Showa SFF bleeding negative pressure

[smallfry680]

I have a 47mm showa sff Fork I am rebuilding. I have rebuilt plenty of forks but I am having trouble bleeding this one. I am following the manual and for what ever reason when bleeding the damper rod, Instead of the rod extending when pushed in, the inner rod gets sucked inward instead of pushing outward. I believe I read about this in a post before but can't find it.

 

The steps I am following to bleed are as follows.

 

pour 9.3 oz in inner cartridge

move inner rod up and down - manual says a couple of times I move the rod up and down 10+ strokes going all the way in and all the way out slowly.  

Then I measure the fluid height and install the mid-valve assembly.

After installing the assembly I move the rod up and down again.

 

Once I have done about 6 strokes up and down the inner rod gets its negative pressure and sucks the inner rod inward instead of pushing it outward.

 

The other weird thing is when I took the forks apart the inner cartridge had the same negative pressure. I had a local well known suspension guy valve the suspension last season. Could this be a valving set up issue? I usually have my suspension valved and then handle he fluid changes afterwards.

[mxracermx]

To me it sounds like air is still in. Forget measuring just fill the chamber, remember to plug the hole with your finger as you pull the rod down then check your fluid again. Pump the rod in and out several times to bleed air. Push rod a the way in, install valving then pull down on the rod and it will suck the valve chamber in

[smallfry680]

That might be what im doing wrong I believe manual says to extend inner rod all the way down to measure height. Then put in mid valve assembly. I was not pushing inner rod up and then pulling it down to suck mid valve assembly down. I was just pushing the mid valve assembly down into cartlidge and tightening it.

[smallfry680]

I tried to bleed the inner damper again with no luck, I'm beginning to think that the seal on the midvalve assembly might be bad.

 

I plugged the holes up top and filled chamber

Then pulled inner rod down and toped chamber off

I then pushed the inner rod up and down 5-7 times and seen that there were no more bubbles

I pushed the inner rod up and pushed the mid valve assembly down into the inner cartridge while pulling the inner rod down and sucking the Midvale assembly down into cartridge and screwing it.  

Then I pushed the inner rod up into the cartridge and the excess oil comes out the two holes up top.

Then when I let go of the inner rod it does not even move under its own will .

I even try to pump the inner rod a couple of times and nothing.

 

I tried this procedure twice , with no luck, However it no longer gets negative pressure now and doesn't suck in on its own. It just doesn't extend on its own.

[mxracermx]

I tried to bleed the inner damper again with no luck, I'm beginning to think that the seal on the midvalve assembly might be bad.

I plugged the holes up top and filled chamber

Then pulled inner rod down and toped chamber off

I then pushed the inner rod up and down 5-7 times and seen that there were no more bubbles

I pushed the inner rod up and pushed the mid valve assembly down into the inner cartridge while pulling the inner rod down and sucking the Midvale assembly down into cartridge and screwing it.

Then I pushed the inner rod up into the cartridge and the excess oil comes out the two holes up top.

Then when I let go of the inner rod it does not even move under its own will .

I even try to pump the inner rod a couple of times and nothing.

I tried this procedure twice , with no luck, However it no longer gets negative pressure now and doesn't suck in on its own. It just doesn't extend on its own.

I agree the O rings on the inner chamber are worn