This is the first TZ 250 shock that Penske built. I ordered it from Jim at Lindemann Engineering in ‘99 for my ‘93 TZ 250 that I was racing in AMA 250 GP. In 2000 I moved it to my ‘00 TZ 250 that I raced till the end of ‘03. Later I sold the bike to Don who raced it at Miller Motorsports Park till he sold it to Mike in Oct of ‘2013.
This is the first time this shock has ever been taken apart. The beaker on the left contains most of the 5 weight Silkolene shock oil as it came out of the shock. The beaker on the right contains new 5 weight Silkolene shock oil for comparison.
The shock shaft had a few marks that I cleaned off with 800 grit sand paper. The shaft and piston bushings show no wear. The shock was not leaking but I replace the shaft O-Ring anyway. The shaft wiper seal shows no wear. I replaced the old clear internal bumper with the new red bumper and replaced the bumper that goes outside on the shaft. There is no wear inside the shock body or reservoir, nor on the reservoir piston.
While 14 years is longer than is wise to wait between servicing your shock, it is nice to know just how well Penske shocks are made.
I’m also impressed by the Silkolene oil. You can see the change in color, it’s a little darker, that’s all. It’s clean, slippery and still 5 weight.
This is why I sell Penske shocks. This is why I use Silkolene products.