Replacing Manitou Elastomers

I feel sure the answer ('scuse the pun) is very simple, but can someone tell me how to get at the elastomer stacks inside the upper leg of my Manitou 3's and Comps?

The time has come to fit the new Elastomers supplied by RetroBikes very own SLIM, and I'm struggling.....

Please help... I'm greasy and SWMBO's forks are in pieces. They need to be back together by tomorrow evening when she gets home :?

Thanks in Advance
Hopeful of Bristol

the blue (mani 3) top cap/adjuster will unscrew from the stantion , then pull it out and you have your elastomer stack

the picture is of the manitou rear sus , but it is basically the same principle , the whole thing unscrews

Ahhh cool - this works on the Comps and I've managed to get them undone... just need to remove the wooden packer that their previous owner replaced the elastomers with :?

Tried the same on the threes and it's just VERY tight, think I'll need to employ some cunning but gentle vicing technique

Thanks for the rapid response

they do get a bit tight in there if they haven`t been removed for a while

pair of grips and a cloth should do it , be gentle !!

I THINK the 3's elastomers are OK - they're original, but they only had a years use then they've been sat in the relative warm and dry since. They're not back on the bike yet but I've cleaned them up inside and out, there's no sag and they seem to compress and spring back OK as much as I can move them by hand, off the bike.

I'll get them on the bike and see how they go. Might have to change them immediately, but I'll find out won't I?

The Comps are now fixed!! Their previous owner mentioned he'd replaced the elastomers with wooden spacers when they died. What he'd actually done was shoved turned down sections of broom handle ON TOP of the squished elastomers.

After some very careful drilling and poking I got the wood out, then I had to very lightly heat the stanchions over a gas ring (not too hot to hold in bare hands, so not much at all) until I could extract the gooey red mess. Finally I had the joyous task of digging out and cleaning the plastic packer rings from the gloop.... not pleasant, or recommended!

Lets just hope the GF appreciates the 3.5hours work (once I refit the brace and brakes) that I've spent giving her front end some bounce again.... oooerrr! :shock: