Removing Front Accumulator Sphere

tomsheppard · Unread post by **tomsheppard** » 18 Aug 2003, 05:30

I did the job last week. It was necessary to rotate the sphere a whole turn to get it off. As I was going to replace it anyway, I used a cold chisel from underneath on the edge of the sphere with a fairly light hammer. It ain't scientific but it works!

kafkaian · Unread post by **kafkaian** » 08 Sep 2003, 13:54

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by wingrattg

[:)] THANKS GUYS - Job done...
Went to GSF and got to proper tool - £29 + vat (they will refund this minus a 20% handling charge - pretty good eh.
Its a 5 minute job once the little bugger knows you mean business....
As I say, thats again
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">Which GSF branch did you got to because those near Birmingham don't appear to have a clue what I'm talking about [:(]

jeremy · Unread post by **jeremy** » 08 Sep 2003, 14:22

Know the problem - my local one thought Citroen only made 2CV's
try Reading - they are very helpful.
I made my own as I was unable to purchase one when I wanted it. I took the boss from my chain wrench (approx 20mm hex bar with 1/2 in socket in one end and welded a 2 1/2 inch band of 1.5 mm flat steel to opposite sides of the hex to form a self-wrapping band. You need to get the band the right length so that its quite a tight slip on fit but it really works and I loosened the rear spheres in about 1 min per side from outside the car (in case it fell), To give you some idea of the grip capabilities it has stretched the band into a noticeable ridge where it was in contact with the weld on the sphere. I used an 18 inch wrecker bar as a handle on it.
Jeremy

kafkaian · Unread post by **kafkaian** » 08 Sep 2003, 17:18

Thanks jeremy, I'll give them a bell. Yes, I was doing mine outside the car's perimeter on Saturday also. Although confident of my supports (Axle stands near the jacking points) you just never know.

UFO · Unread post by **UFO** » 08 Sep 2003, 18:45

Well I'm in the same boat as Alan, the kitchen has some usefulness for removing spheres in tight places! Working on the theory that the main accum sphere on my 12v V6 XM should not be done up "that" tight and there was next to no work space, I put on a pair of old kitchen wash up gloves (had little holes in the fingers, so they were stuffed anyway).
I removed the cover over the end of the dizzy and marked and removed the leads to give some more play room and got both hands down there and just put some pressure on. It took a couple of turns and I got the thing to budge (of course pressure was dropped and valve open before).
The next trick is to flip the sphere over so the thread is up and then gently guide the sphere up past the radiator hose and near the dizzy and carefully squeeze the radiator hose as the sphere slips past.
Of course, to quote Haynes, replacement is reversal of removal.
I have done this a few times now and it is quite easy.
IF however you are talking about the centre accum sphere behind/below the engine, the reason they are tricky to move is that the off state of the mounting they are in is CLOSED. Therefore you are working on a system component that has remnant pressure in it. Prepare for La Verte Douche! There is a procedure for getting this area to a depressurised state, but I cannot recall it this late at night.