Head Shock Rebuild steps start to finish?



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Lexicus

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I'm looking for a guide to rebuild my 2002 Jekyll 500 head shock. I've had a few problems with the
shock boot getting damaged (by how the bike shop put on the zip ties) and was looking to service
it myself.

Does anyone have or know a good guide for this shock?

Thanks!
 
>I'm looking for a guide to rebuild my 2002 Jekyll 500 head shock. I've had a few problems with the
>shock boot getting damaged (by how the bike shop put on the zip ties) and was looking to service
>it myself.
>
>Does anyone have or know a good guide for this shock?
>
>Thanks!

Once these things get dirt in 'em they're never really going to be all that smooth ever again.

I know it sounds like a wiseass answer, but your best bet really is to dump the fork and buy a
marzocchi. Yes adaptors are available so you can run a normal fork in the oversized headtube.

Cheers,

-Andrew
 
Lexicus <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> I'm looking for a guide to rebuild my 2002 Jekyll 500 head shock. I've had a few problems with the
> shock boot getting damaged (by how the bike shop put on the zip ties) and was looking to service
> it myself.
>
> Does anyone have or know a good guide for this shock?
>
> Thanks!

Do you have access to the castle tool to remove the shock cartridge? If not, then instructions won't
do any good. You may be able to borrow it from your LBS -- mine loaned theirs to me -- they don't
need it often :).

But... off the top of my head... I've done my lefty twice, and the head shok is similar -- I only
had instructions for the head shok and had to figure out the lefty :).

You'll need to make a "tool" to hold the outer races in place. This nothing more than a road tube
with the ends knotted (actually, I used zip ties to seal it). You want it to be long enough to go
from the top of the fork to close to the bottom of the top tube. Cut a couple of stips off the inner
tub before sealing it -- you'll need them for reassembly.

Remove the stem Remove the Lockout -- just pulls out. Remove the plate under the lockout -- you'll
need a pin spanner. Remove the air from the shock. Remove the cartridge -- cannondale special castle
tool. Remove the the air chamber -- push it up using a piece of vacuum tubing. Remove the tie wrap
from the top of the boot and push the boot down. I held mine down with a small wood clamp. Remove
the ratainer at bottom of the top fork tube (under the top of the boot when the boot's in place) --
pin spanner. You can now see the bottoms of the outer races sticking out. There's probably a
retaining ring holding them in place (clip that has notches in it that the races spring up into).
Remove it. You'll probably also find a retaining ring (clip that fits into notches in the races) at
the top of the inner races -- you get to this from the top of the fork tub. Remove it. I use a long
screw driver to push the races out (one at a time) and a spoke bent to be a hook to pull up on the
ring. Clean the grease off the inner races and use finger nail polish to mark their position in case
they fall out -- I number them. Put electical tape around the bottom of them to hold them in place.
Also mark the outer races so that if they fall out, you can get them back in the right place. Since
only a little sitcks out, different colors is helpful here :). The races are different sizes (in
pairs) to 1/1000th of an inch and getting them back in the right place is very important. If you
don't, the fork will bind. Slowly pull down on the telescope until about 5-8 bearings are showing.
Put the "tool" that you made into the top of the fork; put a little air in it and push it down until
it's against the top of the telescope. Pump it up. It's going to hold the outer races in place when
you get the fork apart. Continue to pull down and the fork will come apart. Note the height of the
inner races above the top of the telescope. Make sure that you get them back to that height during
reassembly. Same thing for the bottoms of the outer races WRT the bottom of the outer fork tube.
Clean and grease everything well using a high quality, light weight synthetic grease. I use Phil
Waterproof Grease. Do one race at a time.

To reassemble... The inner and outer races should be in place. The inner race should be taped at the
bottom. Refresh the tape if you need to. Use the inner tube strips like rubber bands to hold the
bearing strips on the inner races. Overhang the inner races by 11 bearings (should be the center of
the strip). Carefully engage the two pieces. The bearings and the outer races will want to slip and
move. Once there're even slightly engaged, the tolerances are so tight they can't be shifted. If you
need to start again, do so! It can be tedious. Get it right :). As things go together, slide the
inner tube rubber bands down and cut them off when you've got the fork together to your
satisfaction. Put the clips back and put the clip retainer back. Use lock-tite on the clip retainer.
Put the top clip back in. I use the same very long screw driver and bent spoke -- this can be a
tedious step. Regrease the exposed inner races and put the boot back. I hold off on the tie-wrap
until I'm done. Put the air cartridge back in. You might want to put a little fork lube in it and
dump the excess out. I use motorcycle fork lube. Make sure that it doesn't have any seal swelling
chemicals in it! I lower it back down with the vacuum tubing. Put the shock cartridge back in. Use
locktite. It should be about 125 in-lbs. Put the top plate, lockout, stem, etc. back on. Pump it up
and test it!

