Manitou 2 Elastomer Change, help required please

Never done these before and a bit of assistance would be great please

Got the long allen key and new elastomers.

Presumably prise off the top caps and the bolts down inside the legs must need undoing with the long allen key, but what happens after that :?:

Thanks in anticipation

Have you managed to get the elastomers recently? I need to get hold of some for my Manitou 1s, but I'm struggling. I've found a reference to a place called CVI, but if you have any alternative suggestions please let me know.

In terms of doing the change...

If they're similar to Manitou 1 forks then hold the fork outer tubes and pull up to remove the inner stanchions. The elastomer stack should be attached to the bottom of the bolts when you pull the stanchion out, but if your old ones are melted they could be stuck inside the outer as a glue-like mess to scrape out.

Put the bolts back into the inner, and re-assemble the new elastomers on the bolts. The bottom elastomer should probably not go more than half-way onto the bolt for now.

I'm not sure what is the right grease, as I think some can shorten the elastomer life (see for sale section if you don't have any; there's some Pace grease for sale), but my Manitou 1 manual says to grease all parts "lightly but thoroughly".

If you have plastic bushes (white discs that are split to allow you to sqeeze them back inside the fork leg outers) make sure that the lower bush (which is actually at the top of the elastomer stack, closest to the inner leg) is left a bit below the bottom of the inner leg. The other bushing is probably fitted inside the fork outer legs, immediately below the dust seal.

Start to feed the new elastomer stack, on the bolt, back into the outer fork legs. Compress the lower bushings by hand to fit it back inside the fork outer legs and past the bushing that is inside the fork outer leg, then put the inner fork stanchions into the outer legs, taking care not to damage the dust seals.

Now push the inners right down into outers to compress the elastomer stacks. Get the allen key into the bolt and push it down through the last bit of the elastomer stack. Once the bolt starts tightening in the thread, tighten by a few turns, then do the other leg. Now tighten both bolts (5lb/ft toque for Manitou 1).

Sorry if that's a bit long (brevity is not a strong point!), but hopefully it helps!

Firstly thanks very much for the comprehensive instructions, all very clear and concise.

I was lucky and bought some nos elastomers on the for sale section, there are a couple of people on this site that sell them though. Might be best to ask on the wanted section, elite 504 did have some recently.

Still not sure whether to grease or not, might google a bit and see what comes up

Thanks again
Rich

All good on the instructions. . .
CVI went bust a while back so thats a no go. I did buy some of their elastomers, but they were 4mm hole for 3/4/efc only, and not that cool (manitou 1/2 is 6mm hole). A poor MCU foam elastomer.

I have NOS elastoners, genuine answer, NIP, for the 3/4/EFC in med and extra soft,- at £25 a packet posted
and elastomers for the comp in XS, soft, and hard I think. No hole in this one, just a long raw elastomer length, £22.50 posted.
Pm me if interested,

sorry I can't help on the 2's. Would if I could. In fact I need some decent '2' elastomers too (NOT a bit of cut off PU pipe that doesn't seem to move), and I'm willing to buy, trade, or buy in bulk if it helps the forum out. . . its just tracking the darn things down. . . .

Sorry that lead didn't work out, seems I was lucky then picking up the Mani 2 rebuild kit, its a soft, but wasn't too worried

Still got a couple of questions if you wouldn't mind please

I think I have to use the original spacers, can you confirm this
and
Any tips on grease, still not found much info and what I have come across is a bit conflicting :roll:
Would lithium or teflon be ok do you reckon or maybe even better some Manitou grease from a set of forks that had lube ports on the legs. They were on the wife's bike and called Magnum's I think

Thanks for the continuing help, give me springs and oil any day, know where I am with that (sort of)

spacers, I assume you mean the top 'washers', that fit above the elastomer stack, yes you NEED these. These push the lower bushes in to place when you push it all together, and stocp the lower bushed sliding off when you go up and down. . .

Ordser of assemly is lower bush, washer, short elastomer, two longer elastomers. The order of the elastomers down't actually matter, just if you have a small one at the bottom its more likely to drop off. As explained perviously, you need a gap of 100 clear of the top washer, to squeeze the lower stancion bush inside the upper slider bush when you slide it all together . .

Grease, AVOID oil based greases like car type stuff. You must use cycle grease that is plastic friendly, so finishline teflon, red weldtite, or yes as you say, proper manitou grease

Excellent, thanks to you both

Will give that Manitou Grease I have a go, think the forks it was used on had elastomers in there somewhere so should be ok.

Will report back when finished, might even take a pic or two for reference.
I did manage to find the Manitou 2 manual online, but it was great getting actual instructions and possible pitfalls.

Got the original box for these forks and would you believe back in 1993 they were £365
Reckon forks are better value now, but these were state of the art then with their 1 1/2 ins of travel

huntso and elite504, thanks for the info re elastomers.

I seem destined not to get elastomers for my Manitou 1s. My bike looks so sorry for itself with its collapsed suspension! I'll put something in the wanted forum on the off chance though.

synthetic grease.

I've got to do this on my front & rear (pine FRS)
tomorrow, they also look hinged up...few questions:

Does anyone know the size of Allan key needed?

What's best to get rid of the gunc?

Buying replacement elastomers-will I need all
new internals in addition to the elastomers?

Advice appreciated (want to get the FRS) tip top
again.

Thanks