When all else fails..

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mbunting
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When all else fails..

Post by mbunting »

Having changed the lhm, I'm currently battling with a new leak from the pump, as well as that bloody height corrector ( still ! ).
I'm loathed to take the thing off, and i've tried grease and oil to some degree of success.
I've been remembering back to my physics lessons, and that different metals expand at different rates, so thought of using a hair dryer on hot to heat up the spring mechanism, along with the generous application of hammer and oil.
Do you think this will work ?
(I'm going to try it anyway ).
Mat.
eaudevie
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Post by eaudevie »

I'm afraid to say you will need a little more heat than a hair drier. more like Oxy-Acet kit.
John
alan s
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Post by alan s »

Mat,
I'm a bit iffy about too much heat flying around under there; seals, rubber things and things that can burn etc. but as a thought, I have had success over the years with freeing things up by wrapping the seized thing up in a rag soaked in kerosene and oil. Even straight engine oil will work well if it can be left often for 24 hours. I would reckon though, that if it still hasn't come free after that, I would be taking the spanners under the car next time I was under because it isn't looking real hopeful. Could even be that it isn't the linkages seized, but what they're connected to.
Alan S
mbunting
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Post by mbunting »

Well, today is D-Day ( or should that be service day ? )..
It's not the actual height corrector thats faulty ( the height rises / falls with load in the boot ), but rather the heath robinson affair which links the corrector to the rod running the length of the car ( from the front corrector & lever ).
The rod acts on the spring, which should then rotate with its metal 'cage', which has a male 'prong' on the top, which appears to slide horizontally into another slot, moving something else....
Except the spring makes half an attempt to move, and the surrounding 'cage' doesn't. This would lead me to believe that the cage mountings / pivots have rusted up, which is what I'm going to look at today.
I agree that heat is not the best thing, unless it can be targetted. An oxy-torch is a definine no-no, a hair dryer on max a possibility, I'd even thought about localised contact with a soldering iron, but perhaps not...
Interestingly, since the recent work I've done on trying to free it up, and replacing the lhm, the back now rises with a little brake application at lights, which it didn't do before. The power steering is now a little tough though - I might bleed the system again just to make sure.
Will let you know.
Mat
mbunting
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Post by mbunting »

Half a can of WD, and liberal use of a hammer have finally solved the problem. The ride is much improved now.
It took me best part of two hours shuffling from the pit back to the car to move the lever, back to the pit etc.. I swear there was so much WD vapour in the air, if someone had lit a match....
Next on the list is to devise some way of minimising the crap that gets around that area from the road.
Thanks for your pointers folks.
Mat.
PS. I was going to take photos, but my digi-cam is broke :(
Dave Bamber
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Post by Dave Bamber »

I would be tempted to slap plenty of waterproof grease on the joints and links to keep the moisture out. <img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>
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