[Closed] Is my shock leaking?

what it means is you lose 15psi re-attaching the pump to it...

take it off and put it in a bucket of water, if you see any bubbles it's leaking.

Otherwise as per wwaswas, your re-pressurise the pump when you re-attach it, hense you 'supposed' losses.
Use your sag meansurement, not the air pressure to check for any air losses whilst riding.

what it means is you lose 15psi re-attaching the pump to it...

Maybe Im not explaining well. Feels firm when i start riding and soft 15min later. Repump and its firm again and soft 15min later.

I though when seals go the whole shock collapses so I though i'd ask here.

It's going soft as you keep attaching a pump to check it!

Every time you attach a pump the pump has to fill with presurised air from the shock so you can read the presure from the dial.

Pump it up, ride it for a few hours. If it hasn't gone completely flat, it's probabaly fine.

bucket of water - good idea.

I'm only re-attaching the pump because it feels softer than when i started out. My arse is telling me that it's loosing preasure - the pump is just telling me roughly how much.

I have left it for a week unridden and it settles on about 200psi ie it doesn't keep it preasure but doesn't go completely flat either. From the replys here i'm assuming that 250psi is not out of range for a float.

The schraeder valve seal in fox shocks does perish over time , when mine did I pinched one out of an old innertube and now it holds air fine (at least the last 12 months anyway)

I'm no expert but is it possible that an oil may warm up in a shock becoming less viscous and so the shock will feel slightly softer?

I'm no expert...

it's an air shock...

oil may warm up in a shock becoming less viscous and so the shock will feel slightly softer?

i was thinking along those lines too but with the air warming up when riding but my logic is flawed as air expands when it gets warm.

The schraeder valve seal in fox shocks does perish over time

Thanks very much.

We've had a few with slightly loose valves leaking, one leaking around the boost-can seal, but virtually none at the main seal, i'd check the valve first.Oil in these shocks will definitely become thinner as it heats up, but it takes a fair hammering to heat it enough to notice a difference.

If it's a new shock it might be bedding in a bit and getting softer? I find my newish shock starts to feel softer a few hours into a ride without any loss of pressure but it's a Giant shock. Don't know much about Fox ones.

any nasty black oily stuff coming out ?

To save taking it off and using a bucket off water, simply load the top of your finger with spit then carefully apply to the end of the valve, this should create a seal of fluid over the end which should give you the same answer.

either:
Loose/broken valve core check, tighten put in bucket of water with 300psi in shock.
or
main air seal may be worn allowing air into negative chamber if you let all the air out with shock out of frame does it 'stick down'?

I'm no expert...

it's an air shock...

So it is. Do air shocks require zero lubrication then? News to me and I wonder why my soon to be servoced air shock has oil coming out of it.

JonR - Member
I'm no expert...
it's an air shock...

So it is. Do air shocks require zero lubrication then? News to me and I wonder why my soon to be servoced air shock has oil coming out of it.

there is a small amount of oil for lubrication. not enough to make a difference...

Aye, small amount for lubrication,and a shock-shaft virtually full of it for damping duties.

coatesy - Member
Aye, small amount for lubrication,and a shock-shaft virtually full of it for damping duties.

but separate from the air chamber.no?

Yup, seperate from the air(stops cavitation), but effectively stiffens the suspension by passing through the damping system, the more viscous the oil i.e. when cold, the stiffer the damper will feel.