Topic: Reba rebuild?

[Alan]

My 2007 Rebal SL has issues holding air.  On average it loses 10psi out of the top and 15psi out of the bottom after a 10mile ride.  The fork is well overdue for a fluid change which is probably most, if not all, of the problem.  It doesn't leak any oil, however while I have it apart I'll be putting in new rings/seals and a set of Enduro wipers...and I also want to convert it from 80mm up to a 100mm travel fork. 

Does anyone here have an experience doing this?  If so, any tips or tricks to make the process easier?  The process looks pretty straight forward but I'm always eager to finding more info before I dive into a project.

[Anthem1]

PUSH it real good

[KRUNNCHERO]

I feel your pain - I have a blown compression cartridge in my 888. However, taking these things apart and putting them back together is a piece of cake. I thought it was going to be all complicated inside, but it was rather simple. Just find a blown up picture, decent manual, new seals, oil from a MX place, and some beer. Then just have at it for a few hours.

Seriously though, google enduro fork seals, that is where I ordered all my parts. Going to go get my fork oil from Barney's in St Petersburg and remember to be careful when taking it apart. You got to make sure not to scratch or lose anything you should not.

Post on here if you got any questions doing it. I will be rebuilding my father's Junior T in the next few weeks and hopefully I can get a real handle on rebuilding Marzocchis. I am sure Reba and forks alike are all the same in some manner.

Kris

[J. Ryan]

Hey Alan, Can you take pictures as you go along? My wife has the same fork and I'm sure I'm going to be going down this road soon. It would be nice to have some visuals.

[catman]

I'm asking not annoying, how do you know your losing psi? I suppose if each time you checked it in the past it was in a certain range but just lately it was coming up short of that makes sense. I'm just thinking about the fact that when you remove the shock pump some air leaks out. I typically over compensate for this when filling. I do not have a air fork so I can only compare to my rear shock. Forks run on much lower pressure than shocks so I suppose 10 psi is critical?
My buddy has a Fox 36 and he constantly worries about the psi. I know cause he's alway's asking "did you bring your shock pump?". I always have it with me because I know he'll blame his poor climbing performance on fork pressure.

Please fill me in since I'm a hydra-coil sprung guy.

[Garry]

Anything that holds air loses psi; tubes, shocks, beach balls, basketballs, etc.  Depending on weather changes - hot to cold; cold to hot - may accelerate this loss.  Some shocks have printed on them the preferred psi.  Or check their website.  It's not uncommon to have to replace air every ride, or every few rides.

Add on: the pfft you hear when disconnecting the pump should just be the air in the line and not the shock as long as the pump is working properly.

[catman]

Anything that holds air loses psi; tubes, shocks, beach balls, basketballs, etc.  Depending on weather changes - hot to cold; cold to hot - may accelerate this loss.  Some shocks have printed on them the preferred psi.  Or check their website.  It's not uncommon to have to replace air every ride, or every few rides.

Add on: the pfft you hear when disconnecting the pump should just be the air in the line and not the shock as long as the pump is working properly.

Check this out Garry and tell me what you think. I thought it was commonly accepted that you lose a little from the shock/fork when removing the fitting. Could be draining a little more when you connect the gauge as well (fills up the empty pump hose).

http://www.risseracing.com/images/manuals/acu-fill.pdf

[bradluke0]

Hi all!  The way I understand it is when you pump up the shock to say 100 psi and you take off the pump , the shock stays at 100 psi ,the air you hear is from the pump itself. So when you hook the pump back up you are refilling the pump with air from the shock , that is the loss in psi if you have no seals leaking.     

[Alan]

In my instance it isn't an issue of losing air when removing the fork pump...the fork itself is losing air. 

 When I first started riding on this fork (i.e. when it was brand new) it would lose maybe 2-5psi out of the top and bottom after about 3-4 rides.  It was always a habit to check/fill the air before every ride.  Over the past few months I noticed it needing more air but I figured it may have something to do with the long gaps between rides.  After the last couple rides I decided to check it afterwards and the fork is losing much more air (on average...10psi top and 15psi bottom). 

The fork is just under 2-years old with no maintenance ever done to it.  It is past due for an oil change and I want to fiddle with the fork travel, so I may as well replace all the rings and seals while I have it apart.

I'll definately take photos.  It may be a couple weeks since I'm still trying to find the cheapest place to source the kit(s).  While I have it apart I'm also having the bottom paint matched to my bike.  Should look pretty sweet.

[Anthem1]

Check out Abner at Link's cycle works 888-7900. He will usually do the work right in front of you, he is a very proficent wrench and affordable.