DIY fork Service - Suntour Epicon

[Kalahari Vegmot]

Well daa ! That's what i'm trying to say. I don't have the distributor of bike fork oil. So i'm try to find other oil as a replacement for bike fork oil. Oh and, on some bottle, some use 5w, but some use 5wt. So is the "w" different from "wt" ? Or is it the same ?

Should be the same

[Mojoman]

I think motor oil is too thick.  But if you can only get motor oil then you have no choice anyway, otherwise make a plan and track down some motorbike fork oil.

 

http://forums.mtbr.com/downhill-freeride/motor-oil-substitue-fork-shock-oil-570204.html

[Mojoman]

Thanks for all your reply One more question (i think): What is the best way to clean inside the lowers, where there is a lot of dirt in it. And inside the stanchion too ( the stanchion on the side that have a damper i'm talking about). I've sprayed some degreaser in it, some hot water in it, a lot of paper in it, even a rag too, but nothing worked... i usaully have my paper and rag stuck in it too. What should i do about this too ? ( And that is my second question lol )

I use a piece of sweeping brush handle with some old rags wrapped around it and taped at the end so it cant come off.

[Kalahari Vegmot]

I think motor oil is too thick.  But if you can only get motor oil then you have no choice anyway, otherwise make a plan and track down some motorbike fork oil.

 

http://forums.mtbr.com/downhill-freeride/motor-oil-substitue-fork-shock-oil-570204.html

Motor oil is blimming thick...

 

Gives you lots and lots of rebound...

[Kalahari Vegmot]

I'm sorry but i don't understand what you're saying ._? Can you say it more specific please ? (And what exactly do you mean "blimming" ?)

Blimming is an adjective. ie. you are fast. You are damn fast

 

As for rebound and what not, go read up on suspension basics

[JXV]

You can use normal multigrade motor oil as splash lubrication in you fork lowers if you cannot find dedicated fork oils for this. Low viscosity multigrades like 10W30 will do nicely.

 

For the damper oil you need a lower viscosity oil formulated with anti foaming properties. In MTB forks 2.5wt to 5wt is typical and you should be able to find motorbike fork oils in this range. These suspension oils are not the best lubricating oils as they are not really made for lubricating. So don't use a 2.5wt damper oil for splash lube in the lowers. It can work but engine oil will work bettet. For example Fox used to have separate green and red 10wt oils, one for damping and one for lubricating lowers. Now they have 20wt Gold for lowers which is even netter.

 

Answering an earlier question the 'wt' and 'W' are practically comparable. Both refer to a nominal oil 'weight' which is a loose surrogate for the viscosity range. So-called multigrade oils are more tolerant of temperature change - they don't get as thick as a monograde oil in cold weather and retain their viscosity a little better in high temperatures.

 

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Edited February 14, 2017 by JXV

[JXV]

Soak your foam ring in the same oil as used for the lowers...it will all mix anyway if you use different oils. Stick to 10wt or heavier for lowers. 15wt or higher in a hot climate. If the oil is too viscous it causes drag, too thin and it won't lube nicely. I use Fox 20wt Gold here in SA and would fall back to a 10W30 semi synthetic motor oil if I had to.

 

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[FJP84]

Update:

The DIY Service went OK. I cleaned the lowers inside with rubbing alcohol (ethanol based) it is called 'spiritus'.

 

I lubed the lowers again with 15wt fork oil. Changed the damper oil with 5wt fork oil from the middle (this took a few times for desired result).

 

Then I put some red rubber grease on thr travel adjustment spring/rod and air piston. Reassembled the fork and put a bit of 15wt oil into the lowers and 75w oil into the air chamber. Next Sunday testrun[emoji41]

 

Very interesting topic. I just took apart my fork for DIY service purposes. Next step is to get the right oil for different purposes. Just to be sure I would like to know if I am on the right track:

 

First I ordered some foam rings, which I don't have at this moment: Inner diameter 32mm. One pair with height of 5mm and one pair with 9mm height.

 

Regarding oil I am thinking about:

 

- 15wt oil (synthetic) to put into the lowers on both sides, and to soak foam rings.

 

- 5wt oil (synthetic): to refresh the oil in the rebound damper cartridge.

 

- 75w synthetic gearbox oil: to put into the airchamber to prevent air leakage.

 

Questions:

 

1. Do you have any remarks about the things stated above regarding the oil I want to acquire?

 

2. Can I use 5w40 or 10w40 motor oil as an alternative for the lower legs and air chamber?

 

3. When I want to refresh the oil in the damper cartridge, should I open the damper at the top (27mm black threaded topcap) or should I open it at the middle?

 

4. In this thread I noticed 5wt oil can also be added into the damper stanchion. That is not quite clear to me. Do I have to put in some oil in to this stanchion and distribute it on the inner edges of the damper stanchion, before threading back de damper cartridge?

 

Looking forward to your tips Or tricks. Thanks in advance!

 

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Edited March 21, 2017 by FJP84

[vadun1234]

Could any one help me how to open up the damper catridge of the 2015 EPIXON fork ?