Mattoc Pro Travel Issues

[AlanD]

Hi All,

 

Ive noticed my forks are sitting at around 140mm of travel where they should be 160mm (Manitou Mattoc Pro 2).

 

This is with them fully extended and front wheel off the ground. Planning on a lower leg service but could this be some other complicated problem?

 

Also, I believe the oil in the lower leg should be 5w40 synthetic. Would any 5w40 oil do then?

 

Thanks

[dirtypot]

Too much air pressure in the negative chamber?  The port between the two chambers may be blocked with grease.  I've seen this happen on some Fox forks.  A good yank on the lowers usually temporarily solves this and allows the two sides to equalize.   But opening it up and cleaning out the little dimple properly solves it. 

 

[droo]

No dimple on a Mattoc. It's got the Dorado air spring system, which is best understood by reading the service manual. A lowers service isn't going to help you here, you're going to need a full rebuild.

[dirtypot]

Learnt something new today

[Dirt Tracker]

Hi All,

 

Ive noticed my forks are sitting at around 140mm of travel where they should be 160mm (Manitou Mattoc Pro 2).

 

This is with them fully extended and front wheel off the ground. Planning on a lower leg service but could this be some other complicated problem?

 

Also, I believe the oil in the lower leg should be 5w40 synthetic. Would any 5w40 oil do then?

 

Thanks

 

Crazy question but do you know if it was ever at 160mm travel? I have read on a few mattoc forums that a couple of batches of the 160mm forks came out from CRC marked up at 160mm but were actually set at a 140mm so (for those ones) it's a case of adjusting the the spacer tyre things inside to get full travel. A lot of people just got them, strapped them on their bikes and went off and didn't check / measure the travel so only found out much later down the track when it was time for a service or there was another issue. 

[AlanD]

Crazy question but do you know if it was ever at 160mm travel? I have read on a few mattoc forums that a couple of batches of the 160mm forks came out from CRC marked up at 160mm but were actually set at a 140mm so (for those ones) it's a case of adjusting the the spacer tyre things inside to get full travel. A lot of people just got them, strapped them on their bikes and went off and didn't check / measure the travel so only found out much later down the track when it was time for a service or there was another issue.

I'm almost certain it came at 160mm as ive noticed it looks like it has less travel than before but I'll check the travel to ensure it's set correctly.

[AlanD]

No dimple on a Mattoc. It's got the Dorado air spring system, which is best understood by reading the service manual. A lowers service isn't going to help you here, you're going to need a full rebuild.

Thanks. What oil is needed for the flowers?

[Dirt Tracker]

Thanks. What oil is needed for the flowers?

 

Just water for the flowers. Don't oil them, unless you're doing a portrait and then it's water colour, pastel or oil based. 

 

On the travel, just check as in reality 2cm isn't a lot and it caught a fair few people out. Some of the comments were hilarious. 

[AlanD]

Just water for the flowers. Don't oil them, unless you're doing a portrait and then it's water colour, pastel or oil based.

 

On the travel, just check as in reality 2cm isn't a lot and it caught a fair few people out. Some of the comments were hilarious.

Lol...dam auto correct.

[Thermophage]

The Mattoc is read and simple to work on...If you have some inkling for mechanics.

I put together a full service guide (sans replacing o-rings and arbs things like that).

Lowers is super simple, even the damper service is pretty simple.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Mw19QQqocotIDRLsr7BeeNwlFqthmWau08PnSta4Mtc/edit?usp=sharing

Castrol Magnates fully synthetic works well for the lowers. But yeah, check for the travel adjust spacers when you do the lowers. You can remove the air spring side pretty easily with a cassette tool and check.

[droo]

The Mattoc is read and simple to work on...If you have some inkling for mechanics.

I put together a full service guide (sans replacing o-rings and arbs things like that).

Lowers is super simple, even the damper service is pretty simple.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Mw19QQqocotIDRLsr7BeeNwlFqthmWau08PnSta4Mtc/edit?usp=sharing

Castrol Magnates fully synthetic works well for the lowers. But yeah, check for the travel adjust spacers when you do the lowers. You can remove the air spring side pretty easily with a cassette tool and check.

 

OP, listen to this guy. He's taken his Mattoc apart more than most.

[Thermophage]

OP, listen to this guy. He's taken his Mattoc apart more than most.

Hahahah ya in that one week...I did it a few times

[AlanD]

The Mattoc is read and simple to work on...If you have some inkling for mechanics.

I put together a full service guide (sans replacing o-rings and arbs things like that).

Lowers is super simple, even the damper service is pretty simple.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Mw19QQqocotIDRLsr7BeeNwlFqthmWau08PnSta4Mtc/edit?usp=sharing

Castrol Magnates fully synthetic works well for the lowers. But yeah, check for the travel adjust spacers when you do the lowers. You can remove the air spring side pretty easily with a cassette tool and check.

Cool, thanks for this. I'll have a read through, get all i need then set aside a weekend for it.

 

Do you need that cassette tool that's got a gap in it to remove the air side or can you slide a regularly one over?

[DieselnDust]

Thanks. What oil is needed for the flowers?

 

 

Caltex White Oil Pharma 15

Shell Ondina 15

[Thermophage]

Cool, thanks for this. I'll have a read through, get all i need then set aside a weekend for it.

 

Do you need that cassette tool that's got a gap in it to remove the air side or can you slide a regularly one over?

No, you don't need that cassette tool. A normal one (i have a lightly deeper/longer Parktool one) will just fit over everything when you push the damper and air spring rods into the uppers. The only specialised tool that makes servicing simple is a 8mm thin-walled socket. Which I made

by putting a normal 8mm socket into a drill, the drill into the vice and then held a file on the socket until it magically transformed into a thin walled one. Otherwise you can get by with a 4mm allen is into the air spring hole. It's a bit of a pfaff when you re-assemble though to make sure you don't pull a vacuum

[nox1111]

I have one suggestion you can try before starting to rebuild/service, if it is still smooth and feels good.

Flip your bike upside down, deflate the positive air, then see if you can pull the fork on the lowers to 160mm extension. if yes - keep pulling and re-inflate to pressure.

I don't know why this works, but it did for me after i heard it somehwere.