Rock Shox Mag 10 fork with a 1 1/4" stem swap question

[preyj]

New to the list but not Mtn biking. I have a 1994 Gary Fisher Paragon with a Rock Shox Mag10 fork with a 1 1/4" stem, The air valve plugs were leaking so I did the make your own plug fix that will only hold air for a few hours to a day. I can continue down this path or I was thinking about doing a Mag 21 fork tube swap and keeping the original steam and fork crown. Any one does this or are there other options for a fork replacement?

Thanks

 

[My_Teenage_Self]

How did you make the plugs? the ones I made held air for many months.

 

[preyj]

Re:

I used this technique:

Find a metal/plastic sheet 8mm thick.

drill an 8.5mm hole through (ensure the bore ends up smooth) and smear the thinest layer of vaseline in it as possible

Fill with Automotive RTV silicone (ensuring no bubbles during the fill)

leave for AT LEAST a week, (that thickness takes a while to go off) then push out with an 8mm rod.

Grease it, then fit into top cap.

sharpen and grease a spoke or needle, and push it through your fill hole.


Is there another technique?

 

[My_Teenage_Self]

Hmmm. I wrote that

Another option is to buy some 8mm or 8.5mm nitrile cord and cut into sections.

Have you checked with soapy water that you are losing the air from the top cap?

 

[preyj]

Good to meet the brains behind this fix! After looking at my plugs it may be the type of silicon I used as it is not holding together. I like the idea of the nitrile cord and will give this a try and report back.

 

[My_Teenage_Self]

Nitrile cord may be too hard TBH. Ebay has laods of Silicone cord though.

RTV sealant from a motor parts store should only cost you a few $$, and works.

 

[preyj]

Thanks - I will start making a few a new plug sets today. What is the size of the o-ring on the top cap?

 

[TOMAS]

Not sure if the valves are the same as the Mag20s I recently restored but I used the valves cut out of the neighbours old footballs! If you look on ebay, they appear to be exactly the same things, they made need trimming down in length but appear identical, glue them in once you slide them into the hole and hey presto.

 

[preyj]

This is a great idea. From the Rock Shox mag parts list it looks like these plugs where used on the Mag 10, 20, 21 and 30 series.

 

[TOMAS]

This is a great idea. From the Rock Shox mag parts list it looks like these plugs where used on the Mag 10, 20, 21 and 30 series.

I figured that I doubt that RS would go to the trouble of developing their own special needle type valve and would have used something already in mass production, once I'd stripped mine down and looked online at replacement Basketball/football valves, they do appear identical imo.