Shiver Forks mystery

[Supratada]

I'm a bit of noob to these big forks and its turns out the bargain Shiver DCs I got are not "intact" to use a horse breeding term.
They were a bit too soft for me on first rides and they used up about 150mm of their 190mm travel in sag.

Turns out the RH leg has no spring or oil in it at all but instead has a 2008+ Manitou Travis CID cartridge in. This is I believe a rebound damper and was pressurised. It has a free piston in it and fair "popped off" when I dismantled it. There was fizzy grey oil in it.
I cannot see anyway to re-pressurise it, there appears to be no valve. However, am i right to assume the pressurisation bit is just part of the damping,, and it is NOT an actual air spring?
Would re-installing it and filling the leg with oil actually give me an air spring by default, controllable by oil height? (Is that a stupid question?)
Should I try to return it to original spec?

I presume a much lighter rider would be OK with the LH leg spring and want the Travis cart to give much more controlled damping over rough ground.

Photos to help.

The lowest thread though similar is not a Schraeder valve. That had a grub screw in it. Any help appreciated?

 

[Supratada]

Ah success. Overthinking it. The thread on the bottom of the grey tube, 3rd pic from bottom, is a valve but not a schraeder though similar. Wrong thread for a shock pump or schraeder cap but I can fit a normal pump over it and put pressure into the cartridge.
Ergo, it cannot be an air spring as the pressures are too low but is a pressurised damping cartridge.

 

[Supratada]

So, question is, can I add any “springage” to the leg to carry my weight, from Marzocchi parts or will an oil filled leg create a passive air spring?
Can the top cap restrain that load (surely it does that with a metal spring)?

 

[Supratada]

The other leg is stock it seems, not much oil came out though but I thought they were meant to be nearly full.
Looks like a black spring, which should be the heaviest.

Is that a normal thing, spring in one leg, damping in other? Anyone? Bueller?

 

[Kevhl]

Does this help: http://my-sport.spb.ru/manual_1/2005-shiver-dc.pdf
If not try the MTB Fork Freaks group on facebook.

 

[Supratada]

Ah yes thanks. I've got that DL'd already.

 

[eshew]

Re:

Sourcing the correct parts would be your best bet. Can't imagine an air spring working very well after a spring has rattled around in there. But if you can make it work go for it, cheaper than sourcing a new cartridge, spring and bits.

I've got one and it's a plush beast.