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Numpty moment tonight. My Reverb has been a bit sticky (seat clamp is definitely not too tight), so I thought I'd give it a little bit of lube - it's still under warranty but I thought I'd see if lube on the stanchion & seal would make any difference. I rolled the silver spring up off the seal first so that lube could get under the seal a bit easier, and thought I'd keep it up and out of the way with a rubber band around the saddle rails. Well, I somehow snapped the silver spring in the process.
I should be able to fit a new one easily by removing the saddle and carefully stretching it over, but what are these springs called? Should be able to find something generic in the right size on eBay/etc. Failing that, who would be a good mail order shop/workshop to ask?
Side note: I lubed it anyway, still a bit sticky but not enough to bother me enough to open it up. If it gets worse while within warranty I'll go down that route.
Circlips ?
Seal energised spring. Not sure you'll get them without the seals they energise though.
I somehow snapped the silver spring in the process.
You sure you snapped it? They do actually come apart, the ones I've seen anyway, and there's a sort of tapered end which you can push back in by twisting it around a bit. You need to unwind the spring slightly to preload it, then push the tapered bit into the other end, and the tension should cause the taper to bite a bit like a screw and it'll go back together.
Garter spring
You sure you snapped it?
Aha, right you are sir! Looks like it just popped out, but also stretched a section of it so it's not repairable. Fork seal ones look to be pretty much the same though - got an old one here I'll try to split, cut to length and rejoin.
Also found the name I'm looking for: garter spring.
Thanks y'all.
I think ping****it is the technical term.
Humidensifyer spring I think.
Update: just fixed it. Pinched a spring from a fork seal, uncoupled it, snipped the end shorter with good cable cutters, rejoined, checked, resnipped, rechecked, job done. It stretched over the Reverb's seat clamp no problem with the saddle removed.
The Reverb is still a bit sticky, but since it's under warranty I think I'll follow the "if it ain't completely broke don't try to fix it" mantra and watch for any deterioration.