than judgement that its worked.

Well it didn’t last long 🙁

Well and truly FUBAR!!

Well it didn’t last long

Well and truly FUBAR!!

What went wrong?

[/quote]swanny853 – Member
Well it didn’t last long
Well and truly FUBAR!!

What went wrong?

Dunno. It was all going swimmingly, I’d had a ride out on it Thursday and all worked great, then on Sunday when I got to the top of the climb to the back of Jacobs ladder, I dropped it for the descent and it wouldn’t come or stay back up.

Nowt lost as I knew I was going to be getting anew one anyway, pity it didn’t last till all the wet weather has been and gone

Did it pee oil anywhere? Not coming back up (as opposed to just not taking weight) may mean it’s the air spring- is the pressure still good?

If there’s air it must be locked down, which suggests the circuit may still be OK and there’s something wrong with the remote perhaps.

Swanney853 – Didn’t notice any oil. Just wouldn’t take weight or even hold in the up position no matter what.

TBH its not worth he faff of trying to fix it again.

Hmmm. Could be worth checking the air just to make sure- although if it’s done it once it will probably do it again.

The only other thing worth checking is what happened to mine after servicing- the saddle dropped without warning and wouldn’t hold weight, but when I took it off the bike i found it was because I hadn’t got the bottom circlip seated properly and it had popped out, so the whole shebang dropped inside the outer post….

Check the air was a good shout, as it didn’t have any in!! Could’ve done with checking that at 8km into a 46km route when it dropped 😳

It can sit in the parts bin, you never know, I might get inspired to fit new seals oneday

You Plum!