Anyone tried the strut from GSF?

Morten · Post by **Morten** » 18 Jul 2006, 23:27

I have just replaced my two strut tops after reading andmcit post about the topic. While replacing them I noticed that one of my struts leaked LHM oil. I will replace this and was wondering if anyone has experience with the struts from gsf? Are they as good as original from Citroen? Should I replace both sides even if the other one looks fine?

My car is a Xantia '94 2.0 8V aut ac with 234K km.

Morten

Post by **Peter.N.** » 18 Jul 2006, 23:58

I havn't had any experience with struts from them but everything else I have had has been fine, so I wouldn't personally have any reservations about using one.

jeremy · Post by **jeremy** » 19 Jul 2006, 07:00

The strut I bought for my BX about 3 years ago was genuine Citroen - in the box - sealed etc.

Mandrake · Post by **Mandrake** » 19 Jul 2006, 07:29

Morten wrote:I have just replaced my two strut tops after reading andmcit post about the topic. While replacing them I noticed that one of my struts leaked LHM oil. I will replace this and was wondering if anyone has experience with the struts from gsf? Are they as good as original from Citroen? Should I replace both sides even if the other one looks fine?

My car is a Xantia '94 2.0 8V aut ac with 234K km.

Morten

Where did it leak oil from ??

Regards,
Simon

AndersDK · Post by **AndersDK** » 19 Jul 2006, 09:50

Mandrake wrote:
Morten wrote:I have just replaced my two strut tops after reading andmcit post about the topic. While replacing them I noticed that one of my struts leaked LHM oil. I will replace this and was wondering if anyone has experience with the struts from gsf? Are they as good as original from Citroen? Should I replace both sides even if the other one looks fine?

My car is a Xantia '94 2.0 8V aut ac with 234K km.

Morten
Where did it leak oil from ??

Regards,
Simon

http://www.citroen-pr.net/catalogues/il ... 345100.gif
Check areas where the seals (items 10, 11, 12) are located. Its likely you have disturbed a seal during the strut top replacement.
Would be a shame to invest in a new strut for the sake of a failing seal.
10 - 5272.15 - SQUARE SEAL (Sphere seal)
11 - 96.145.321 - SUSP CYL O-RING
12 - 96.065.851 - SUSP CYL O-RING

Morten · Post by **Morten** » 19 Jul 2006, 12:10

Anders, I will have a closer look at the strut at 11 and 12. 10 is ok.
I think the strut is gone, since it was leaking before I started dismantling/replacing the strut tops. The strut "body" was wet with LHM. In addition I have the well known creek sound when lowering the car from max height to normal height and part #6(Cylinder boot) was damaged. But I will check, since a new strut is expensive. BTW, just returned from Denmark. Had a great time. Car was much better to drive with the new strut tops, which was fitted the night before departure to Denmark

Morten

citronut · Post by **citronut** » 19 Jul 2006, 15:13

which side strut seams to be leaky,if it is the left hand side whilst sitting in the car it could just be your tank is over full,so when the suspention sinks completly the fluid seeps out around the top of the tank and runs down through the inner wing and down the leg,or its your strut vent pipe leaking
regards malcolm

JBUK · Post by **JBUK** » 19 Jul 2006, 16:52

It is extremely unlikely that a strut itself can be leaking. Any internal leakage is taken away by the return pipes. As these are situated well below the top of the strut it can therefore never leak from the top.
The return pipes can and do leak and there is the theoretical possibility of leakage from within the strut tops. So apart from the remote chance of a pinhole in the strut cylinder I think you will find it is return pipes or their connection.

If you clean up thoroughly you should be able to spot the source.

Happy hunting.

Morten · Post by **Morten** » 19 Jul 2006, 19:35

Malcom,
checked the level and it is between the two lines. It is the left hand side strut that is "leaking".

Morten

citronut wrote:which side strut seams to be leaky,if it is the left hand side whilst sitting in the car it could just be your tank is over full,so when the suspention sinks completly the fluid seeps out around the top of the tank and runs down through the inner wing and down the leg,or its your strut vent pipe leaking
regards malcolm

citronut · Post by **citronut** » 19 Jul 2006, 20:08

is it between the two red lines with the suspetion up on its highest setting and the car on level ground
regards malcolm

Morten · Post by **Morten** » 19 Jul 2006, 20:26

Yes it is.

Morten

citronut wrote:is it between the two red lines with the suspetion up on its highest setting and the car on level ground
regards malcolm

Morten · Post by **Morten** » 19 Jul 2006, 20:59

JBUK, had a look at it today. The strut cylinder is wet on the cylinder top. The rod it self is wet as well. When I checked inside the strut top, it is dry. When I talked to a Citroen garage, they said that the return pipe was not dimesioned for larger quantities than a few drop's and the rest will be pressed out via the cylinder/rod gasket. Is this correct? The return pipe looks ok to me.

Is there any way to check the strut top O rings without have to dismantle the strut tops?

Regards
Morten

JBUK wrote:It is extremely unlikely that a strut itself can be leaking. Any internal leakage is taken away by the return pipes. As these are situated well below the top of the strut it can therefore never leak from the top.
The return pipes can and do leak and there is the theoretical possibility of leakage from within the strut tops. So apart from the remote chance of a pinhole in the strut cylinder I think you will find it is return pipes or their connection.

If you clean up thoroughly you should be able to spot the source.

Happy hunting.

citronut · Post by **citronut** » 19 Jul 2006, 21:37

to check if the main presure seals are leaking pull the top end of the leg pipe of where it conects to the metal pipe at the inner wing,then start the engine raise the car to its highest setting,if you now get a flow of or presurised fluid coming out of the leg pipe your leg seals are not holding the suspention presure,the seal at the top of the strut is just a dust seal
regards malcolm

JBUK · Post by **JBUK** » 20 Jul 2006, 07:28

Is there any way to check the strut top O rings without have to dismantle the strut tops

Only by careful inspection. It will be seal no 12 leaking in Anders prnet diagram.

If the internal seal has failed enough to be causing this leak then usually the return pipes blow off (become disconnected) from the two metal pipes the connect on to.

You could disconnect the return pipe yourself and then run the engine and see how much LHM you have leaking past the internal seal. Put them in a bottle to catch any escaping fluid. The amount of the flow will then tell you where the source of your leak is likely to be.

citronut · Post by **citronut** » 20 Jul 2006, 09:34

i agree with JBUK but it dose depend on how bad the blow by of fluid is to whether the pipe pops of,also there should not be any flow of fluid if the seals are good,you may just get a trickle of fluid which is normal as the rubber tube on the leg is only a leak by and vent pipe,and i thought the xantia only has one leg pipe unlik the BX which has two
regards malcolm

French Car Forum

Anyone tried the strut from GSF?

Anyone tried the strut from GSF?

Re: Anyone tried the strut from GSF?

Re: Anyone tried the strut from GSF?