Marzocchi Bomber 33 Manual
- Download owner manual and find tech info for the 2009 2009-33 TST2 Marzocchi forks.
- Marzocchi Bomber 33 TST2 MTB Fork reviews. See how the Marzocchi Bomber 33 TST2 rates and read other MTB Fork reviews.
Aug 14, 2012 Review of the Marzocchi bomber 33 suspension fork.
I was given a Wicked Fat Chance with a blown out Marzocchi Bomber fork. If you're not familiar with it, it was a somewhat high end fork when it came out. It offers adjustable dampening through changing the air pressure.When I got it, the fork wasn't holding air pressure and would go flat pretty quickly. Also fork oil was slowly leaking out of the fork into the hub and spokes of the wheel. Rather than getting a new one I decided to resurrect it to it's former glory. I hope these instructions will give you confidence to rebuild your own fork whether it is this one or another one. You'll be saving money and you can also have an understanding of the components in your bike.
The build took me over a month since I didn't have all the equipment together. Hopefully this will be detailed enough to save you time and money. Attached are the official instructions from the Marzocchi website. In it are directions using specialty tools they want you to buy and a exploded schematic of the fork. The instructions pretty confusing and useless. The only thing worth looking at is the schematic.
Another good resource are the official instructions from the seal replacement manufacturer. It's for a different model but almost all of it is applicable to this fork. Unfortunately I found the site after I installed it since their site is so confusing so I didn't get to try their tips and tricks. You can find the page here.
(it was working when I wrote this) The items you will need or are highly recommended Paper Towels Oil Tray Shop vise Large Crescent Wrench Hex Wrenches Compressed air blow gun and adaptor Mallet/Hammer Pick Flat head screwdriver Ratchet Extension Socket Set Normal Pliers Wash tub Degreaser Fork Oil Masking Tape Replacement Seals ( I found some online from Enduro) Grease (I used Buzzy's Slick Honey) Attachments. Start by undoing the socket head cap screws on the 'arch' with an allen wrench. The 'arch' provides stability to the fork, keeping both sides parallel and preventing them from rotating. It also holds up the brake cable on my bike. Next loosen the screws holding the 'stanchion tubes' just enough to slide the tubes out. The 'stanchion tubes' are the shiny rods that slide up and down the fork bushings. Mine were in surprisingly good shape after years of wear and neglect.
Remove the stanchion tubes. They should easily slide out. I placed the 'slider' (black outside tube housing the seal and stanchion tubes) in my shop vise with some paper towels to protect it from getting teeth marks from the jaws. I also oriented it so that the stem that holds the brake components rested on the vise. Doing so allowed me to push down on the stanchion/ slider assembly without everything dropping through the vise.
Next I screwed on top of the schrader valve an adapter I got from a kit in Harbor Freight. The purpose of doing so is to allow me to push the 'cap' into the stanchion tube without damaging the schrader valve, revealing the 'stop ring' (an internal c-clip).
The proper tool to use would be a 'Stanchion cap puller'. I had no intention of buying specialty tools for an outdated bike component. Taking a hammer I gave the adapter and valve a hit sending it and the 'cap' into the cylinder. A ridiculous amount of force isn't necessary but there's enough room so you don't have to be overly careful either.
After whacking it, I was able to pick the 'stop ring' out with a corkscrew tool on a multipurpose knife since I didn't have a pick at the time. The 'cap' was still stuck in there good so I clamped it again in the shop vise, putting the brake stem on the far side, and proceeded to pull at the schrader valve with the blow gun attachment. Make sure an oil pan is underneath as the oil will start flowing out. The 'cap' popped right out and I moved the 'slider' to the pan, leaning it upside down to drain completely. I repeated the same steps for the other stanchion/slider assembly. The upper seal is called the 'dust seal' and is supposed to be removed with a screwdriver by prying between the seal and the aluminum slider.
It looked like it would be quite damaging to the aluminum slider so I didn't do that. Instead, I started pulling at the 'dust seal' with vise grips because the vise grip's jaws are shaped in a way to pinch the seal. I eventually got it out but it might be easier to pry it out side side at a time with a flat head screwdriver like the X-FLY 80 instructions of Enduro Fork Seals in the link I posted in the Introduction. Once the dust seal is out, you will find another 'stop ring'. I undid the stop ring with a screwdriver which revealed the 'oil seal'. I managed to yank those out with a needle nose vise grip. It wasn't the easiest task so I would definitely give Enduro Fork Seals' method a shot.
They wrap the flat head at the lever point with electrical tape for protection and pry out the oil seal from underneath. This step is to check the 'seal ring'. I don't think it's necessary but I took the pumping rod apart because I was this far in anyways. The pumping rod is plastic and has an hollow aluminum cylinder called a 'foot buffer' press-fitted on the end to keep it from coming out. I clamped the plastic rod and twisted off the 'foot buffer', wrapping it first to prevent leaving teeth marks. Once out, I pushed the pumping rod through with a flat head screwdriver and the pumping rod, with the 'seal ring' and 'rebound spring' on it popped out.
Marzocchi Bomber Rebuild Kit
I think the 'rebound spring' is to prevent the pumping rod assembly from bottoming out. The pumping rod has a hole through the side which allows oil through at a certain rate to provide damping. Seeing that nothing was wrong with the seal, I put everything back together.
In the pack of replacement seals, the 'dust seals' are blue which is a different shape and color than the old one. I'm not sure if it's better than the stock one but I would say that it looks more sleek. I then dryed off the slider components and reassembled them. After lining the 'oil seal' up, I found a big socket that fit inside the slider and hammered it with a mallet to press the seal in place.
