Tech Tuesday - Reverb Refurbish

What's needed:

• Grooved soft jaws
• Reverb bleed tool
• Reverb oil height tool
• Reverb IFP height tool
• Reverb bleed kit
• Reverb seal kit
• Bench mounted vise
• Long tire lever
• Slick honey grease
• T25 torx and assorted hex keys
• Valve core tool
• Adjustable wrench
• Pliers, C-clip and standard
• Zip-ties
• Safety glasses
• Isopropyl alcohol
• Nitrile gloves

Some helpful pointers:

• While the video instructions below detail every step, the process can still be tricky. This likely isn't the best job to jump into if your repair experience stops at repairing flat tires.
• One of the most important tools for this job are the grooved soft jaws that grip the inner shaft. You're are pretty much guaranteed to damage the shaft if you clamp it in the unprotected jaws of the vise.
• The post uses 2.5wt hydraulic fluid. Use only this when bleeding your Reverb.
• Is there a substantial amount of rocking front to back when the post is fully extended? If so, it is time for a new topcap and bushing assembly. The bushings come pre-installed and are not available on their own.
• Remember to release the post's air pressure BEFORE disassembling.
• You'll be using a pick to remove the oil o-ring seals. Do this by gently poking the o-ring with the pick and lifting it out of the groove. Trying to pry the o-rings out can result in a scratched sealing surface.
• Just as with your brakes, air is the enemy during bleeding and reassembly.
• Have you completed the rebuild and reinstalled it into your bike only to find that your post doesn't return to full height? Start by checking the most obvious causes first - is your seat post clamp too tight? While it sounds silly, this is often the reason for a misbehaving dropper post. The over-tightened clamp can actually prevent the bushing on the post's inner tube from being able to move up and down freely. Back off the clamp to 6.7Nm, or until the post moves smoothly but also doesn't rotate in your frame. A thin coating of an anti-slip compound can help here.