hydraulic loss

happychap · Post by **happychap** » 05 Jul 2005, 01:23

my lads b x has a major hydraulic loss from the pipes that trasverse across the front axle .he says they appear to go inside a cross box section ,therefore cant actually see where the leak is coming from. there is a steady drip from the area , but the problem now is ,as soon as he tops it up to see if he can find it , the l h m drains away . is there a cheaper alternative he can use instead of expensive hydraulic fluid . apart from that the car is a cracker. cheers

AndersDK · Post by **AndersDK** » 05 Jul 2005, 02:03

There is absolutely NO alternative to the LHM fluid.
But there are alternate sources with reasonable pricetags.
NOTE : Be warned : If anything else (like coolant or DOT brakefluid) is used - the hydraulic system is damaged for good [8]
There is 2 plastic (nylon) pipes under the RHS bottom (coming from rear) which connects into a rubber block on top of the box section front subframe. They are pretty impossible to locate if you dont have access to a pit and floods of lights.
The really bad option is if the rubber return hose complex down there on the subframe is rotten in general. That's a pig of a job to replace because of lack of space and greasy dirt.
This hose complex is known as the Octopus. It's not that expensive but in my opinion the worst job to do on the BX.

happychap · Post by **happychap** » 05 Jul 2005, 02:11

thanks anders, will pass on the info ,sorry to be a bit vague about it all , relaying all this by telephone

jeremy · Post by **jeremy** » 05 Jul 2005, 02:29

Aren't the pipes being described here the return pipes from the front struts? If you look underneath you should be able to see a pir of pipes coning fron the front struts which go to a pair of stubs and then apparently dissappear. I had the pipes on the end of the stubs corrode away and I think my friendly mechanic patched them with some brake pipe.
The bad news is that normally they shouldn't carry much fluid and if its leaking from the struts copiously they probably need overhaul or replacement.
On no account use anything other than proper LHM - you'll ruin the car if you do. They should NOT consume ANY LHM at all.
jeremy

happychap · Post by **happychap** » 05 Jul 2005, 02:36

thanks hopefully he can log on to his computer and read all these hints unfortunatly he is 200 miles away from me, thanks

citronut · Post by **citronut** » 05 Jul 2005, 03:17

sounds like your octapuss,which is a rubber block that has 11 pipes coming from and to it,takes about one and half/two hours,easy when you have done a few regards malcolm

Post by **Peter.N.** » 05 Jul 2005, 03:33

GSF (sponsers of this forum) do the cheapest LHM, they also do a very good mail order service. Look up their website

citronut · Post by **citronut** » 05 Jul 2005, 03:44

they sell TOTAL LHM which is proper cit/blood regards malcolm

zzf00l · Post by **zzf00l** » 05 Jul 2005, 11:37

I was told at GSF that the Morris LHM is just as good and far cheaper!

citronut · Post by **citronut** » 05 Jul 2005, 13:45

may be but i just prefer TOTAL as it is what cit recomend regards malcolm

Rostami · Post by **Rostami** » 05 Jul 2005, 14:09

Anders,
Can´t we use mineral motor oil in the (absolute) case of an emergency?

jeremy · Post by **jeremy** » 05 Jul 2005, 14:20

Yes you can and you will get home. However the recommendation here would be that it was get u home only and that the whole system should be flushed afterwards. No one knows what its long term effects are and what it does to brake seals and with a budget of the cost of 5 litres of LHM no-one is going to do the necessary testing.
If its got a major leak its relatively easy to find out where. If the car is dropped fully and the engine run (with LHM in eth reservoir) the suspension beyond the height correctors will be isolated and that may help isolate the leak. If its really heavy it could be a pressure pipe which actually may be much easier than the return system to replace.
jeremy

happychap · Post by **happychap** » 06 Jul 2005, 00:21

thanks for all the tips and suggestions folks ,he has found a 2 man garage a couple of miles away who say they know the problem and how to fix it . he intends to fill the reservoir and drive it there and let them have a go.. will fill in results when i hear thanks again

czenda · Post by **czenda** » 06 Jul 2005, 01:05

If the problem is how I understood it, he will only be pouring the brand new LHM on the road.
What he should do is to leave the lever in the lowest position and drive the car slowly (max. 30 - 40 km/h) to the near garage.
It will be a jumpy ride without suspension and PAS, but his brakes should still work.
If they do not, then it is the case of emergency for which they put the handbrake on the front wheels [;)]

happychap · Post by **happychap** » 05 Aug 2005, 00:40

update on the lads problem,after a local garage promised to do the job at a good price ,the car was left for a couple of weeks with the promise of<starting yours tommorrow mate>/// the problem was the mechanic didnt like to turn anyone away with the result a backlog of about 30 cars lying around the place .the owner reckoned to have done this sort of job before ie the octopus, but after reading about it on here, doubts started to creep in when questioned about it . quite by chance the lad heard of another garage about 10 miles away who was a cit.trained mechanic, after getting in touch to arrange a time and date , he dropped the car there at 10 in the morning on the day of appointment with a new octopus he had purchased from the local cit garage for the previous chap.
by 2pm the job was done, and ,also well spotted, the inner drive shaft boots were naff replacing them as well. bled brakes etc and charged £90 for the lot . brilliant i think . the mechanic is called mr. dave orchard in a village called bowling green< i kid you not> near bugle near st austell cornwall.cant speak highly enough. well recommended.