Just an FYI for lightweight riders, I posted this to the DH forum too:
The factory rebound setting is WAY too slow if you replace the stock medium spring with the soft one. Even if you back off the rebound adjustment all the way.
First I changed the oil to 2.5wt, which was extremely easy but didn't speed the rebound nearly enough.
Using the instructions found in the tech support section of the Manitou site, disassemble the fork until you have the lower casting separate from the upper section. Remove the rebound rod from the right leg (I used a 24mm open-end wrench). Use a pair of narrow pliers (grab the black colored portion of the rod BETWEEN THE SNAP RING AND THE PISTON ONLY so you don't bugger up the polished shaft where it slides through an o-ring) and a small crescent wrench to remove the nut on the piston end of the rebound rod assembly. Gently slide off the thin washer stack (it's easier if you just wiggle the piston toward the end of the rod until the washers are free). There are three large-diameter thin washers, one medium-diameter thin washer, and one small diameter thick washer. Remove TWO of the large-diameter washers (it might look like there's only one, they're very thin) and save them in case you need to play with the rebound at a later date. You may have to flex the washers a little and pry them apart with your finger nail. Put your new easier-flexing higher-flow washer stack back on the rod (piston / large-washer / medium-washer / small thick washer / nut). Tighten the nut, but don't go crazy torquing it. Using the rebound adjustment knob on the end of the rod, look in the little oil bypass "window" just below the piston and turn the knob until the window closes. Remember you have the bypass closed, so you index the knob correctly later. Reassemble everything. Add 2.5wt oil to the height shown in the manual (my fork was 4.6" - 5"). Use 4.6" if you want the fork to ramp up more during compression, 5" if you want to keep it soft as possible. Use the compression adjustment knob to close the compression bypass hole (a plastic needle moves down to block flow), as you did with the rebound adjuster.
Be extremely clean about everything, you don't want any dirt in there.
After the rebound re-valving my girlfriend's fork is a million times better, and performs as a correctly valved fork should. No more packing up through rough sections!
(Those of you looking for more compression damping could add one or two of the washers from the rebound stack to the compression stack, or consider adding a washer to compensate for the 2.5wt oil. The compression was fine for my GF, so I didn't touch it.)
The factory rebound setting is WAY too slow if you replace the stock medium spring with the soft one. Even if you back off the rebound adjustment all the way.
First I changed the oil to 2.5wt, which was extremely easy but didn't speed the rebound nearly enough.
Using the instructions found in the tech support section of the Manitou site, disassemble the fork until you have the lower casting separate from the upper section. Remove the rebound rod from the right leg (I used a 24mm open-end wrench). Use a pair of narrow pliers (grab the black colored portion of the rod BETWEEN THE SNAP RING AND THE PISTON ONLY so you don't bugger up the polished shaft where it slides through an o-ring) and a small crescent wrench to remove the nut on the piston end of the rebound rod assembly. Gently slide off the thin washer stack (it's easier if you just wiggle the piston toward the end of the rod until the washers are free). There are three large-diameter thin washers, one medium-diameter thin washer, and one small diameter thick washer. Remove TWO of the large-diameter washers (it might look like there's only one, they're very thin) and save them in case you need to play with the rebound at a later date. You may have to flex the washers a little and pry them apart with your finger nail. Put your new easier-flexing higher-flow washer stack back on the rod (piston / large-washer / medium-washer / small thick washer / nut). Tighten the nut, but don't go crazy torquing it. Using the rebound adjustment knob on the end of the rod, look in the little oil bypass "window" just below the piston and turn the knob until the window closes. Remember you have the bypass closed, so you index the knob correctly later. Reassemble everything. Add 2.5wt oil to the height shown in the manual (my fork was 4.6" - 5"). Use 4.6" if you want the fork to ramp up more during compression, 5" if you want to keep it soft as possible. Use the compression adjustment knob to close the compression bypass hole (a plastic needle moves down to block flow), as you did with the rebound adjuster.
Be extremely clean about everything, you don't want any dirt in there.
After the rebound re-valving my girlfriend's fork is a million times better, and performs as a correctly valved fork should. No more packing up through rough sections!
(Those of you looking for more compression damping could add one or two of the washers from the rebound stack to the compression stack, or consider adding a washer to compensate for the 2.5wt oil. The compression was fine for my GF, so I didn't touch it.)