Ok I’m resurrecting this one after 10 months as I’m now older and wiser and thought I’d better put the issue to bed for anyone searching the archives.

Remember my ‘issue 1’ above was blue/green oil coming out of the schrader valve. Well, the answer is:-

A. A small amount of blue oil is Ok as that’s the 5cc of Fox Float Fluid that should be on the air side.

B. A larger amount of oil, and a blue/green mix is symtomatic of a problem. It means the lower oil is migrating past the air seal and getting into the upper chamber, and mixing with the float fluid. This is not good, and will result in gradual increase in harshness and reduction of travel. It’s because of a design fault in 2010-2012 era Fox forks, and can be solved quite easily by a modified air seal kit under warranty – This Mtbr thread will tell you all about it.

The small amounts of blue/green oil I had coming out when the fork was near new was just the early signs of this problem, and ten months later all the oil had migrated out of the lowers! So be warned…

Assuming you’re doing a normal seal service, you shouldn’t need to add Float fluid anywhere

But according to the Fox service instructions here you should put one pillow pack (5cc) of float fluid above the air spring!

And for theOP, the Fox fluid volumes chart is here

Yep, its a well known issue with Fox forks 2010-2012 era. Here’s[/url] the MTBR thread on it.

I just serviced my F32 RL and all 30ml of the oil had migrated to above the air spring – the bottom of the fork was completely dry.

I’ve tried the ‘remove the foam ring’ fix for now, but also want to get my hands on the new seals – so anyone know where to get them?

Friend has a Giant Talon 29er hardtail & we fitted a rack to it for some touring. It has the eyelets on the rear dropouts for the lower fittings, and we used a nifty seatpost clamp with integrated rack mount for the upper fittings. Solid as a rock!

Arse

Is that a comment on me, or a suggestion of what to write on the stem cap, or both!

I read that the double-specific SLX crank might have a different chain line

Nope – the two rings on the M665 are in exactly the same place as the middle and inner on the M660.

You might be able to drop the front mech a few mil to get it to run closer to the bash (which will be smaller diameter than the big ring) and it will then serve a little like an upper chain guide.

…but will also cause chain rub in the extremes of the cassette, because your chain is now running in a narrower part of your front mech. And in fact, if you replaced the 32 with a 36, for best shifting & least chain rub, you would raise the FD a few mm, as the 36T ring is larger diameter than the 32T it replaced, and therefore the chain is running higher in the cage. In fact, if you’re staying double, you may want to consider the double specific FD – M665/667, as its smaller, looks much neater, and contains the chain better.

For info the SLX bashguard does NOT fit the triple spider.

True – the spider on the M665 is different to the one on the M660. Here’s what I’ve found thru trial and error…
– M665 bash doesn’t fit M660.
– M660 32T middle doesn’t fit M665.
– M665 middle ring fits M660 but doesn’t seat properly on spider ‘lugs’.
– Any third party ‘standard 104BCD bash’ will fit the M665 but won’t sit on the spider lugs, so when you bash it, the chainring bolt surrounds take all the force instead of the spider. If it’s ally probably not a problem, but the plastic ones soon crack around the chainring bolts if you bash them regularly.
– The 22T granny is identical between M660 and M665.

the difference between the M665 middle ring and M660 middle ring will be something to do with shifting pins

M665 middle is 36T, all alloy, and yes, it has very different ramps/pins/tooth phase to help jump the 14T gap between 36 and 22. The M660 middle is 32T and steel/composite.

The M675 are the same brakes as the M666, just re-labelled to match the re-vamped 2013 SLX lineup. As such they take the same pads as the XT M785 and XTR M985 brakes. Which are:-

Resin/organic un-finned – G01A
Resin/organic finned – F01A
Metal/sintered un-finned – G03T
Metal/sintered finned F03C

The Deore ones do not fit.

You’ll find them on CRC here for the finned and here for unfinned

How do they CTD forks perform in reality? I’ve seen a few “expert” reviews that have said they don’t like some of the things about them, and how it means you can’t fully adjust settings seperately? (unlike having seperate rebound/compression/travel knobs etc)

I’m musing about a new fork for my Zesty, but i really want something fully adjustable, because i’d hate to buy a new expensive fork and end up still not liking it (just not liking it in a slightly different way to the one i currently don’t like……

Works for me! I find myself changing the settings much more while riding than a ‘fully adjustable’ fork, precisely because there are just three easy to use positions rather than infinite adjustment and fiddling.

But, if you “really want something fully adjustable” then don’t get a CTD fork, cos it aint.

I read somewhere that the CTD fork can be readily converted between remote or not, but the shock has two specific models for remote activated or not, and can’t be changed between the two.

PS: I’ve already got F29 100 CTD fork, so is it just a particular retailer who doesn’t have ’em till November?

Any reason not to use the bar mounted lever?

Have you seen how fugly that thing is?

You will probably need to shorten the hoses anyway and thats when you swap them over. You will need a new olive and insert( http://www.merlincycles.com/bike-shop/mtb-parts/brakes/disc-brake-spares/shimano-disc-brake-spares/shimano-hose-olive-and-insert.html )for each one but they are usually supplied with new brakes from shimano anyway.

