# 2008 Marzocchi 66 RCV question



## AScott_user (Sep 25, 2008)

Hi guys. I just bought a 2008 66 RCV. I bought it brand new right out of the box. Yes i know, many have advised me to steer clear of them but i took them because they are on a great sale. Anyway my issue is, i cant seem to turn the rebound knob. Its kinda stuck. No matter how hard i twist the knob wont budge. What is the problem with it? How much PSI must i pump for my air rebound too?

Many thanks in advance for those who can help me. 

Cheers!


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## Bikesair (Feb 20, 2006)

You might want to go onto Marzocchi.com and check out the manual for PSI settings. I know the manuals kind of suck but that info should be in there some where.

As far as the rebound nob...ikes. Marzocchi customer service is typically really good. Try throwing them a call. 1.661.257.6630

Sorry I'm not much help but it's better than nothing!


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## Ray Lee (Aug 17, 2007)

The rebound knob (lower left leg when viewed from the bike) should be very easy to turn, I felt like it was to easy and though it should be firmer.

I am fairly sure your 66 is a coil fork with air assist (very very little air pressure to tweak the ride, for major changes you need another spring weight)

I have the 2009 RCV fork as you and am not a little dude at 6'2" and 220 pounds, after all the crashing, tree ramming and riding I could dish out its running flawless after a year.... the instructions are confusing so I originally asked for advice online but there must be so many versions of the 66 that getting definitive answers was tuff, several of the answers where not only wrong but would have ruined the RCV (4 times the max pressure in each leg.....)

I am obsessive compulsive, was going insane with so much confusion regarding the 66 and Marz and after far to much research I started to realize more than half of the anti Marz post where from people who had not used one and most of the rest didn't specify what model they had issues with.... I gave up and decided to look at another brand but before I had a chance to buy something I found myself at a downhill park and noticed there rental fleet had 2008 and 2009 Marz 66 RCV's so I asked the mechanic about them.... He was unaware of any issues and told me he could only remember one or maybe two going back for service, but he did mention the one did take a LONG time to come back.

I will try and find the emails from Marz and PDF's I used for mine but again mine is the 2009 RCV



AScott_user said:


> Hi guys. I just bought a 2008 66 RCV. I bought it brand new right out of the box. Yes i know, many have advised me to steer clear of them but i took them because they are on a great sale. Anyway my issue is, i cant seem to turn the rebound knob. Its kinda stuck. No matter how hard i twist the knob wont budge. What is the problem with it? How much PSI must i pump for my air rebound too?
> 
> Many thanks in advance for those who can help me.
> 
> Cheers!


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## AScott_user (Sep 25, 2008)

Ray Lee said:


> The rebound knob (lower left leg when viewed from the bike) should be very easy to turn, I felt like it was to easy and though it should be firmer.
> 
> I am fairly sure your 66 is a coil fork with air assist (very very little air pressure to tweak the ride, for major changes you need another spring weight)
> 
> ...


Ooops. Guess i might be having problem with my rebound knob. Its so firm that i cant even turn it. I think its stucked. LOL. Anyway i will head down to my local distro first, since i dont reside in the USA. Im residing in Singapore, so yeah  It would be great if i can change the internals to 2010 RCV.

Btw my fork is an air assist fork. Theres an air valve per leg. Shall check around Marz site as you suggested. thanks!


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## GQOSE (Jan 31, 2008)

My 09 66 RCV has rebound issue as well. When I slow down the rebound even a little the fork feels like complete crap, that was was after an oil change as well. The air assist part is very odd too, the chambers are tiny, and marzocchi recommends 0-15 depending on weight and preference but even with 2-3 psi the fork completely stiffens up. I'm a lightweight rider, and its not a good fork for me, even with a lighter spring.


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## Ray Lee (Aug 17, 2007)

AScott_user said:


> Ooops. Guess i might be having problem with my rebound knob. Its so firm that i cant even turn it. I think its stucked. LOL. Anyway i will head down to my local distro first, since i dont reside in the USA. Im residing in Singapore, so yeah  It would be great if i can change the internals to 2010 RCV.
> 
> Btw my fork is an air assist fork. Theres an air valve per leg. Shall check around Marz site as you suggested. thanks!


