used sphere disposal.

Keith J · Post by **Keith J** » 27 Jan 2009, 15:14

I have changed my rear Xantia spheres, but where can I dispose of the old ones safely and sensibly? I am in the UK.

KP · Post by KP » 27 Jan 2009, 15:36

Local metl merchants may wiegh them in for you for a few pennies or local recycling centre in the scrap metal pile?

Post by **CitroJim** » 27 Jan 2009, 15:38

Keith,

If they're not totally flat, keep them for possible regassing by Pleiades.

If they are totally beyond salvation, take them to your local tip and deposit them in the metal recycling skip. Beware of Totters thinking you're dropping military artifacts of an explosive kind into their metal skip

Green + round = BOMB in their eyes....

No joking, I've had it happen!!!

Post by **CitroJim** » 27 Jan 2009, 17:06

Hi Mike,

I keep Activa-specific spheres for possible future regassing because they are no longer widely available now from after-market places like GSF. They are still available from Citroen but at a price..

Martin has a regassing rig that basically removes the end cap (just a screw and O ring) under pressure and reinflates them to the required pressure. He also repaints them and repairs any thread damage. It's a little cheaper to have martin do them and you know they're right

I'm keeping hold of Hydractive spheres too should they become unavailable in the future.

DickieG is best to advise on the test set you have. Sounds interesting

Spheres are easily tested and a tester is not hard to build. All you need is an old HP pump, a pressure regulator (PR) block, an LHM tank (a bottle will do) and a pressure gauge reading up to 100 bar. Attach the gauge to the PR outlet and that's it. To use, place the sphere on the PR, spin the pump and watch until the gauge reaches a peak reading and stays there. That's your sphere pressure

Tables of sphere specifications have been published.

I've a sphere tester under construction although the V6 has put that back a bit now

Spheres should be still good after two years although they do suffer in use.

Spheres in store seem to loose very little pressure even after years of storage.

Those recharging valves on yours are for a different type of recharging rig that is not nearly so sopgisticated as Martin's. basically, those allow repressurisation to be carried out in situ strainght from a Nitrogen cylinder and obviates the need to pressurise them inside a pressure vessel as Martin does. The down-side is that valve sticking out whereas after Martin has done his bit, the sphere still looks standard; he reuses the original plug although he does replace the O ring under it.

citronut · Post by **citronut** » 27 Jan 2009, 19:32

i belive you cant check the state of the blader/diaphragm, appart from the early DS spheres which the two halfs unscrew, regased spheres might not last as long as brand new

regards malcolm

Keith J · Post by **Keith J** » 28 Jan 2009, 13:31

Thanks for the disposal advice. I doubt that they are re-gassable as they are harder than Vinnie Jones in a --adware link removed-- factory, so down to the local tip for me.

Keith J · Post by **Keith J** » 28 Jan 2009, 22:25

Has this forum been hacked or is it just a bit sensitive? After the words "Vinnie Jones in a" the word should be v-i-a-g-r-a but has been changed to get ripped off.

Post by **myglaren** » 28 Jan 2009, 23:08

Keith J wrote:Has this forum been hacked or is it just a bit sensitive? After the words "Vinnie Jones in a" the word should be v-i-a-g-r-a but has been changed to get ripped off.

Anti-spam.

I wondered what that was about though. Made no sense at all to me