FYI that insert (the gold coloured one) is the wrong one for Shimano’s 2012 brakes. They use BH90 hose which has a smaller ID and therefore a different (silver coloured) insert. But as pointed out – the right ones will come with a new brakeset anyway.

PS: The oloves are the same as the old and new hose has same OD.

Yes description on label should be Low friction too.

Oh yeah – duh!

Thanks.

Also the ‘new’SKF Fox Low friction seals make a lot of difference to sensitivity even with the ‘old’ standard coating on the fork stantions.

I’ve got a dust wiper kit labelled ‘803-00-613’ – is it the new low friction ones?

You mean the new “5-piece flanged bushing” that doesn’t need a fitting/extraction tool, and has 50% less friction and lasts 10 x longer than DU bushings according to Fox?

I got mine here

Oh, it’s a lot lighter if you’re looking for other benefits/excuses

Have you weighed them – I just did 🙄

I went down that route, but found the Saint shifting decidely ‘clunky’ compared to the dainty way the SLX danced over the cassette. Something to do with the stronger spring tension on the Saint. It also always seemed to be out of tune at one end of the cassette or ‘tother, so it’s now in my spares box and I bought another SLX.

Shame, cos the Saint did get a lot of admiring glances and definitely added to my gnaar factor in the car park…

Forget the indicator windows and go i-spec version anyway…

Standard of living, climate, lifestyle, job prospects – all of those things are well covered by previous threads here, and even the odd documentary on telly.

But, and it is a big but, what you really need to be asking yourselves is whether you are willing to leave all your friends, family, and everything you have invested in your current life, and start all over again in a new country. Because that’s the scale of the change you will be making.

Not saying you shouldn’t do it – many have (including me) and have never looked back, but just don’t underestimate the social & cultural dislocation for the sake of a “much higher standard of living”.

all front chainsets seem to be 2×10

Except this one…

Shimano SLX M665 2×9 Chainset

Dr P, you won’t be disappointed.

By the way, what FD do you have? If you haven’t already got a double specific one, now might be the time to pick up one of those as well, as there’s some good deals around on the SLX 2×9 stuff because the 2×10 is already out. Like here

Have found Bike-discount.de excellent on price, but pretty unhelpful when it comes to anything outside the standard automated order process.

Bike-components.de on the other hand, are pretty close on price and will price match Bike-discount anyway, and are much more helpful. For example they always answer emails within 24hrs, are willing to spend days tracking down obscure little components for me that aren’t on their web site, and deal patiently and efficiently with me when I muck them around by changing my mind about things already on order!

Those turbine blades are things of sublime beauty! I’d love a blade mounted on a polished block of wood just as a work of art to display, a smaller blade, obviously.

I keep the intake turbine from a CAT 3208 diesel turbocharger as a paperweight on my desk. That is a thing of beauty, and brings back fond memories of when I could afford to have the rest of the boat that went with it!

I’d go for that M665, and yes it will fit your M770 cranks. What makes it double specific is that most 36T Shimano rings are designed to work in a 26/36/48 combination, whereas this one is designed for a 22/36 combo. Specifically it has differently contoured ramps, tooth phase, and a ‘deeper’ ring – all designed to make the shifting between the 22 granny and 36 big ring as trouble free as possible. Its difficult to describe all these features, but if you put a ‘normal’ 36 ring and the M665 next to each other, the differences become obvious.

Now, I’ve had this debate here and on other forums before – and I know many have used other 36 rings without problems. Equally, a number of people have had chain rub & drop and clunky shifting by using other 36T rings. Personally I’m anal about my shifting, and expect it to be as smooth as silk, and I’ve tried other 36 rings in combination with a small granny, and the M665 is definitely the best.

Now the negatives. Its alloy, so will wear quicker than a steel Deore 36. Secondly, it’s real ugly – but if you’re hiding it with a bash this won’t be a problem!

Thanks for taking the time to reply. my current one is the bottom pick but your link is to the bottom top pick. Now confused as to which to get.

Ah Ok, well here’s the link to the one in the bottom pic M591 The model number of the top swing is M590, and the bottom swing M591. Confusingly there are also 10 speed versions with the same model numbers, so make sure you get the 9 speed ones.

I didnt want a like-for-like because I’d always struggled setting that one up

There’s no real difference in setup or operation between them, it’s just matter of where there’s room on your seat tube for the clamp, as some frames have suspension linkages, bottle holder bolts, or curved frametubes where one or other clamp goes.

So, you’re really better off replacing like with like. All FDs basically setup and operate in exactly the same way – be they SRAM or Shimano, 8/9/10 speed, double or triple, so choosing a different model is not going to help you with setup. Just follow the instructions that come with it carefully, step by step, and if you still have problems come back on here to ask advice…

Erm… another Deore 3×9?

Like the M590 here

Just make sure of your terminology, do you really mean “top pull” or “top swing”. The former is when the cable approaches from above, but is irrelevant as all Shimano FDs are now dual pull. However, the latter means the clamp is below the cage, like this

Versus bottom swing (or conventional) where the clamp is above the cage, like this

It matters because some frames only have clearance for one or ‘tother. To be safe, just look at what your current one is, and replace like with like.

