Lefty ELO problems

[lovewookie]

Having recently serviced the cartridge on my old Carbon lefty ELO, the ELO appears to go straight to the yellow light when I activate it.

Worked fine until the service. Changed the batteries, twice, just to check and same thing.

Didn't do anything to the lockout assembly as far as I know, but did have to unscrew the damper rod to get all the gubbins out of the cartridge for a clean out.

Any ideas what I've done?

Also, there are 4 or 5 washers separated by o rings above the lockout assembly in the cartridge, are these the compression shims? I'd like to reduce the compression damping on the fork if I can.

Thanks

[Peteimpreza]

Mendon to the forum please.

[nankerphelge]

Craig Mendon to the white courtesy phone, please.

[MendonCycleSmith]

Driving from the back seat as I am, and knowing how totally sensitive these little buggers are, I have no idea.

If you unscrewed the damper rod it's totally possible that the wires got twisted, and those things are about as thick as a human hair.

When I service them, I am as hands off as can be, if the shaft starts to unscrew, I stop, and retighten. Particularly now that you can't get parts, and to my understanding, Cannondale has stopped the super secret, in house only, DLR-ification program they'd been doing for a while.

I would kick this up to Headshok'r, if anyone will know if it's repairable, it's him. I'm no electronic micro surgery dude, sorry....

[lovewookie]

Cheers.

I had a bit further investigation today, Yes, the wires twisted and came unsoldered halfway up the inside of the damper.

oops.

In addition to this, while removing the cartridge the air can separated (I guess it unscrewed whilst I was unscrewing the main cartridge) and knocked one of the bearing race retainers into the outer of the fork.

Can I get it back in there? Nope!
So fork stripped totally and I now see that one of the rollers off one of the bearings is missing, well actually, it's part of the race too.

I think I'll be having a chat with one of the lefty service guys on monday. I think I'll need to run that fork ELO-less for now, but maybe give it to them to put all the bits back together as I don't tend to have much time of a weekday.

damn it.

[MendonCycleSmith]

I think I'll be having a chat with one of the lefty service guys on monday.

Sounds like what I would have guessed, the wire that is.

Unless you personally like electromicrosurgery, or know someone who does, that's a dead unit.

Not sure who you're talking about in terms of service folks, but Cannondale doesn't work on them anymore, telescope damper, etc.....

[lovewookie]

I may have a go at soldering it all up, or I may not.

I normally chat away with Thumbprint Tuning, they'll work on pretty much any lefty, but I'll see what my options are

Thanks

[MendonCycleSmith]

I may have a go at soldering it all up, or I may not.

I normally chat away with Thumbprint Tuning, they'll work on pretty much any lefty, but I'll see what my options are

Thanks

Gotcha, yeah, it's just Cannondale that has thrown them under the bus

[lovewookie]

well we'll see what happens. Worse case is that i end up with some dead weight in the lefty. I will keep an eye out for otherwise dead leftys for lockouts or dlr's perhaps.

[MendonCycleSmith]

I will keep an eye out for otherwise dead leftys for lockouts or dlr's perhaps.

Yep, any DLR version (not the newer DLR2's) will fit, cartridge wise.....

[lovewookie]

yes, I'd need to find something that will fit the carbon lefty though, with the external thread at the top.. hmmm....

[MendonCycleSmith]

external thread at the top.. hmmm....

If you're referring to the style where you need to unscrew it first, before you can install the tool to unscrew the cartridge? Those weren't ever done in Carbon. By the time the did carbon they were the later single screw type, or am I misunderstanding you???

[lovewookie]

I see.

The lefty's I've had before have all been 'threaded on the inside of the uppers' type, so I asumed that all non carbons were like that, hence needing to find a DL or DLR one specific for a carbon.

Hope that makes more sense, er, think it does.

thanks

[MendonCycleSmith]

I see.

The lefty's I've had before have all been 'threaded on the inside of the uppers' type, so I asumed that all non carbons were like that, hence needing to find a DL or DLR one specific for a carbon.

Hope that makes more sense, er, think it does.

thanks

Ah, got it. Yeah, the double threaded ones got to live for a year or so only, IIRC. The second style, with no threaded inner, (also had an externally threaded top, outer cap) lasted many years longer in the lineup.

Happy hunting!

[lovewookie]

Cheers,

Had a chat with Tony at Thumbprint Tuning. Once he'd stopped laughing he said that he's got a few bits and bobs that he's collected over the years from dead forks that may be able to help.

Fork is on it's way to him today, I'll be several £££'s lighter at the end of it, but at least I'll have a fork that works!

:-)

[SlackBoy]

Those wires are a *****. I had a major tanty (ok 3 major tanty's) soldering up some of those wires after I breathed on them wrong and they fell apart. Elo now works the other way around. But it does work.

[slackerbri78]

Hi everyone,

I've got a carbon lefty with ELO which dies about 5-6 months ago. I've been riding it without the elo functioning since but recently as of yesterday broke my frame so while i am waiting for a replacement I figure there is no better time to try to make this work again. I've rebuilt and converted to DLR a few of these in the past and am familiar with cartridges and seals but have never had to deal with any motor/switch issues aside from battery replacement.

The fork is a carbon lefty with the Titanium lower off a 2002 team scalpel. I get no response from the unit at all, no light, no sound with a fresh battery. Any suggestions or recommendations as to where I can find parts or an entire ELO unit?

Thanks everyone in advance