Craig,
If you need lever shocks rebuilt, avoid Apple Hyrdaulics.
These folks are the ones to call:
http://www.mailbag.com/users/nosimport/
"How World Wide Approaches Rebuilding Lever Shocks...
First. What fails in a lever shock? Almost all of the (non-traumatic)
failures result from lack of oil in the shock. The manuals always
recommend Checking or topping-up your shox in various intervals 3000
miles or so. Why? Because they leak!.. what a surprise! They don't
leak just because they are British, they leak by design (now there's
a bumper sticker).
Speaking here of the rear shox... the shaft that protrudes from the
body of the shock is rotating in the body without a bearing. To
ensure sufficient lubrication there is often a channel or groove in
the shaft bore. At the outside there is a rubber packing retained by
a thin metal washer. A packing needs some lubrication to work at all
and the weeping of oil acts as a deterrent to dirt getting in. Dirt
getting in will score the shaft at the seal area hastening the demise
of the packing and wearing the bearing surface in the body.
The solution that all of us rebuilders use is to machine the body and
install a bearing. We use Delrin, others use bronze. Bronze requires
oil, Delrin doesn't. We also machine the body for a rotary oil seal
(others don't) (in fact we use a double lip seal with dust excluder).
One guy does use a rotary single lip seal and the others use several
rubber washers held in place with a steel washer or two.
To solve the pitted and scored shaft problem, others sand or grind
the shaft down.(you don't need to be precise with rubber washers) We
have manufactured for us, to our specs, stainless steel sleeves that
allows us to have a 3 micron finish and consistent diameter and
concentricity of the shaft. After many years, we have found this to
be very reliable. Our shox don't leak.
The process... step by step. Receive grimy old shock, tumble clean in
a deburring/tumble cleaner. Glass bead blast entire shock.
Disassemble.
Tumble and hot wash internals. Bead blast the rest of the arm.
Machine for
the bearing and for the seal. Wash again. Press in bearing and seal.
Press
on sleeve. Inspect and repair/replace as necessary the pistons and the
valving. Reassemble components using all new hardware of proper
thread and
style. Fill with oil and bleed. Compare valving with NOS shock,
adjust if necessary. Wash AGAIN. Paint 2 coats primer and 3 coats
high heat black enamel. Date code and ship.
There you have it.
Peter Caldwell, President."
----- Original Message -----
From: "Craig Reese" <creese@spillman.com>
To: <mgb-v8@autox.team.net>
Sent: Wednesday, June 04, 2003 11:03 AM
> Has anyone ever dealt with Apple Hydraulics in NY, and if so, how did
things go?
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