One by the front one by the rear – by 69ing it the handlebars don’t get tangled up.

Got mine here for twelve quid, but then I don’t pay VAT 😀 but they’re still only fifteen quid including tax.

I’ve already bought a relacement DU one so I might just get tool and go with that – or do I need new spacers too?

Completely depends on the condition of your old spacers. If the surfaces aren’t scored and they fit snugly into the new DU bush then its fine to re-use them. However, if you left replacing the bushing too long so that the aluminium spacers started to wear against the bare metal of the DU bushing, then you’d better replace them.

The new Fox bushing cost me twelve quid, which is certainly more expensive than a DU bushing. But… remember it replaces both DU bushing, and spacers, and doesn’t need a special tool to fit or remove it, so it works out at about the same price in the end. But most importantly, Fox claim it lasts 10 times longer than the DU bushings, so theoretically you should never need to fit another one!

You don’t say what make of shock you have, but the Fox DU bushings & aluminium spacers are known for wearing out quickly, so they’ve upgraded to a new “5-piece flanged bushing”. Once you’ve got the old one out, might be worth replacing with the new type. The new one doesn’t need a removal/fitting tool and is reputed to have 50% less friction and last 10 times longer (something to do with the ‘O’ rings in the pic below I’ll wager!).

My 2013 model bike came with one of the new bushings standard, and I’ve ordered another one to fit to my existing bike, which went thru one of the old DU type bushings in six months!

PS: Very useful Fox guide to bushing replacement here and it shows the different types of bushing, including the new 5-piece flanged one.

Yep, I wouldn’t re-use a pin on a 9 or 10 speed chain. Either use the special joining pin or even better use a quicklink. I’ve found KMC ones work well on the Shimano 10 speed chains.

Count me in for the Perth gathering! Can PM me on the PMBC forum, where I lurk under the name of Mamil.

Shimano MT-43?

do XT use the same pads as SLX

The 2012/13 SLX/XT/XTR all use the same pads, but you have a choice of resin/sintered and finned/non-finned

And are they (XT) any good?

Yes, but the SLX equally as good (share most of the same parts, just painted a different colour!) and are cheaper!

Edit: Gotta learn to type quicker….

My seatpost wasn’t slipping, but it was creaking which is the precursor to slipping. Solved it with some carbon assembly paste, tho’ the guy at the bike shop said a sprinkling of sand in normal grease would do just as well at a fraction the price!

Ok so what do those two cups do that a pair of large washers, or a block of wood doesn’t?

Well, I suppose that small lip on the outside edge means you’re pressing on the bearing housing rather than the bearing itself. Whether you can really damage a bearing that way I don’t know…

As for the instructions, some may say it’s a ploy to get people to buy yet another tool they don’t really need

You’ll see from the instructions that Shimano actually suggest using a vice – no mention of a special tool, although they do make one, so I’d give’em the benefit of the doubt its not just a cynical ploy to sell us a new tool.

I didn’t even have the frame faced

As far as I’m aware, you don’t need to face the shell for the press-fit cups, that’s just for the external ones that seat on the outside edge. Probably about the only advantage of press-fit BBs!

Anyway, not saying you can’t do a perfectly good job with home made tools, just that at 50 quid I’m willing to invest in the right tools, as with two bikes and an average life of 2,000kms per BB, it looks like I’ll be doing this job relatively often!

Ok, think I’m there now…

Removal tool and cups to insert – all specifically sized for BB91, and at 48 Euro for a Park tool, not too bad! Looks like all I need to add is a long bolt to tighten the cups against each other.

Cheers all for the help…

Hey MTB Rob, that sounds like the way to go! Can I just ask you to confirm it was a BB91 you used the 1″ headset remover on, not a BB30?

And I see Rose does the Shimano tool for 32 Euro…

Thanks.

Can we at least use a measurement of chain life that actually means something? One man’s six weeks is another’s year – as it completely depends how much you use the bike during that time dunnit?

My last chain lasted 2,000 kms before it started to skip occasionally. At that point it was 0.75% stretch by the ruler method, and 1% by the Park CC2 chain checker. Either way, it was too late as when I put a new one on it was obvious the cassette had already worn, so I had to replace that too.

I’m now trying a new method of alternating two chains, and then replacing chains, cassette and chainwheels when they are both at 1% wear.

For those suggesting a block of wood, I thought this was a big no-no, as the inner ‘bearing’ ring is slightly proud of the outer ‘seating’ ring, so if you use a flat surface, the bearings are taking all the force?

Quote from the instructions that came with the new bearing cups “If you push anywhere further in from these points it may damage the ball races of the bearings”, and it has a nice little diagram to illustrate this here

Or am I just over thinking this….

Hmmm, liking the price of those headset installation and removal tools from Rose, but are they the right size for a bottom bracket? The lip of the BB91 which is the bit the installation tool needs to press on is between 38-44mm, whereas the largest headset seems to be 1 1/4″ which is about 32mm, which would be pressing right on the bearings. Anyone tried a headset tool on a BB91?