The instructions say to use their special tool, the 'seal press', which I'm sure is a waste of money. After putting the 'oil seal' stop ring back on, I lined up the dust seal and also hammered that in with a socket. The Enduro Fork Seals instructions recommend putting the seals in a freezer before installing them. I didn't do that but I would recommend trying it. The effect of temperature on rubber's expansion is much more than metal so I can see the step saving some effort. With the dust seal nicely in place, liberally greased the inside of the dust seal. Then slide the stanchion tubes in place, ensuring it is in the correct direction.
Note how cleanly it wiped a layer of grease off the stanchion tube. Put the 'foot screw' back on this time with a torque wrench. The manual says to torque to 9 N-m which 6.6 ft-lbs. I didn't have a good torque wrench so I tried my best to hit 10 N-m. To check I held a ratchet to it and it felt snug to my hand so I didn't torque it any further. I doubt the torque wrench is necessary but if you're paranoid about locking it in place well and worried that you'll strip it, a weak torque wrench would be a worthwhile expense.
I used motorcycle fork oil so I wasn't able to find 7.5 weight. To achieve that I mixed equal parts of 5 and 10 weight oil. It was poured in using the funnel of the bottle. The level should be 1.57 inches from the top of the stanchion tube. I tried my best to get 1.57 inches with a ruler and marked a line on my screwdriver with some masking tape.
I poured some in, stuck the screwdriver in, checked to see if it needed more, and kept on doing so until it was just right. While doing so pump the stanchion tube to its full range of motion several times to ensure the oil is squeezed into every part of the cylinder.
Marzocchi Bomber
Marzocchi's 44 fork has been gaining traction among the sport's elite bikehandlers for good reason: it shreds technical descents as well as most large-chassis freeride/AM forks - an it is a must ride for anyone in the market for a super-capable 32-millimeter-stanchion slider. Pinkbike readers asked us for a tech video that shows how to overhaul the 44 while Marzocchi works on getting its version up and running. We also have been pressed to return to the TT video-edit format. You asked, we delivered. In this Tech Tuesday Marzocchi suspension guru Ronnie Dilan walks us through the steps to change the seals and suspension fluid of the mid-travel 44 fork.
Scroll down for the video, or take your time and read the intro text - your call. Ronnie Dilan makes it looks easy. Dilan has been sorting out suspension and customer's tech questions for much of the time that Marzocchi USA has been in business. Which Marzocchi 44 Fork? There are a number of 44 fork models, and in this Tech Tuseday, we focus on the top three: The 44 Micro Switch TA, the 44 RC3 Titanium and the demonstration model for this this tech piece, While there are minor differences in the three forks, Ronnie says that the steps to disassemble, replace the seals and reassemble them are nearly the same. If you have any questions about your particular fork.
( From left) Marzocchi's top trail forks - 44 MIcro Switch TA, 44 RC3 Titanium and our subject fork, the 44 Micro Ti 29. Tips: While the following tech edit covers every step quite well, we'd like to add that eye protection is a must when you are dealing with sharp tools, chemical fluids and small missiles like errant C-rings. Also, Ronnie slipped and said 'oil' when he was lubricating the seals and wipers before assembling them into the lowers. He recommends lightweight low-friction grease as shown in the edit. Contact Ronnie at Marzocchi's tech center at techron@marzocchiusa.com for the inside story of any Marzocchi suspension product. How to Change the Seals and Service a Marzocchi 44 Fork.
Honestly the entire process takes longer to explain then it does to complete. If you have most of the tools and a clear understanding of the job you are getting into it just makes things easier in the long run. I have seen other video clips done for rebuilds and they don't tell you that a detent ball is going to fly across the room and kill your hamster.lol. It might seem like excess information and a time wasted but if you have already serviced a couple of forks then it just ends up being useful information to keep in mind. This fork is not more complicated than a RS Air U-Turn. Old ones perticularly, had c-clips and tons of ball detents under the adjuster cap, I can't remember from memory if 5 or 4 for the Air U-Turn. It's not mentioned on the video, but some carts may make your life miserable if you don't have an air tool to drive the 12mm foot nut.
The rod may spin along with the nut and you may not be tightening that thing until cows come home (or at all). In that case, I thread the cart on the crown, lock it and then try to compress the nut while I tighten the foot nut. Then you can reopen the top cap and fill with oil. Similar for air cartridges, just put some pressure in them and tighten the foot nut. Cartridges without a lock out like RC3 may be more difficult as you can't push the end of the cart against the bottom of the lowers to prevent it to spin.
Who doesn't have power tools. Well, some of us cheapos don't. Please don't try to compare this fork with your Fox 40. It is an entirely different component designed to do a different task then barrel down a mountain at top speed.
I swear, as soon as someone sees or owns a 40 they become the biggest fanboy and nothing in their mind will ever compare even if it a totally different beast. Even though a Fox fork may be your cup of tea, its going to take a s.t ton more maintenance than a Marzocchi and that's a fact.
Try climbing 7k+ feet on a 40 then compare it to a Zoke 44 please. I think you'd have a different opinion. GloryNZ I am sorry that you feel the video is a little to long of a description for a quick service. In this case I have to go into every little bit of detail possible to make sure that the video is clearly understood by a first time mechanic and also by someone who has serviced many suspension products. Keep in mind that you have probably serviced your fork 10-20 times since you have purchased it, so you have lots of experiance with a ll the small details that you will encounter during a quick service.
Marzocchi Bomber Z2 Manual
Imagine having to make a very descriptive video for all viewers to understand how simple the procedure can be without costing twice as much due to a poor decision or hasty move. Realistically this service takes 8-10 minutes to complete by an experienced tech who is cautious the entire time.