Metastable fractions for the dissociation of fullerene cations C-n(+) -> C-n-2(+) + C-2 (42 <= n <= 70) have been measured in a three-sector-field mass spectrometer. They have been determined with the same experimental setup as the kinetic energy release data published recently. A statistical model which includes cooling by radiation as required by the timescale of the experiment is used to deduce dissociation energies from the metastable fractions. The results are compared with values extracted from our kinetic energy release data and other experiments. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.