OK to turn Dirt Jumper 3 upside down?

[Goldstar78i]

I have a Dirt Jumper 3 on my Kona. Since I don't own anything to hold my bike up while i clean/work on it, I usually flip it upside down.

Now I've heard that some Marzocchi forks don't like being put upside down, it makes the air ( or oil) go where its not supposed to. My argument is, how can you not put a DJ fork upside down? Isn't it made for that kind of thing?

I don't see that it has caused damage so far, but I have heard trickling inside the forks once I put the bike right side up. Also I've had to have a rebuild done about two weeks ago ( got the bike July 2004 and ride it about two hours a day). Do you think that I made the seals wear out too fast? I don't wanna have a rebuild every 6-7 months. Its not cheap.

[Goldstar78i]

I guess it was a stupid question, no one wants to tell me how stupid I am thinking I'm damaging my forks by putting them upside down?

[Slider]

I never heard about this problem. My Bomber, a few years old, has been upside down a few times, some intentional and some not. No problems so far.

Slider

[C.P.]

I have a Dirt Jumper 3 on my Kona. Since I don't own anything to hold my bike up while i clean/work on it, I usually flip it upside down.

Now I've heard that some Marzocchi forks don't like being put upside down, it makes the air ( or oil) go where its not supposed to. My argument is, how can you not put a DJ fork upside down? Isn't it made for that kind of thing?

I don't see that it has caused damage so far, but I have heard trickling inside the forks once I put the bike right side up. Also I've had to have a rebuild done about two weeks ago ( got the bike July 2004 and ride it about two hours a day). Do you think that I made the seals wear out too fast? I don't wanna have a rebuild every 6-7 months. Its not cheap.


Have you asked the LBS who did the rebuild? See what they have to say. I've experienced pretty much the same thing as Slider (except perhaps less of the "not intentional kind ;D" ) if that's any help.

[Quo Fan]

I have almost exclusively Bomber forks on my bikes (just got the All Mountain 1 mounted on my Cake), and I've inverted them for long stretches of time with no ill effects. If you are having problems after a rebuild, then I would take it back to the shop and have them look at it.

[BG]

I think they come upside down in the ups truck, so i wouldn't worry about it.

BG

[auntesther1]

the only thing that might happen is the oil drains out of the damping cartridge...cycling the fork for a bit will fill it back up. It draining temporarily doesnt do any damage to the fork.

[Tim]

It won't hurt your fork at all to turn it upside down - I'd stop taking advice from whoever told you that!

2 hours a day for 6 months is a lot of riding - about 360 hours if my math is right. Did you do any service during that time, such as changing the oil? If not, there's your problem - you should be going about 50 to 100 hours between oil changes. Even so, not surprising to be changing the seals after that length of time - lots of people don't put that many hours on over several years. Learn to service the fork yourself and it's a lot cheaper.

Tim

[Goldstar78i]

I never stopped to compute out how many hours I've ridden it since I got it, I rode it like crazy the first month. And summer, well, I put on about 3 hours a day during the summer. Now I do about 1 a day in the morning so I'm guessing about 2 hours a day on average since I got the bike.

No I haven't changed the oil at all since I got it, I cleaned the stanchions and dust seals after every ride and I figured that it was enough. To me it seems like every 50-100 hours is overkill, although I did see that in the fork manual. I'd love to learn how to do it myself, but I have no idea who would teach me?

I'm relieved to hear that going upside down is no problem, I heard from a friend he ruined his DJ2 that way and I was worried. Last time I trust his stories.

I guess I shouldn't be too surprised about getting a seal change, I have also gone through 3 BBs since getting this bike and soon I'm just gonna get a insane one instead of ruining one every other month.

[Quo Fan]

If you are at all mechanically inclined, then servicing your fork will be easy. download the manual from the Marzocchi website, and follow the instructions step by step.