David
 
I wasn't liking that dame head giving me shock. The Lefty was 100 times better. Cannondale may not
be around much longer.

Fire up MTB 03
 
well done David - I've done this in the last week too. It was mentally fatiguing to work it out
without instructions and I'm more than happy to try and help out by e-mail if you get stuck (as I
did a few times) Lexicus. Take your time and it be fine - rushing will be your worst enemy the
first time.

Mine is a Fatty Ultra in a F3000SL

nick

oh - and to those who only had negative comments - show some tolerance. I've got plenty of stories
about shoddy Marzocchis too - I just don't feel the need to preach about them like a whining
evangelist.

"David Kunz" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]... Lexicus <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> I'm looking for a guide to rebuild my 2002 Jekyll 500 head shock. I've had a few problems with the
> shock boot getting damaged (by how the bike shop put on the zip ties) and was looking to service
> it myself.
>
> Does anyone have or know a good guide for this shock?
>
> Thanks!

Do you have access to the castle tool to remove the shock cartridge? If not, then instructions won't
do any good. You may be able to borrow it from your LBS -- mine loaned theirs to me -- they don't
need it often :).

But... off the top of my head... I've done my lefty twice, and the head shok is similar -- I only
had instructions for the head shok and had to figure out the lefty :).

You'll need to make a "tool" to hold the outer races in place. This nothing more than a road tube
with the ends knotted (actually, I used zip ties to seal it). You want it to be long enough to go
from the top of the fork to close to the bottom of the top tube. Cut a couple of stips off the inner
tub before sealing it -- you'll need them for reassembly.

Remove the stem Remove the Lockout -- just pulls out. Remove the plate under the lockout -- you'll
need a pin spanner. Remove the air from the shock. Remove the cartridge -- cannondale special castle
tool. Remove the the air chamber -- push it up using a piece of vacuum tubing. Remove the tie wrap
from the top of the boot and push the boot down. I held mine down with a small wood clamp. Remove
the ratainer at bottom of the top fork tube (under the top of the boot when the boot's in place) --
pin spanner. You can now see the bottoms of the outer races sticking out. There's probably a
retaining ring holding them in place (clip that has notches in it that the races spring up into).
Remove it. You'll probably also find a retaining ring (clip that fits into notches in the races) at
the top of the inner races -- you get to this from the top of the fork tub. Remove it. I use a long
screw driver to push the races out (one at a time) and a spoke bent to be a hook to pull up on the
ring. Clean the grease off the inner races and use finger nail polish to mark their position in case
they fall out -- I number them. Put electical tape around the bottom of them to hold them in place.
Also mark the outer races so that if they fall out, you can get them back in the right place. Since
only a little sitcks out, different colors is helpful here :). The races are different sizes (in
pairs) to 1/1000th of an inch and getting them back in the right place is very important. If you
don't, the fork will bind. Slowly pull down on the telescope until about 5-8 bearings are showing.
Put the "tool" that you made into the top of the fork; put a little air in it and push it down until
it's against the top of the telescope. Pump it up. It's going to hold the outer races in place when
you get the fork apart. Continue to pull down and the fork will come apart. Note the height of the
inner races above the top of the telescope. Make sure that you get them back to that height during
reassembly. Same thing for the bottoms of the outer races WRT the bottom of the outer fork tube.
Clean and grease everything well using a high quality, light weight synthetic grease. I use Phil
Waterproof Grease. Do one race at a time.

To reassemble... The inner and outer races should be in place. The inner race should be taped at the
bottom. Refresh the tape if you need to. Use the inner tube strips like rubber bands to hold the
bearing strips on the inner races. Overhang the inner races by 11 bearings (should be the center of
the strip). Carefully engage the two pieces. The bearings and the outer races will want to slip and
move. Once there're even slightly engaged, the tolerances are so tight they can't be shifted. If you
need to start again, do so! It can be tedious. Get it right :). As things go together, slide the
inner tube rubber bands down and cut them off when you've got the fork together to your
satisfaction. Put the clips back and put the clip retainer back. Use lock-tite on the clip retainer.
Put the top clip back in. I use the same very long screw driver and bent spoke -- this can be a
tedious step. Regrease the exposed inner races and put the boot back. I hold off on the tie-wrap
until I'm done. Put the air cartridge back in. You might want to put a little fork lube in it and
dump the excess out. I use motorcycle fork lube. Make sure that it doesn't have any seal swelling
chemicals in it! I lower it back down with the vacuum tubing. Put the shock cartridge back in. Use
locktite. It should be about 125 in-lbs. Put the top plate, lockout, stem, etc. back on. Pump it up
and test it!