Hope you get it squared away and it works well for you, I am so happy with mine I bought a 55 for the wife's bike.

I only mentioned the air assist part because the most confusing of the answers I received, even my local bike shop wanted to put 100psi and go from there... the manual states 15 max.

The manual is ridiculous I believe it covers every fork they have ever made all in one micro print book.... I think they should have spent some money on making decent manuals+people to return emails and maybe a little less on things like the vampire models :madman:


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## AScott_user (Sep 25, 2008)

GQOSE said:


> My 09 66 RCV has rebound issue as well. When I slow down the rebound even a little the fork feels like complete crap, that was was after an oil change as well. The air assist part is very odd too, the chambers are tiny, and marzocchi recommends 0-15 depending on weight and preference but even with 2-3 psi the fork completely stiffens up. I'm a lightweight rider, and its not a good fork for me, even with a lighter spring.


Thats weird. I have a rebound issue, but my fork feels buttery smooth. Only fact is that its rebounding slower than i need and i cant adjust it. Anyway, the charts on the Marz webby shows this:

0 - 1,00 (0,00 - 14,50)

What does it mean? 0 to 1 bar (0 - 14.5 PSI) ?


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## Ray Lee (Aug 17, 2007)

I am a big guy and run mine with about 4psi. If mine is the norm that seems pretty stiff... at 220 I am used to bottoming out the suspension of a curb on most stock bikes 

My friend bought a used one on Ebay "just serviced at my LBS" he is lighter maybe 160-175 or so?? anyway we swapped to a medium yellow spring and a good lighter weight fork oil also his had to much oil in it to begin with (we couldn't bottom it out with all our might combined)

I dont have a ton of experience riding long travel bikes but so far I am digging this fork and thrilled with the price... the down side is it blows away the rear suspension by comparison and that is starting to bug me (this is addictive!)



GQOSE said:


> My 09 66 RCV has rebound issue as well. When I slow down the rebound even a little the fork feels like complete crap, that was was after an oil change as well. The air assist part is very odd too, the chambers are tiny, and marzocchi recommends 0-15 depending on weight and preference but even with 2-3 psi the fork completely stiffens up. I'm a lightweight rider, and its not a good fork for me, even with a lighter spring.


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## Ray Lee (Aug 17, 2007)

I wondered what those numbers where as well 

I got this in an email from Marz (took 3 weeks but I did get a reply!!!)









Funny but after going through my manuals I am not sure if I have an 08 or 09, the paperwork all said 09 but I have an air valve on each of the fork legs but I think the 09 directions say I only should have one.



AScott_user said:


> Thats weird. I have a rebound issue, but my fork feels buttery smooth. Only fact is that its rebounding slower than i need and i cant adjust it. Anyway, the charts on the Marz webby shows this:
> 
> 0 - 1,00 (0,00 - 14,50)
> 
> What does it mean? 0 to 1 bar (0 - 14.5 PSI) ?


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## AScott_user (Sep 25, 2008)

Ray Lee said:


> I wondered what those numbers where as well
> 
> I got this in an email from Marz (took 3 weeks but I did get a reply!!!)
> 
> ...


You mean the year of your fork or the manual? If its manual i cant help you much cause i have no clue also. LOL. Sometimes the info they supplied seems the same throughout every year.


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## Ray Lee (Aug 17, 2007)

I no longer know what year my fork is, after reading the manual I am confused again.

My fork is the one with an air valve on the top of each side, and Marzocchi emailed me the 0-15 psi specs. (FYI even half a PSI makes a huge difference, also I had to buy a low pressure pump as my rear shock pump would not register that low of pressure)

I just played around with my fork, if I tighten the rebound down all the way till its fairly snug it would feel stuck if I didnt know I just did it and what way I needed to turn to get it loose again. When yo get it loose you dont have to spin the knob far at all, a tiny little turn makes a big difference.



AScott_user said:


> You mean the year of your fork or the manual? If its manual i cant help you much cause i have no clue also. LOL. Sometimes the info they supplied seems the same throughout every year.


