tFUnK

This is what my 90s Marzocchi Atom Bomber 70mm with stock springs looked like after a recent ride. Just to confirm, this is not expected behavior, and that I'm going to need new seals, correct? The stock springs seem too soft (I bottomed out hard 4-5 times on this flowy trail, but even on rides where I don't bottom out, the seals still look like that after a ride), so I will try to look for stiffer replacements. Besides the springs and the seals, anything else I should service/replace? Let's see if I can even find the parts...

wesmamyke

I find stiffer springs nice in old Marzocchi forks, they can tend to blow through the travel. At the same time you can keep raising the oil height in the fork to limit bottoming to some degree, with the proper amount of oil you might be fine. Also you can use heavier oil, I've been going right to 10wt to start. Standard Marzocchi was 7.5wt.

Did it barf oil out of both seals in one ride? That's a little rare for both to just go at the same time, not impossible though. Seal kit would do it if the rest is in good shape. Remember those top seals are just dust seals, the oil seals are below that. A Marzocchi seal kit has two sets of seals, four total.

If/when you pull all the seals the bushings come right out and can be inspected. Basically impossible to find replacements for those or anything besides the seals though. They can generally be reused many times if the fork never ran dry of oil.

Spare parts these days in the US are either ebay, or a guy called Marzocchi Mark. You have to google him and call/email, his website is useless, sometimes lists parts on ebay. Or Dr. Marzocchi in Europe: https://dr-marzocchi.projectweb.de/p...1z2-marzocchi/

Enduro sometimes has 30mm Marzocchi seals kits available. Originals are pretty much gone now, even those Dr. Marzocchi kits are using reproduction seals they had made for them. I bought some Ariete brand 30mm seals from ebay, can't find the Marzocchi compatible listing at the moment though.

tFUnK

wesmamyke thanks for the helpful comments. I've actually tried with raising the oil level and while it does reduce travel/sag, oil still makes it out of the seals on large hits. I think the seals that came with the fork (purchased used) may just be showing their age. Both legs leak like the pictures after basically every ride (but the last ride was especially brutal in terms of the bottom-outs). I will give the Enduro 30mm kit a try, but I feel it is pointless to just do the seals unless I can source a stiffer spring (maybe it will be easier to lose 20lbs from the rider&#128517.

wesmamyke

The springs are probably worth contacting Marzocchi Mark for. That's less of a wear item and he might have some to sell. My understanding is he has 30mm seals, but will only use them for rebuilds if the fork is sent to him. You could see what a rebuild with a spring change would run you. He throws random crazy prices out if you ask for specific parts, although seems to charge a reasonable rate if you send him a fork.

The springs do show up on ebay, but you have to set up a saved search or something unless you want to pay the ebay vintage part tax: https://www.ebay.com/itm/17491381984...EAAOSwCHhg85d-