[jeb]

Hello

Just rebuild my pike fork, i run top 150 pos +, bottom 125 neg -
and i like riding the fork high, so always with full compression on, and the floodgade turned clockwise, just half a turn from closed, so a "hard" setup!
But the fork behaved nice for half an hour, i then hit a big ditch, then it started moving 2-3 cm, like the comp. was of?
(normally, my fork is set up so hard, i can just move the fork like 3-5mm, and i really like that setup)
Could it be a blown seal, so oil from the moco has leaked to the lower leg ?
-could i check it, by measuring, if there is 120ml in the moco leg ?
any tips, tricks, are very welcome, also how you service your rock shox fork
I was riding at freezing point, if thats matters ?

Thanks

 

[Badly Wired Dog]

Hello

Just rebuild my pike fork, i run top 150 pos +, bottom 125 neg -
and i like riding the fork high, so always with full compression on, and the floodgade turned clockwise, just half a turn from closed, so a "hard" setup!
But the fork behaved nice for half an hour, i then hit a big ditch, then it started moving 2-3 cm, like the comp. was of?
(normally, my fork is set up so hard, i can just move the fork like 3-5mm, and i really like that setup)
Could it be a blown seal, so oil from the moco has leaked to the lower leg ?
-could i check it, by measuring, if there is 120ml in the moco leg ?
any tips, tricks, are very welcome, also how you service your rock shox fork
I was riding at freezing point, if thats matters ?

Thanks

I'm wouldn't say I'm a 'MoCo expert', but yeah, the seal between the damper and the lower fork commonly blows, oil gets into the lowers and the fork loses travel - basically it's a hydraulic lock scenario. Low oil level in the Motion Control damper ime anyway, means that the lock out stops working, so seeing as you're running your fork pretty much locked out, so I wonder if you've part blown the seal so it's leaked some of the damper oil into the fork lower, though not all of it.

Easiest way to tell is undo the bolt under the rebound adjuster part way, tap it with a hammer to free the damper rod, then remove the bolt - if a load of oil comes out of the hole - there should only be around 15cc in there - then that's probably your problem.

I guess it's all down to personal preference, but have you considered running a rigid fork and a big front tyre - 3-5mm of movement hardly seems worth having.

 

[shapirus]

This seems like the damper oil has leaked to the lower leg indeed. If this is true (pull the lowers off and check how much oil is in there), then you may have to replace this part which is actually the culprit:

You may also like to go for lighter, 0w or 2.5w, damper oil for the winter.

 

[mullen119]

If you ride with your fork so stiff, Why do you have a pike in the first place? sounds like you set up your motion control to feel like a turnkey lock out. Or a ridged fork.