Marzocchi Fork Dismantling Issue

  • Thread starter Thread starter Grant
  • Start date Start date
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Grant

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One of the Marzo fork legs I wanted to dismantle today refuses to come apart.
The Allen bolt at the bottom of the slider just turns with the damping rod inside the forks.

I have dismantled many forks and sometimes they come apart easily and sometimes with a struggle. This one refuses to budge.

I took the top cap off to check if the spacer on top of the spring was there, and it was.
I then tried compressing the fork while turning the Allen key, but with no success.
It was under a lot of compression by the way.

Is there any tried and tested way to undo this stubborn bolt?
 
All sorted now.
I managed to fit the Allen key on to my impact driver and bashed f*ck out of shocked it with my favourite tool... :-)

It soon surrendered. Wise choice.
 
They can be tough to start. Easiest way is to give the head of the allen bolt a good clout using a suitable diameter drift and a decent size hammer. Usually come easily once they are cracked.
 
You can remove the spring and cut a bit off a wooden broomstick long enough to allow the top nut to press on it and lock the damper rod from turning. I used to use that method before power tools were invented - missus now has a bad back from stooping over some very short brooms ::) ::) - Regards - Phil
 
phil37 said:
You can remove the spring and cut a bit off a wooden broomstick long enough to allow the top nut to press on it and lock the damper rod from turning. I used to use that method before power tools were invented - missus now has a bad back from stooping over some very short brooms ::) ::) - Regards - Phil
Click to expand...
Used a very similar method but I would leave the broom handle full length and grip the end of it in a vice whilst I undid the bolt.
 
Bit of a design oversight I reckon. Marzocchi could have made the damper rod with a hexagonal head on it (doesn't need to be round) then you could use a socket on an extension bar.

I had a stubborn pair of forks a few years ago before I bought an air-driven impact wrench. Someone had put Locktite on the bolt threads. The bolts would loosen to the point that the rods could turn, then they'd rotate with the bolt. Managed to defeat them by flaring the end of a piece of pipe so it would just fit over the head of the damper rod. Hammered it down onto the rod so it was a tight enough fit to hold it firmly.

Cam
 
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