Rear LHM leak

[c.morewood]

Doesn't it always happen at the most inopportune moment?
I was just putting on my newest winter tyres due to the amount of drifting snow today. (My wife's working a night shift 20 miles away across country)
And had the suspension on high, when I spied this LHM leak dripping from the rear n/s suspension sphere.




This is my first experience of an LHM leak. Could the more experienced of you give me an idea where to start?
As you can see it's dripping off the bottom of the sphere and the R clip about 1 drop each per second if that helps.
I've checked in the archives and I think I can rule out a sphere seal as the seals haven't been disturbed for the past couple of years.
Or do the seals tend to rot. I hope it could be as simple as a seal.... fingers crossed.
Could you give me an idea of where to start and what might be involved? Is it a simple job or is it one for the garage?

Pictures on page 3

Thanks,
Chris

[RichardW]

It can only be the sphere seal, or the end of the cylinder rotted away - first thing is to get the sphere off, clean it up and have a look.

[Lighty]

Almost certainly the cylinder rotted away, never known a seal just fail, I would source a new cylinder before starting.

[Old-Guy]

And everything else looks horribly rusty under there.

[c.morewood]

Yes lots of the brown stuff.. I guess its due to the salt and grit they use on the roads for 5 months of the year up here.
Well I tried the seal and you guessed it.. it wasn't that.. I just made the leak worse....so I guess its the cylinder then... whats the chance of breaking a pipe whilst renewing the cylinder.. the way my luck is going at the moment.......
Do the pipes have seals or are they just pressure sealed like the injectors?
Thanks for the advice guys as always its welcomed.

Chris

[RichardW]

Chris

Odds on you will break the pipe getting it out - one of the pipes to the rear unit went on mine went recently (rusted through where it's clipped on the subframe), and the pipe was rusted into the nipple, so just twisted itself off when I tried to unscrew it. The other end is fitted into the anti sink valve - mine came out OK (but you might need a decent 8mm brake pipe spanner to get it out. Mind you if the pipe is scrap at the cylinder anyway, then just cut off. You will also probably need to cut off the R clip as well. There is a seal on the pipe, but chances are it will stay in the housing - I just fit the new pipe and it seems to seal it OK. Plaeides near Cambridge can make up and supply a new pipe by post - it's a special end fitting for Citroen, so people that can make it up are limited these days. Which side is it? OS pipe is 1100mm, NS is 950mm.

[c.morewood]

Its the N/S Richard.
I've been looking at the Citroen website trying to make sense of the Diagram. (Sorry Given up trying to get it to display)

[electronmirror]

Surely that picture relates to the hydraulics at the FRONT of the car, so item 9 is the feed to the top of the near side strut ?

[c.morewood]

Hi Ted,
Sorry I was so busy trying to get the page to display properly I completely missed that I'd selected the wrong one.. fixed now!

[xantia_v6]

I think that you are looking at the wrong page. You want feed pipes, not return pipes.

[Xantidote]

I think that you are looking at the wrong page. You want feed pipes, not return pipes.

Yes, that's my thoughts as well. The rubber boot, which covers the suspension cylinder's operating rod, as well as keeping dirt out of the cylinder/piston, has 2 flexible tubes connected to it, and these are what I see in the diagram you've posted.

Might be worth trying a few doses of Plus Gas on the feed pipe banjo connector at the cylinder. Worth a little perseverence on this to avoid having to renew the pipe, although easier said than done in this weather (unless you are lucky enough to have a nice warm garage). If the nut rounds off because it's rusted so much, then careful use of molegrips may help, though over-zealous force on very corroded nut can lead to the fitting becoming crushed

Good Luck - always seems to happen at most inconvenient time

[c.morewood]

Thanks Martin.... Feeder pipes... ok... I'll have to have another look and try to find the correct page.. As I said, I'm new to anything suspension related with the Xantia as up until now she's been ultra reliable. I'm just glad the leak sprung when I was changing wheels and not on the road!! I think I might as well do a Hydraflush cycle at the same time.
Thanks again for all the advice,

Chris

[NewcastleFalcon]

Chris

You may be able to pick out some useful information from my tussles with replacing a rear strut on my Xantia

Xantia Rear Strut

The "R" clip which retains the cup in the radius arm which accepts the push rod from the rear strut cylinder was completely rusted in and took some getting out.

Kind regards

Neil

PS there is also this follow on thread re the rubber boots and clips

boots clips etc

[citronut]

here are N/S/R feed pipe part No.'s for ative WO anti roll
and they are both NFP

9

5270 C7
NFP
HYDRAULIC TUBE
- UNTIL RPO 08056

5270 LJ
NFP
- SINCE RPO 08057


and with anti roll

and non hypa active

06

5270 A2
HYDRAULIC TUBE
LEFT
DIAM 3,5 L=951
- UNTIL RPO 08208

5270 PL
NFP
LEFT
DIAM 3,5
- SINCE RPO 08209 UNTIL RPO 08518

5270 A2
LEFT
DIAM 3,5 L=951
- - SINCE RPO 08519

[citronut]

Hi Ted,
Sorry I was so busy trying to get the page to display properly I completely missed that I'd selected the wrong one.. fixed now!

its still showing return circuit