1999 Manitou SX-R service adice please.

[winst0nsmith]

Hi folks,

Never opened suspension up before, always rode rigid but bought a bargain with Manitou SX-Rs on it and they went clunk within a week.
Not much info on them out there, as far as I can tell, removing the seals destroys them so I'll be needing new ones. And apparently the elastomers will prob need swapping out too. I've got the serive manual downloaded but it just gives an exploded view, no actual talk-through of a service.
Are there any things to watch out for (bits that go flying off, reverse threads, that kind of thing) or do I just dive in, keep parts in order and rebuild?
Also, any recomendations on rebuild kits or is it just use the right o-rings please?
It's 5W oil I need, but what kind of grease? Pretty sure some will destroy the seals.
And any other things I may have missed please?

Thanks in advance =)

 

[al]

Sent you a message

al.

 

[DavidF]

Hi Gentlemen

I have exactly the same problem with my Manitou sx-r forks. Bought from a collector 2 years ago and attached to an absolutely mint condition 2001 Klein Attitude Comp.
The plastic damper adjustment knob and damper O ring nut disappeared in Bracknell forest on a Red run at the weekend along with a shock full of oil but the damper nut is still in place.
I was surprised to discover that the oil appears to have been held in by the flimsy plastic knob. I'm guessing that after a number of drops when the forks bottomed out, the adjustment knob was forced off by the oil pressure?
I have the fork schematics off the owners manual but no idea what to do to get the forks up and running again.
Should I take them to a nearby Evans Cycles shop?

Were you ucky enough to get your forks fixed?

Regards Davidf

 

[FluffyChicken]

Just pull them apart, there is a bit more detail in the 99 tuning guide (background info, weight/spring setup guide, tuning and parts and stripping etc

1999 tuning manual | Technical & Manuals | Retrobike

The Standard manual (General fitting iirc) is also there
as it the Service manual (blowouts and maintenance striping guide)

 

[Tootyred]

Should I take them to a nearby Evans Cycles shop?

That actually made me laugh out loud!

I doubt any of the " mechanics " you meet there were even born when that fork was built......probably have as much luck taking it to the local bakers for help.......

Just have a crack, with the guide/ manual, they are pretty simple beasts.

All the best. Let us know how you both get on.

 

[DavidF]

That actually made me laugh out loud!

I doubt any of the " mechanics " you meet there were even born when that fork was built......probably have as much luck taking it to the local bakers for help.......

Just have a crack, with the guide/ manual, they are pretty simple beasts.

All the best. Let us know how you both get on.

Hi
I'm happy that I managed to raise a few chuckles this morning.
Any suggestions where I might be able to source the missing damper adjustment knob and O ring?
No luck on ebay so far for replacement parts.
Is scavenging the bits off a parts only set of forks likely to be the best that I can do as the forks are over 20 years old?
Regards
DavidF

 

[DavidF]

Just pull them apart, there is a bit more detail in the 99 tuning guide (background info, weight/spring setup guide, tuning and parts and stripping etc

1999 tuning manual | Technical & Manuals | Retrobike

The Standard manual (General fitting iirc) is also there
as it the Service manual (blowouts and maintenance striping guide)

Thankyou so much for sharing this.
My forks are the sx-r 2001 model. 2 years older that those shown in your manual. The first picture is a screenshot from your manual showing what looks like my missing parts but is titled "rebound damping adjustment". My second picture is a snap from my fork manual and shows a similar shaped adjustment knob but it has a different title - Damper adjustment knob. Are these 2 visually similar parts but doing different processes?

 

[FluffyChicken]

Looking at the manual for 2001 it looks like a push in Allen key version (much like other forks use).
I would assume you don't need it, just plug it or use an Allen key to alter it when needed.

If a seal is gone, it might be one inside. Unbolt and remove the lower and similar for the top and elastomer and springs, see what's in there.

 

[winst0nsmith]

This should help...

New Elastomers for a 1999 Manitou SX Fork - radare.net

I have an old Specialized Rockhopper Comp FS that I bought back in college. I think its a 1995 or 1996 model. About 20 years [...]

bikehow.com

 

[winst0nsmith]

Found this too, no links though!

MANITOU FORK SEAL KITS - BETD

Manitou Standard forks This is Enduro’s latest ‘next generation wiper seal’. This seal is the made from polyurethane and dual lipped to give it superior [...]

bikehow.com