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## AScott_user (Sep 25, 2008)

Ray Lee said:


> I no longer know what year my fork is, after reading the manual I am confused again.
> 
> My fork is the one with an air valve on the top of each side, and Marzocchi emailed me the 0-15 psi specs. (FYI even half a PSI makes a huge difference, also I had to buy a low pressure pump as my rear shock pump would not register that low of pressure)
> 
> I just played around with my fork, if I tighten the rebound down all the way till its fairly snug it would feel stuck if I didnt know I just did it and what way I needed to turn to get it loose again. When yo get it loose you dont have to spin the knob far at all, a tiny little turn makes a big difference.


Thats easy. Search for some serial numbers on your fork's crown. Look at the first 2 numbers. If lets say your fork serial number starts with T07xxxx, your fork is manufactured in 2007 and most likely would be a 2008 fork. My fork is of this case. I might be wrong tho. But the T07 CORRECTLY indicates which year your fork is manufactured.


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## honourablegeorge (May 2, 2006)

Ray Lee said:


> I am a big guy and run mine with about 4psi. If mine is the norm that seems pretty stiff... at 220 I am used to bottoming out the suspension of a curb on most stock bikes
> 
> My friend bought a used one on Ebay "just serviced at my LBS" he is lighter maybe 160-175 or so?? anyway we swapped to a medium yellow spring and a good lighter weight fork oil also his had to much oil in it to begin with (we couldn't bottom it out with all our might combined)
> 
> I dont have a ton of experience riding long travel bikes but so far I am digging this fork and thrilled with the price... the down side is it blows away the rear suspension by comparison and that is starting to bug me (this is addictive!)


Hi Ray - what weight oil are you using? I'm about the same size/weigfht (OK, you have an inch on me in height). Do you know the correct oil height for the fork?


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## bquinn (Mar 12, 2007)

The low air pressure is kinda frustrating, I just took out air until I got the feel I wanted. I think the best possible option, if available for you locally, is to have a suspension expert make adjustments internally via oil weight/volume. But overall I think the 66's are too stiff. I have the 08 RC3 and at 170lbs the medium spring is too much. I have no spring preload and very little air assist, and the fork is still too stiff.


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## Ray Lee (Aug 17, 2007)

7.5 weight Golden Spectro and took out the springs filled it to 75mm from the top of each leg cycled it through its travel a bunch of times mad sure it was still at 75mm installed the springs and top cap.

I tried using the volumes Marzocchi suggested but it was over filled and would lock up after about 5 inches of travel, my thinking is that there volume is correct but because its impossible to get anywhere near all the old oil out its to much.

I have read online several times that 66 forks are overfilled even from the factory and wont move through all there travel, I wonder if thats where some of the posted issues are coming from.

EDIT I found one of the posts here from Marzocchi Tech
http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=403696
They say fill to 65-70mm from the top tube (probably works out to what I did my filling to 75mm cycling though the travel and adding a bit more to bet me back to my 75)



honourablegeorge said:


> Hi Ray - what weight oil are you using? I'm about the same size/weigfht (OK, you have an inch on me in height). Do you know the correct oil height for the fork?


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## honourablegeorge (May 2, 2006)

Thanks Ray, everything I needed to know.


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## ollie.d.jones (Feb 24, 2011)

*Marz 66 rebound jammed*

Hi All,
does anyone have an answer for this yet?

I really need mine working, because I cant afford a new fork at the moment!

So its a 2008 RCV/RV i think - (has a 07 serial)
the rebound adjust on bottom of left leg is jammed
Both preload chambers within psi scope - around 2 bar

the fork barely uses any travel and feels really stiff... it almost feels locked but does have some movement.

Someone must have sent theirs off for repair by now! Please can anyone tell me what was done to fix it?


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## genemk (Sep 15, 2009)

Start by trying to take all air out of the fork. On my 2009 RCV if I ever so any psi register on the gauge it would be too stiff. Not sure what's up with your rebound knob. Try calling Marzocchi. The guys there are pretty knowledgeable and helpful usually.


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## ollie.d.jones (Feb 24, 2011)

Thanks genemk - its been a long ordeal with this fork, but im looking forward to getting it fixed because I know if will ride like a beast!

