Marzocchi bomber. Diagnosis needed.

[marc two tone]

These forks came on a bike im renovating, added as an aftermarket thing.
One leg leaks oil pretty bad. It can ooze from the joint below the brace level.
I can only assume right leg can rotate due to the v brake stud being absent? The other wont rotate by hand, though.

Im looking for info. Are they totalled?
Rebuild able? Can they be saved?

 

[trailstar82]

Unsure without seeing inside, but bombers are pretty resilient, much more so than rock shox and fox of the era that weren’t serviced regularly. The manuals are up online and kraemit on here has posted some links to the technical docs. Generally if things are unbolted oil does find a way out under compression.

I don’t know if this helps but I have some hex shoulder bolts I bought for a set of dirt jumpers if you don’t have the correct canti stud. The previous owner thought it was ok to remove them and still ride the forks

Drop me a pm if you want to know more.

 

[robfinger]

Honestly this seems to be a fairly common thing nowadays, ppl pull the studs cause they're running discs and don't realize the studs are what holds the M-arch and the legs together. Marzocchi even put a warning about it right below where the parts meet, but who reads those anyway lol.

So yeah get some studs or bolts in there and see if that fixes the issue. Tho I'm guessing you'll need to split the fork to replace the o-rings that seal that joint. You probably want to change the oil as is tbf.

But your stanchions look to be in great shape. And the insides of these forks are simple and strong. So I'm thinking defo salvageable, and you'll probably be quite happy with them afterwards.

 

[marc two tone]

Thanks guys, for your advice. Yeah, the oil that seeps out is thick grey and stinks like car gearbox oil. I have some studs but a little too short to shoot through to the threaded bit, and maybe a thread pitch issue as they don't wind in a full turn without stalling.

 

[FluffyChicken]

Of you don't get them solved, dump them in my drive and I'll see what I can do.
The arch comes off, you need to get that fixed and sealed up (I've never actually had to do it) and then some brake studs to keep it all binded together.

I think but do check M6 x. 75, but only at the end

 

[robfinger]

Thanks guys, for your advice. Yeah, the oil that seeps out is thick grey and stinks like car gearbox oil. I have some studs but a little too short to shoot through to the threaded bit, and maybe a thread pitch issue as they don't wind in a full turn without stalling.

Yeah you got studs for the older forks probably, they are standard 6mm thread and indeed a bit too short for this application.

The correct bolts or studs are fine-pitch 6mm.

 

[Dr-Zocchi]

Find Marzocchi documents here : --> http://public-repository.org/

 

[mamadirt]

I too have a set of Flylight Airs on my Kona Stuff - nice set of forks which like yours have very slight oil seepage at the joint but hold air just fine. I've just taken a chance on these shoulder bolts from eBay (https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/200994813385?var=500206016465) so I'll update if they fit

 

[FluffyChicken]

I too have a set of Flylight Airs on my Kona Stuff - nice set of forks which like yours have very slight oil seepage at the joint but hold air just fine. I've just taken a chance on these shoulder bolts from eBay (https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/200994813385?var=500206016465) so I'll update if they fit

That's because on the Flylight they go from the Superfly tech with air in the lower leg and back to old MAG and XC era tech and the air is in the stanchion where a metal spring is normally.

No where near the main oil and brace seals area.

 

[marc two tone]

Please do! Ive tried various bolts but ive nothing long enough or, the correct thread pitch. Thankyou.

This tech is all new to me. I wound out the adjusters, hoping to find a spring to rob for something else....no spring....does the oil simply vaccum its way around to achieve the shock/damping?