Service: Marzocchi 888RC3 2008-2013

The 2008-2013 888RC3 is a simple fork to service as it follows the same procedure as all open bath Marzocchi's, however it just has more parts!

Parts needed 
Y8501451, 38mm seal kit
Y5249, SAE 7.5w oil

Tools Required 
YR5214/C, 38mm seal press

General Tools 
1.5, 2mm allen wrench
17, 24mm socket
Torque wrench

Service Instructions

Disassembly 
1/ Remove all adjuster knobs, be careful when removing the pre-load knob not to loose spring (95) and ball bearing (96) that index’s the adjuster.
2/ Undo both top plugs using a 24mm socket.
3/ Remove spring guide (53) and main spring (51).
4/ Pour oil out of the top of the fork. Make sure you use a suitable container and recycle responsibly.
5/ Undo both foot nuts, RH (37) using a 5mm hex key, LH (88) using a 17mm socket.
6/ Remove RC3 cartridge unit (80).
7/ Separate the stanchions (21) from the lower legs (3) by simply pulling them apart.
8/ Prise the dust seal up (12) using a flat bladed screw driver.
9 /Remove foam ring (19).
10/ Remove oil seal retaining clip (13).
11/ Remove oil seal (14) using tool Y536064GG/C and a flat bladed screw driver.
12/ Inspect and clean all parts.

Assembly 
13/ Install new oil seal (14) using press tool YR5214/C
14/ Install oil seal retaining clip (13).
15/ Install dust seal (12) on to the stanchion (21).
16/ Install foam ring (19) on to stanchion (21). For best performance pre-soak rings in SAE 7.5w fork oil.
17/ Insert stanchions (21) in to the lower legs (3), making sure you do not snag the oil seal.
18/ Using your thumbs seat the dust seals in to the lower leg.
19/ Re-fit RC3 cartridge unit (80).
20/ Re-fit both foot nuts and torque to 10NM.
21/ Re-fill with SAE 7.5w synthetic motorcycle fork oil. For oil volumes please refer to the oil volume table is these differ on model years/ Damper design.
22/ Cycle RC3 damper (80) several times to ensure the cartridge fills completely.
23/ Re-fit the main spring (51) and spring guide (53).
24/ Re-fit both top plugs and torque to 10NM.
25/ Re fit adjusters.

Set up: Understanding the Marzocchi 888

The 888 has a lot of adjustments, here is a guide to what everything does. Every adjustment is relative to the spring rate, so get the spring correct and work from here.

Spring options

Titanium k=4.4 " 5141956 - soft k=5,5" 5141918 - med k=6.5" 5141957 - hard k=7.7" 5141958 -  x hard
Steel k=4.4 " 5141959 - soft k=5,4" 5141923 - med k=6.5" 5141960 - hard k=7.7" 5141961 – x hard

preload

Spring Preload

Spring preload can be done with the external RH adjuster on top of the fork. Preloading the spring will compress them slightly and increase the initial force needed to compress the spring. Marzocchi forks can use the maximum amount of preload from the adjuster and the fork will still get full travel. Spring preload is used to fine-tune the spring rate to adjust for the proper sag measurement. Minimal spring preload is recommended for better performance and longer working life of the springs, so it is better to change to a stiffer spring rate than to add significant preload (10+ turns.)
Sag refers to how much the fork compresses when the rider is in the normal riding position. Marzocchi recommends 20-30% of DH travel in sag to provide the best overall ride. The easiest way to measure sag is to put a zip tie around the stanchion and then measure how much the fork compresses when the rider is in the normal riding position. Keep in mind that the normal riding position on a DH bike may not be correct on level ground.

rebound

Rebound Damping
Rebound damping controls the rate in which the fork is able to extend. All Marzocchi forks have adjustable rebound damping. Rebound damping should be set fairly fast, but without causing a sudden, harsh force back to the rider. This will allow the fork to comfortably extend to full travel as soon as possible after impact.
The 888’s damping adjuster located on the top of the left hand leg and is anodized red. Turning the adjuster clockwise will slow the rebound speed and therefore turning the adjuster counter-clockwise will speed up rebound.
It is a good idea to get a feel for how the different rebound adjustments affect the fork. Try turning the adjuster all the way counter-clockwise to the fastest rebound setting and then quickly compress and release the suspension several times. Next test the fork with the adjuster turned all the way clockwise and then somewhere in between. This will demonstrate the differences between damping settings.

compression

Compression Damping

Compression damping is the oil flow resistance felt when compressing the fork. Compression damping is categorized in two ways: low speed compression and high-speed compression. Low speed compression refers to when the fork is compressed slowly and gradually, for example during rolling impacts and rounded bumps. High-speed compression refers to the resistance felt during multiple, hard impacts and square-edged bumps.

Too much compression damping creates a harsh ride because the suspension cannot compress rapidly enough to absorb large impacts. Compression damping is not a substitute for proper spring rate and should not be adjusted until the fork has the proper spring set-up for the rider.
Low speed damping is typically used to dial out excessive fork dive or rider induced movement. High speed is typically used to make the forks action more progressive and resist bottoming out.
The compression adjuster on the 888 is located at the base of the LH leg. The RC3 compression adjuster will affect both high and low speed damping, simply put if you set the adjuster all the way to “+” it will give you maximum low speed damping, set the adjuster all the way to “-“ will give you maximum high speed damping.
Both high and low speed damping curves cross in the middle so the adjusters neutral position is in the middle (count the clicks/ turns). Adjusting out from the middle with give you a varying combination of both high and low speed damping, so in theory you have all the combinations of damping you would normally have in two separate adjusters, but in one easy-to-use adjuster.

***graph for visualization purposes only

Volume adj 

Volume Adjust

Volume Adjust is a simple and effective way to control the second half of the compression stroke and is located underneath the rebound adjuter on the top of the LH leg.
The VA works via lowering and raising the top of natural air chamber inside the fork. This gives the same effect as raising or lowering the oil volume; a tuning ‘trick’ often used to make the compression stoke more linear or progressive. The VA offers this with an easy to use external dial. The effect you ‘feel’ is to make the fork more progressive, ideal for larger drops without sacrificing small bump performance.


Note: this following image does not relate to the above feature but relates to a question asked bellow.