Rear shock - is this fixable?

[thomasteacake]

A little of the old oil will have leaked out via the Piston rod, and will have thickened up being 20 years old.
If you could change and or top up the oil, you might find leakage is pretty small if it's for occasional use, you might need to to it up yearly.
Worth trying before throwing it away.

Hopefully that little screw undoes and allows access to the oil chamber?

The classic fix on disposable motorcycle shocks was to drill a hole into the oil chamber, pump out the old oil, get some fresh oil in, and seal the hole with a self tapper.
(Personally I'd tap a thread)

If you find it's coming apart, with any luck the piston seal is a standard 'o' ring, available from a hardware store.

Worth a try before replacement. You might find a replacement shock challenging because travel has increased so much since then

Thanks for the replies. It’s slightly pressurised (writing on label plus it returns to the extended length even with the coil removed. Should I be worried about opening it up and not being able to recharge? Or is the pressure due to the air that has leaked in?

 

[mdvineng]

might just be an internal light spring or a few psi of Nitrogen.

 

[benjabbi]

The nitrogen charge has probably dispersed over the years (which may be the cause of the noises) but just in case it hasn't be careful, it's usually in the 2-300psi range, enough to cause you some damage if you just undo it and stuff flies apart.
It's not the stock shock or linkage, possibly a travel upgrade kit from Mojo.
As @novocaine says Mojo lives on as Mojo Risin or the service centre in Monmouth is still there, it's just Fox UK now instead of Mojo. Either could be worth a call.

 

[zonoskar]

Also check if you don't have coil binding. To me it looks like the coil is compressed too much and it will bind (individual coils touching each other) as the shock compresses.

 

[mudfish]

Hello, this is my first post here after a long time using the site as a brilliant resource. I’m hoping to get some technical advice.

The shock pictured here came on a 1995 S Works FSR which I recently picked up. This is my first full suspension retro mtb. The rear shock appears to work fine but is making a squelchy noise when compressing/ decompressing. I suspect seals but don’t really know enough to diagnose and am reluctant to start stripping it without knowing what to expect. Is it toast? Or can I ignore the noise and continue to ride? I suspect it needs replacing but all suggestions welcome.

The shock looks to be manufactured by Mojo. (I’m aware one of the bushings is missing in the photos)

View attachment 866894

View attachment 866911

 

[mudfish]

The nitrogen charge has probably dispersed over the years (which may be the cause of the noises) but just in case it hasn't be careful, it's usually in the 2-300psi range, enough to cause you some damage if you just undo it and stuff flies apart.
It's not the stock shock or linkage, possibly a travel upgrade kit from Mojo.
As @novocaine says Mojo lives on as Mojo Risin or the service centre in Monmouth is still there, it's just Fox UK now instead of Mojo. Either could be worth a call.

I doubt Mojo manufactured the shock but you could ask Mojo Rising in Wyastone near Monmouth. BTW a Specialized shock generally has a bushing only at one end.
If you take off the spring and cycle through the travel and it’s smooth / damped through the range it’s likely ok. Some shocks are noisy. EXT for example. (The best on the market, Mojo are UK agent.)