Pace racing RC36 question

Hi all, quick question about these forks. Roadie here so be patient with me please.

I've been given an Orange P7 by a friend who just decided he's too old to use a mountain bike (however he still rides road fixed everywhere at nearly 80 years old!!!), with it I've been given the original rigid fork and also a Pace racing RC36 with a Pace branded dualco grease gun and two tubs of Pace grease.

First Q: why are the V brake bosses rear facing? they are on what look to be removable mounts so can I turn them forward facing as this saves me installign a new longer front cable and feels more comfortable with my sense of aesthetic. It has XT V brakes if this is relevant.

Second Q: What is the gease for? Should I be looking to perform some kind of service or maintanence? The bike hasn't been riden for around 10 years, the fork feels pretty firm to me at the mo. The dial at the top doesn't completely lock it out but does have a considerable effect on the firmness.

Third Q: The current steerer tube is threaded 1". Can I replace this with an unthreaded one as it looks like it can be removed? and if so where would I find one?

Think thats covered it for now, sorry if this is all really obvious to you lot but any answers would be helpful.

Thanks

1) Pace put them there as when you brake the blocks will be dragged forward and the brake then braces against the fork legs, giving a mechanical advantage over putting brakes on the front where they just splay out. Its what they have always done and Pace fork will just look wrong with the brakes on the front.

You can do what you say but you will offend everybody on here and we will never reply to your messages again (joking )

I'd say it will prob need a new brake cable anyway!

2) there will be a grease port at the top of the outer legs, you should squirt some grease in there every other ride or so.

Yes they will need pulling apart, cleaning and regreasing, I used to do it every month or so BITD when I rode these forks weekly to keep them supple. Easy on this fork, just undo the allen bolts at the bottom of the legs.

3) there is a steerer swap thread on here, theres also a guy on here that makes them. I think they are just a tube with a circlip groove machined in the end.

If you don't want the original rigid fork, I'm after some Orange rigid forks of that era, PM me. I might be interested in the threaded steerer too.

was8v":1t4rnlyd said:

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Many thanks, this is really helpful. I'll have a go at the forks this weekend. Re steerer and Orange fork I wouldn't really feel right selling parts off the bike considering the circumstances I've been given it, however if this changes you'll be first to know.

Thanks again, I knew I could count on RB

Re:

Personally I prefer the brakes rear mounted on a fork. Once I got used to it being 'different', I liked the look much more. Really tidies up the look of a bike from the front, and is supposed to perform slightly better as braking force is pushed against the fork blades rather than pulling away.

I also have a P7 with RC36 forks. To add to what everyone else has said, they’re really easy to service.

You can find the manual here: http://www.retrobike.co.uk/gallery2/v/M ... +and+RC37/

I think the general gist of taking them apart is the same across variants of the RC36 (I have 3!). I find a 2mm Allen key the best bet for holding the spring assembly in place while undoing the stanchion bolts.

Apply RC7 (or Judy Butter) grease liberally to the springs. The Greaseports add grease to the stanchion seals. Do this every couple of weeks and your forks will keep working nicely.

Finally, I'm pretty sure the tiny screw on the top is for compression damping, and the knurled knob is for rebound. Unless you’re really light, you won’t be able to lockout the forks.

Re:

For ID purposes, if the damper control is a flat disc with a side lever that protrudes beyond the crown edge, usually black plastic or may be alloy, it is a 1997 RC36 and the lever only adjusts rebound damping, there is no compression control.
If the control is a black plastic 3 cornered adjuster with an alloy disc holding it on with a small slotted screw head showing it is a 1998 RC36. The small screw adjusts the compression damping, the tricorn knob adjusts rebound.
There is no lockout system, if it feels stiff and unresponsive it needs a service, the minimum should be to remove the carbons and clean and regrease the springs and bushings. After 10 years of idleness the cart seals and damper will need replacing too. Send it up to me if you would like.
Both '97 and '98 forks have bolt-in steerers and will take 1" with an reducer shim and 1 1/8" with a crown race collar. I have alloy and steel steerers here

Re:

Wow, this is excellent. Thanks to all the above posters. I plan to dismantle it this weekend and see what's going on with it. Will post back then.

Thanks again all

After nearly a year later (had hernia op, moved abroad, changed job, currnet covid situation, life etc etc) I finally turn my attention to this bike again and have a couple of further questions.

It's a 1997 fork as has the damper control as described by just backdated.

I fitted the fork and gave it a ride around the block for testing purposes the other day. the compression and rebound seem ok but a fair amount of old grease had squirted out of the small holes on the outside of each fork leg just above the drop outs by the time I got home (it gathered just above the QR). I note what is written above about injecting a couple of squirts of grease each ride and wonder if this is expected to some extent.

There's a black rubber seal on the top of the left fork leg, is there anything I need to know about under that?

I'm by far no expert on suspension forks (this is my first) but am I right in thinking this has a physical wound spring in it, no air spring?

Any further advice welcome, planning to strip down and rebuild over next few days.