It is better to set the air gap, rather than using a quantity of oil when rebuilding the Paioli/Ceriani forks as it is difficult to get all the old oil out without fully dismantling the forks and the damper.
Right Hand Leg (Damper Side)
Sherco specify a 55mm air gap from the top of the oil to the top of the fork stanchion for the right hand fork leg, the one with the damper in it, this is with the forks bottomed out and the damper as far down as it will go, to do it properley you need to undo the top cap off the damping rod so the damping rod can be pushed all the way down.
Right Hand Leg – Easy Option
To do a quick check and save you taking the top cap off the damper rod you can use a thin rule and put it down the side of the top cap, then push the top cap down to the top of the forks you should then have around a 60mm air gap from the top of the oil to the top of the fork stanchion.
Left Hand Leg (Spring Side)
Sherco specify a 115mm air gap from the top of the oil to the top of the fork stanchion for the left hand fork leg, the one with the spring in it, this is with the forks bottomed out and the spring still in the fork leg.
We find it much easier to set the oil level correctly by removing the spring and setting the level to 140mm air gap from the top of the oil to the top of the fork stanchion with the forks bottomed and no spring.
Oil Type
Sherco recomend a 5W fork oil, this is also known as SAE5 or 5wt, you will easliy have enough oil to do both fork legs with a 1 litre bottle.
Oil & Dust Seals
The oil seals usually start leaking because the dust seals have let dirt past and damaged the oil seal. It is advisable to swap both at the same time.
See here for our available options:
Ceriani / Paioli 38mm Fork Oil & Dust Seals
Bushes
Before rebuilding, check the condition of the bushes. There is 1 at the bottom of the stanchion & 1 at the top of the lower leg. They are lined with a thin coating of teflon, if these are worn, replace asap.
See here for our available options:
Ceriani / Paioli 38mm Bush Kit
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