Will try Marzocchi and post my results
cheers


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## #Cyclelife (Jul 21, 2009)

I just removed my 2008 Marzocchi 66 and installed a new dual crown BoXXer. The rebound adjustment post on the bottom of the fork is gone..post snapped off and bushings need replacing. Great for a rebuild and def still usable! Its white w/ the blue decals (off my 08 Giant Glory). Its up for sale if anyone is interested. [email protected]


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## ollie.d.jones (Feb 24, 2011)

thanks... but no thanks ! think another 66 would be suicide for me


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## stu_m (May 10, 2008)

had same issue, warranty repair fixed it


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## travis801 (Mar 28, 2011)

More Questions about the Marzochi RCV: BTW, I had similar stiffness in mine, and had to let all the air out which seemed to help mine.

I have a 2008 RCV 66 Marzocchi Shock that I have a few concerns about.
*
Background:*
I bought a used bike that had that came with the fork. It was very clean, I've opened it up and the oil looks brand new, as well as the dust caps for the air had almost no dust in them. I've emailed Marzocchi requesting some advice, and received 2 replies to call their tech support. I have called their tech support 10 times, no one answers. I've left a number of messages, and never been called back! Not very impressed with their customer service. That is why I am turning to the Fix-it Forum, hopefully I can get some good advice from any experienced bikers.

*Loud fluid sound on rebound:*
When I compress the fork, I get a very loud fluid sound that concerns me. It sounds like a loud slurping threw a straw. I've never heard this before with other forks I've owned.

*Small black plastic piece:*
When I removed the spring to look in the station and check the oil I noticed a small piece of black plastic, but couldn't tell where it came from. it was about the diameter of a toothpick and the about 1/8 inch long.

*Hard Clunk at top of rebound:*
When the fork rebounds it feels/sounds like it's bouncing off the top of the fork. It clunks pretty good when compressing it and pulling it quickly off the ground. From what I've read this sounds like it could be an oil level issue.

*Fork oil:*
I am sure this is a controversial subject. I read the best place to get fork oil is from a motorcycle shop. On Marzocchi website it states to use 7.5 SAE Oil COD 550013. The guy at the motorcycle shop had mentioned that many people come in to buy fork oil, but some buy fork oil, and others buy fork fluid (which he said there was a difference) Just wanted to make sure I buy the right stuff, any suggestions brand/type on what oil/fluid to buy for my Marzocchi fork?

Just trying to get ready to ride before the warm weather arrives. Thanks in advance for any comments or advice.


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## ohshadangdang (Jul 6, 2012)

i have a similar problem with my fork. I can only get it to travel about 1/3 of the length of the stantion. i have 0.00 psi in the fork and the new oil is about 75 mils from the top. Any sugestions on further action? I have the yellow spring and i weigh about 160. Is there only one spring in the fork? the other side of my fork is air only. 

thanks,


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## ollie.d.jones (Feb 24, 2011)

*rebound knob fix*



AScott_user said:


> Hi guys. I just bought a 2008 66 RCV. I bought it brand new right out of the box. Yes i know, many have advised me to steer clear of them but i took them because they are on a great sale. Anyway my issue is, i cant seem to turn the rebound knob. Its kinda stuck. No matter how hard i twist the knob wont budge. What is the problem with it? How much PSI must i pump for my air rebound too?
> 
> Many thanks in advance for those who can help me.
> 
> Cheers!


hey i know this is old, but i thought i may as well post since i finally fixed my 66rcv this weekend!
It's not as though it took me long, it just took me a while to get round to it since i bought a new fork in the end lol

so... i wasnt getting full travel and it would stick at around 120mm - fixed by quite an easy reassembly using youtube vids.. replaced oil with 7.5 and a lot of the dirt and stuff that was in the old oil.
also changed from 0psi to 7psi - as i think the recomended range is 0-15psi

rebound adjust jammed on bottom of leg - called windwave and spoke to an awesome guy who just told me to compress the fork a few times... to determine if it was stuck in full/least rebound at present. 
then literally force the rebound knob the opposite way and it unstuck beautifully. 
He told me to leave the plastic cap screwed onto the rebound knob on so you're not turning the much smaller metal bit (risks snapping).. and use gloves for grip.

i cant tell you how happy I am to have finally fixed this badboy so cheaply.. and i'm going to swap it out for my float36 as soon i get a headset tool!

best of luck to anyone else with the same problem..and i'd consider buying risky marzocchis on ebay now that i know how easy they are to work with
maybe a 888 since the 66 is very similar.
thanks


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