Height Corrector Details (pics)

deian · Post by **deian** » 21 Mar 2007, 18:09

These images are best viewed in the Flickr links themselves, I've put detailed descriptions and comments within the images, and you can view them full size.

Height Corrector

Plastic Clip

My problem

Hope it helps someone out.

This weekend, (weather permitting, I think) the height corrector and the housing will come off and i will clean it up and take more photos with a proper camera.

Mandrake · Post by **Mandrake** » 21 Mar 2007, 20:11

The flare nuts on the pipes going into the height corrector look quite rusty - be very careful undoing them that you don't round them off.

The best tool to use is a custom made spanner made from a 6 sided (not 12 sided) socket with a slot cut in one side just wide enough to slip over the pipe, and a bar welded to the side. A standard spanner may round them off and once that happens you've got big problems.

A squirt of penetrating lubricant into the threads before trying to undo them would be wise too. (I like LPS1)

The thing that is most likely to be seized is the large spring in the bracket assembly - make sure this is clean and well greased and turns ok.

It amazes me how dirty and rusty the underbelly of cars get over your way (salt I guess) - my rear height corrector apart from a bit of dry dust is absolutely spotless and rust free. (Although even then the nuts tried to round off

)

Regards,
Simon

citronut · Post by **citronut** » 21 Mar 2007, 20:14

yep thats defanatly a broken metal link,these are easy to remove and refit,but as you said in your other post you will need to set the rear hight after fitting a new link
regards malcolm

deian · Post by **deian** » 21 Mar 2007, 20:56

205,738 miles of salty winter roads, acid rain and a dash of sea spray I reckon. I live by the coast too, but i reckon the salt in scotland over the new year gave my whole car a beating, the front arm is orange, the roads were pink and damp with salt, cringe worthy.

I went under today to put some 'plusgas' on the pipes nuts, I will do more tomorrow too, and i used a wire brush around them too. What are the chances i have to take the actual height corrector appart? Or is it a case of taking the cradle off to clean it all? To me the shaft it looks stuck inside a bit.

So I take them off with the hydraulics depressurised right.

If i put the back on ramps and support the whole rear subframe / suspension / wheels with massive thick wooden blocks and then depressurize it, the front will go down, the back will be stuck up, will it be safe to open the nuts then?

Thanks

AndersDK · Post by **AndersDK** » 21 Mar 2007, 21:30

Mandrake wrote:... best tool to use is a custom made spanner made from an 8 sided socket with a slot cut in one side ...

I'm perfectly clear on what you mean, but I really believe 6 sided sockets are easier to source ...

And what you really meant to say was : dont use the cheapo standard 12 sided socket, instead use a 6 sided ...

(an easy diy tool I made years ago 8) )
BTW its an 8mm socket for standard small dia (3.5mm) piping, 10mm socket for the medium dia piping (4.5mm).

deian · Post by **deian** » 21 Mar 2007, 21:43

what???

i'm confused now

so i just screw them off, and screw them back on, there is nothing to put in the thread when putting it back on is there? (like PTFE)

sorry for being so dumb regarding the nuts, sockets etc. I'm tired.

slim123 · Post by **slim123** » 21 Mar 2007, 22:31

No you dont need anything like PTFE on the threads, but a little grease wouldnt be a bad thing, then they will come out easy next time.

The sealing is done by the use of the rubber seals, these are small rubber sleves measuring 10mm long, place them on the ends of the pipe before fitting the pipe in the hole.

I see from the pics that you have a ty wrap holding the plastic clip on, as I have mentioned in other threads on this subject, that is why the link snapped, if the height corrector is siezed then the clip will come off, by not letting the clip come off, then somethings gonna give, in this case it's the link.

Every body has their own favorite choice of weapon when it comes to tools for the job, but a decent mono hex flare nut spanner should do the job, or in my case, whilst visiting Pleiades once I found Martin using an open ended spanner to undo some realy rusted pipe nuts, on closer look it was a Snap On 8mm Flank Drive, so I bought myself one, it never fails as the Flank Drive spanner grips on the sides of the nut rather than on the corners like all other spanners. A worthwhile investment, I wish I could afford the rest of the set!!

Regards
Slim

Mandrake · Post by **Mandrake** » 22 Mar 2007, 00:28

AndersDK wrote:
Mandrake wrote:... best tool to use is a custom made spanner made from an 8 sided socket with a slot cut in one side ...
I'm perfectly clear on what you mean, but I really believe 6 sided sockets are easier to source ...

