WANTED MC5 MARZOCCHI SHOCKS...

[Jeff Moore]

WANTED MC5 MARZOCCHI SHOCKS...

ANYONE HAVE ANY GOOD USED REAR MARZOCCHI SHOCKS???

Jeff
(310) 456-8833
[email protected]

[G Ellis]

I have a set ready to bolt on. Rebuilt, Purple springs 400.00 plus shipping

[Jeff Moore]

Thanks Gary.  No doubt they are perfect, but $400 is too rich for me...  

 I am trying to keep the cost of my toys as low as possible. And the correct shocks are not that important because the bike already has a nice set of period FOX AIRSHOX that I will use when riding...

Just trying get a set of Marzocchis to later make the bike look more original.

Jeff

[Larry Perkins]

The correct Zokes generally bring $200-$300 in need of rebuild, paint, and stickers in case you were not aware

Larry P

[Jeff Moore]

They pop up once in a while on Ebay.  There was a nice set  recently for $65 that I forgot to bid on that had NO bids...

The seller resisted the shocks and I missed them again at $117.

[G Ellis]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Montesa-Ducati-Triumph-Norton-Yamaha-MARZOCCHI-Rear-Shocks-FOR-PARTS-12-RB-70/114121491287?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

[Jeff Moore]

Gary... Thanks for the link!  Those shocks are obviously junk or for parts...  But might be rebuildable??  I bought them for $80.

Read my post a few below.  The sellers description was wrong.  There shocks were actually nice!

I have bought a bunch of parts (Maico, BSA,Rickman, Ducati etc) from Mike at Sichley MC parts in Oregon. And he sometimes thinks his vintage stuff is extremely valuable and lists the parts at high prices... Then it stays on eBay for months , even years without selling!   You have to make him an offer and he will usually, but not always make a deal.  

Great deals on vintage bikes and parts come up on eBay sometime hourly, you just have to get lucky and pay attention. My 1977 MC5 400 that was complete, looked very good and ran great, and  was on eBay and I was high bidder at only $1,930.  The seller even discounted the bike by $300 when I went to pick it up because he was unable to get it started.

I got very lucky I guess because, my highest bid was $2995 but with 490 watchers there were NO competing bids. Which surprised the Hell out of me. I still do not understand why?

Thats eBay!!

[Toolsurfer]

I bought mine off Ebay and they were over $200 and have not saw any that were cheaper that could be rebuilt or the right length 13.5 inches for Harescrambler and also for laid down app that should have 12mm shafts not the 10mm ones , need to pay close attention to what your app is or you will have Zokes you can't use . Just saying!

[Jeff Moore]

Toolsurfer... Thanks for the info and specs.

I have a lot of experience rebuilding old shocks and as long as the shafts are not pitted and straight and the bodies are not rusted internally, It usually is is just a matter of patience, tight clamping and force using high heat.

About 25 years ago I used to rebuild the leaking Betor shocks on my Bultacos and other shocks...  The seals were not available so if the seals were not cracked, I would heat up Fork Oil with the Seal Swell additives then drop the seals into the hot oil...  After about only 5 minutes the rubber softened up and I never had any of them ever leak after that.

But that was when the seals were 20-25 years old.  Now that those seals are 40-45 years old the rubber may not respond and soften using the hot oil trick??

[Rocket]

I have rebuild kits for the Marzocchi shocks.

[Jeff Moore]

Gary Ellis, Toolsurfer THANK YOU!  For turning me on to those Marzocchis that were on ebay...

For those interested.  Ebay score again!

Mike (the seller) had described those shocks as basically junk and for "PARTS" and not a matching pair "one is shorter " he wrote.  In his photos they did not even look like a pair... I gambled and thought, for the $80 best offer price (not the $145 that eBay shows as sold for) maybe I could build one shock out of two??

The shocks were delivered today.   To my total surprise they looked very good!  One was working perfectly, it dampens well in both directions and has no signs of rust on the shaft and is not leaking even a tiny bit!

The other shock looked almost as good but was stuck about 1/2 of the way out!   When I  clamped it in the vice and gave it a good pull the shock fully extended to 13.5 inches and was a perfect match of the other shock, and not shorter as described...  Then I had a pair.

Mike did write that one shaft was bent and he was right.   I have not figured out how shafts can  bend when bolted on a swing arm, but this one was just ever so slightly bent causing it to bind in the seal/bearing head.  The second shaft like on the first shock, other then the bend was flawless and had absolutely no rust or pitting or any other damage.  

Because the slight bend was in the middle of the shaft it was very easy to straighten!  I mounted the shock in a small press that I have and using blocks of aluminum, I was able to straighten the shaft to less then .45mm of runout.  To straighten bent shafts if you don't have a press, you also can use a vice with pieces of hardwood, aluminum, brass etc. .  

The .45mm runout, has no effect on the shocks performance and no it no longer binds and seems to work exactly as designed.

When the rain stops on my MC5 they will go.

Gary... On a MC5 400cc Should they have silver or purple springs?? How much Nitrogen do they get charged to?  It says 2KG but that is only 28psi??  That seems very low?
With Works Performance Shocks and Yamaha Shocks the specs call for charging at 230-250psi.

[hrbay]

Jeff, sorry, just wanted to jump in here, the emulsion shocks needed lower psi to keep the oil/gas mixture from cavitation, the higher psi would be for rezzy setups, WPSupercrossers or the like and remote reservoirs with the bladders where the oil and nitrogen are separated. IIRC

GC

[Rocket]

The Marzocchi shocks have a rubber bladder that is charged with 30 psi of N2.  The oil and the nitrogen are separate.

[Jeff Moore]

Rocket,  

Thanks for the info...  30PSI is consistent with the 28.8PSI that I estimated was correct?

The socks are now on the bike.

Jeff