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Hi
Hoping I can get some assistance for questions with a Rockshox Revelation. I haven't messed around with forks before but doing a bike build with the son so thought we could both learn through this together!
I got a 2nd hand Revelation with a 150mm air sping in it, but the 130 mm air spring was also sent which I need in it.
I've looked up the manual and although I'm not 100% sure of what some of the pics are telling me, I'm going to give it a go, but I was wondering:
- Can you switch the air spring without changing all the seals? This is really about me just trying to get it up and running quickly - as I will be delayed by the amount of time taken to order the seals and trying to get some bits done before holidays! I was thinking if I just do a iso propyl wipe of the seals and relube, or even just add some lube would they be ok.
- is the grease that it suggests a particular grease? I have some parktool polylube, but does it need some rockshox butter grease or something like that?
[I'll need to service it in time, but I want to see how it reacts first as if I need to change the oil (because he's light) then I can do that at the service as well as sort out all the seals etc then as needed.]
Thanks for the help in advance.
32mm, or 35mm version? Should be a similar process either way.
You'll need some oil for the lowers about 25ml per side unless you're really careful. Doesn't have to be Rockshox seal grease but it is wider to use something designed with plastic parts in mind.
No need to change seals. Normally Rockshox specify about 10ml a side for oil in 35mm forks.
A light grease is good, anything too thick might block transfer port between positive/negative, and a little smear on the seals when reassembling
Cleaning the foam rings in IPA (the pure alcohol one, not the pleasantly alcoholic one) and soaking in oil always a good thing while you have the lowers off, but you can skip that too.
Thanks for the replies, I think I might have been looking at the wrong instructions or misunderstood them as I didn't see any oil mentioned!
Trailhead shows 38t53187050 it as FS-RVL-RC3-A3. But I feel like the website was showing me a bit more information when I checked last month and able to find the service manual more easily.
If you've done a lowers service it's not much more than that. The hardest part is getting the bottom plate out of the fork uppers, it's kind of a pain in the cock.
Depending on the forks you’ll need the following:
24mm socket / spanner - or a cassette tool to remove the air side top cap (after letting all the air out)
Circlip pliers to remove the circlip that holds the air spring into the upper stanchions
Grease for the seals and the air spring seal head etc - you want specific fork grease. I use what TF Tuned provide in their kit - rsp slick kick - or you can use the Rockshox dynamic grease.
Lower leg lube - my Lyriks require 10cc per side in the lowers. I use the tf tuned stuff and it’s fine. It’s easier to put it in with a syringe and tube than just trying to pour it in.
If you need to order either of the above I’d order a new pair of foam rings as they’re dirt cheap.
You don’t need to change the main seals unless they’re knackered.
MAKE SURE THE AIR IS OUT BEFORE YOU TRY TO DISASSEMBLE THE AIR SPRING.
I know this from a death dodging experience.
MAKE SURE THE AIR IS OUT BEFORE YOU TRY TO DISASSEMBLE THE AIR SPRING.
I know this from a death dodging experience.
This much I had garnered from reading the service manual (though maybe the wrong manual), but thanks for the essential top tip!
joebristol - thanks for the detailed input. It's odd because I just don't see where it says to put oil in the manual when doing an air spring; I was looking at
where it says air spring removal and air spring installation.
Question on the amount of grease needed if putting in a new air spring - would one of the 29g pots of Rockshox butter grease be ok - doesn't seem like a lot of grease!!
To be honest I’ve no idea how much 29g of grease is. But the little red tubes of slick kick do me quite a few services plus I also use it on my Oneup dropper posts.
Edit - just checked and it’s a 50g tube. 29g will be more than enough. You want to lube the seal head and I think the instruction asks you to lube a certain distance up inside the stanchion. You don’t want huge globs of grease though as apparently it can bung up the equalising dimple for the air spring.
You also put grease on the main wiper seal and you soak the foam rings in the lower leg lube.
Page 24 of the guide you posted, point 4 details the lower leg lube going in through the holes in the bottom of the leg.
I just don’t see where it says to put oil in the manual when doing an air spring;
To change the air spring you need to remove the lowers. The oil that you need to add is for lubrication and is part of the refitting process for the lowers. See page 24, item 4
TroutWrestler
Free MemberMAKE SURE THE AIR IS OUT BEFORE YOU TRY TO DISASSEMBLE THE AIR SPRING.
I know this from a death dodging experience.
I had to explode a set of Sids apart for... uh reasons, I forget the details, they wouldn't come apart anyway. Put it upside down in the workstand and pressurised the leg, it all stayed together to about 70psi and then the air spring departed and based on the direction it was pointing, probably landed in Aberdeen.
joebristol and carlos - I realise my mistake now, I'm such a numpty. I was focussing just on the instructions on pages 10 to 16 and was thinking that the air spring could be done without lower leg removal. But I take it from the many pointers on this thread that is not possible. I have to say one of the diagrams just didn't make sense and now I think it does!
Yeah you drop the lowers and the air spring comes out of the bottom of the upper left leg. I’ve not done a revelation but I’d assume there’s a circlip with a black rubber thing behind it. On the Pike / Yari you kind of manoeuvre the black bit out of the way so you can compress the circlip.
Finally got around to doing this. It was all going very well, very straightforward until I came to swap over the springs. Let's just say a slightly unfortunate chain of events and the air shaft guide fell off, along with the wavy washer which I found, clean them and they don't seem to have suffered from the fall.
Pulled the Floating seal head and Floating seal head top out bumper off the 150mm air shaft. Was about to move these all across to the 130mm air shaft and I'm now realising that I am missing a aluminium support washer.
I've searched the garage and can't for the life of me find it.
Pardon the pun, but am I shafted? Where do I get an alternate washer from, can't even see them online anywhere?