And what you really meant to say was : dont use the cheapo standard 12 sided socket, instead use a 6 sided ...

(an easy diy tool I made years ago 8) )
BTW its an 8mm socket for standard small dia (3.5mm) piping, 10mm socket for the medium dia piping (4.5mm).

Thanks for the correction Anders, my brain was switched off when I wrote that...(I've edited the post) I did indeed mean a 6 sided socket

Regards,
Simon

Mandrake · Post by **Mandrake** » 22 Mar 2007, 00:34

slim123 wrote:No you dont need anything like PTFE on the threads, but a little grease wouldnt be a bad thing, then they will come out easy next time.

I would definately put a little grease on the threads in a country where corrosion on cars is so prevalent...even here where its not usually a problem I do it.

Every body has their own favorite choice of weapon when it comes to tools for the job, but a decent mono hex flare nut spanner should do the job, or in my case, whilst visiting Pleiades once I found Martin using an open ended spanner to undo some realy rusted pipe nuts, on closer look it was a Snap On 8mm Flank Drive, so I bought myself one, it never fails as the Flank Drive spanner grips on the sides of the nut rather than on the corners like all other spanners. A worthwhile investment, I wish I could afford the rest of the set!!

I can't quite picture how a Flank drive spanner works, or what it looks like have you got any pics of one ? Sounds like it might be worth getting! (I can usually get away with a normal spanner here as corrosion is seldom a problem, but I would be a lot happier with the right tool....)

And I presume a flare nut spanner would just be one that loops right around and has a slot just big enough for the pipe to pass through ? (And would be equivilent to a home made one made from a socket in effectiveness ?)

Regards,
Simon

slim123 · Post by **slim123** » 22 Mar 2007, 09:06

A flank drive spanner has some serrations on the inside edge of the jaws, this makes sure that the spanner will grip on the flats of the nut rather than the corners, as we all have found out, a seized nut (especialy a pipe fitting) will round off and the spanner will slip, nut nit I've found with the flank drive.

Piccy shows but not brilliant as my camera skills are not too good, there are too many buttons on a camera these days.

A flare nut spanner is designed to slip over the pipe, you can make a crude one by cutting a slot in an old ring spanner, but these tend to be a bit weak and will open up on a stubbourn flare nut. The bought ones are usually mono hex in style and are much stronger than a cut ring spanner

Regards
Slim.

thorter · Post by **thorter** » 22 Mar 2007, 10:36

Spanner for Citroen Hydraulic Unions

Even a hexagonal flare nut spanner can sometimes round off the nut on a seriously corroded Citroen hydraulic pipe union. The smallest and most common 8mm AF is the most difficult, and quite a few years ago I made up the tool shown here for this size.

You can see that it grips only in the middle of each flat, and is clamped onto the hexagon by tightening the screws. If penetrating oil is applied a couple of days before, I don't think it has ever failed to loosen a union . If you need to undo a number of corroded pipes, you might considering making one.

The open end slot should be just big enough to slide over the pipe. Tightening the screws needs to be enough for a good grip, but overtightening can easily crush the sleeve nut.

deian · Post by **deian** » 22 Mar 2007, 14:40

So i need to get these rubber seals for the pipes. Is it a common part? Or a Citroen only thing?

Thanks

Post by **RichardW** » 22 Mar 2007, 15:22

Seals are Citroen only - although GSF do them, and independent Cit specialists will have a stock. They're only a few pence each. You will probably need to hook the old seals out of the HC body once the pipes are out. Lube the seal with clean LHM and fit to the pipe before refitting the pipe to the HC. Don't overtighten the unions - the 140 bar LHM squeezes the seal up and stops it leaking

deian · Post by **deian** » 22 Mar 2007, 15:51

On the top picture, there is a circle around the selector shaft with question mark on it.

When my dad moved the selector lever inside the car this 'mechanism' seemed a litte broken, it kept bending the metal that moves the lever on the height corrector, it all seems wrong, the plate looks like it snapped off a bit.
I guess it's under strain because of the seized linkage.

Can anyone pop under their car with a camera if possible so I can compare?

Thanks

steelcityuk · Post by **steelcityuk** » 22 Mar 2007, 16:01

The flare nuts on mine are all chewed up, so to undo these I use a small 'Aston Super Wrench'. I also have a good set of 'pipe' spanners just in case I find a good nut.

Pipe seals are 45p from GSF.

Steve.