|   Manitou MARS leaking!! | morehead21
Feb 22, 2002 7:11 AM | | hey all i got a manitou mars shock last year and it worked great no leaking or anything but then i took my first ride this year and it loses most of its air before the rides over so im wandering what to do? do they sell like new seals or something? reebuild kits? any ideas? i got to get this straightened out before i start riding regularly.
thanks
Driller |
| No problem. | jw25
Feb 22, 2002 10:12 AM | | I have a Mars too, and the air chamber is pretty simple, so whatever's causing the leak should be easy to fix.
First thing, I'd let the pressure out and remove the top cap. Then remove the schrader valve, and make sure it's seat is clean and lightly greased, and that the top cap seal is greased. I once got a piece of grit in the valve while topping up, and somehow it held until the first couple bumps. Then suddenly I had no travel, and a 3" shorter fork.
While the top cap's off, check inside the air chamber. There should be a thin layer of oil on top of the piston. This serves to keep the seals lubricated, so they seal. Over time, though, the oil gets past the seals, and you can start losing air. Answer recommends a fairly heavy oil, but I've used synthetic ATF and 5 weight shock oil. Both worked fine, but you may need to check the level more often. There only needs to be a thin layer of oil, maybe 3-5 mm deep. More will decrease the air chamber volume, and make the fork more progressive. Personally, I find it almost too progressive stock, but that depends on your terrain.
If that doesn't solve the leak, you'll need to call Answer and get new seals. Shouldn't cost much (might even be free, depending on who answers the phone), but installation could be tricky - the air piston is hard to get out, so your LBS might be good to try, too.
Hope this helps.
Jon |
| |