David
 
Wow thanks a lot David. This is exactly what I was looking for. I hope it is a help to others who
are searching for this info also!

[email protected] (David Kunz) wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> Lexicus <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> > I'm looking for a guide to rebuild my 2002 Jekyll 500 head shock. I've had a few problems with
> > the shock boot getting damaged (by how the bike shop put on the zip ties) and was looking to
> > service it myself.
> >
> > Does anyone have or know a good guide for this shock?
> >
> > Thanks!
>
> Do you have access to the castle tool to remove the shock cartridge? If not, then instructions
> won't do any good. You may be able to borrow it from your LBS -- mine loaned theirs to me -- they
> don't need it often :).
>
> But... off the top of my head... I've done my lefty twice, and the head shok is similar -- I only
> had instructions for the head shok and had to figure out the lefty :).
>
> You'll need to make a "tool" to hold the outer races in place. This nothing more than a road tube
> with the ends knotted (actually, I used zip ties to seal it). You want it to be long enough to go
> from the top of the fork to close to the bottom of the top tube. Cut a couple of stips off the
> inner tub before sealing it -- you'll need them for reassembly.
>
> Remove the stem Remove the Lockout -- just pulls out. Remove the plate under the lockout -- you'll
> need a pin spanner. Remove the air from the shock. Remove the cartridge -- cannondale special
> castle tool. Remove the the air chamber -- push it up using a piece of vacuum tubing. Remove the
> tie wrap from the top of the boot and push the boot down. I held mine down with a small wood
> clamp. Remove the ratainer at bottom of the top fork tube (under the top of the boot when the
> boot's in place) -- pin spanner. You can now see the bottoms of the outer races sticking out.
> There's probably a retaining ring holding them in place (clip that has notches in it that the
> races spring up into). Remove it. You'll probably also find a retaining ring (clip that fits into
> notches in the races) at the top of the inner races -- you get to this from the top of the fork
> tub. Remove it. I use a long screw driver to push the races out (one at a time) and a spoke bent
> to be a hook to pull up on the ring. Clean the grease off the inner races and use finger nail
> polish to mark their position in case they fall out -- I number them. Put electical tape around
> the bottom of them to hold them in place. Also mark the outer races so that if they fall out, you
> can get them back in the right place. Since only a little sitcks out, different colors is helpful
> here :). The races are different sizes (in pairs) to 1/1000th of an inch and getting them back in
> the right place is very important. If you don't, the fork will bind. Slowly pull down on the
> telescope until about 5-8 bearings are showing. Put the "tool" that you made into the top of the
> fork; put a little air in it and push it down until it's against the top of the telescope. Pump it
> up. It's going to hold the outer races in place when you get the fork apart. Continue to pull down
> and the fork will come apart. Note the height of the inner races above the top of the telescope.
> Make sure that you get them back to that height during reassembly. Same thing for the bottoms of
> the outer races WRT the bottom of the outer fork tube. Clean and grease everything well using a
> high quality, light weight synthetic grease. I use Phil Waterproof Grease. Do one race at a time.
>
> To reassemble... The inner and outer races should be in place. The inner race should be taped at
> the bottom. Refresh the tape if you need to. Use the inner tube strips like rubber bands to hold
> the bearing strips on the inner races. Overhang the inner races by 11 bearings (should be the
> center of the strip). Carefully engage the two pieces. The bearings and the outer races will want
> to slip and move. Once there're even slightly engaged, the tolerances are so tight they can't be
> shifted. If you need to start again, do so! It can be tedious. Get it right :). As things go
> together, slide the inner tube rubber bands down and cut them off when you've got the fork
> together to your satisfaction. Put the clips back and put the clip retainer back. Use lock-tite on
> the clip retainer. Put the top clip back in. I use the same very long screw driver and bent spoke
> -- this can be a tedious step. Regrease the exposed inner races and put the boot back. I hold off
> on the tie-wrap until I'm done. Put the air cartridge back in. You might want to put a little fork
> lube in it and dump the excess out. I use motorcycle fork lube. Make sure that it doesn't have any
> seal swelling chemicals in it! I lower it back down with the vacuum tubing. Put the shock
> cartridge back in. Use locktite. It should be about 125 in-lbs. Put the top plate, lockout, stem,
> etc. back on. Pump it up and test it!
>
> David
 
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