Damm <censored word removed> tight spheres

[citroenxm]

Hi..

Today I tried to change some front spheres on a Xantia S2 HDi 90... lowered the car, released the regulator, put my removal tool on.. and tugged.... and tugged.... then hit the tool handle with a lump hammer..... and hit and hit .. still n movment.... so hit harder and tugged... so much the sphere nearly touched the wing!! still no movement.... so I got a loooong bar! and tried...... nope, nothing.. not having anything...

The sphere tool slipped off in the end...

So, my Q, any other ideas?? Ive no, and no access to a cole chisel... the only other idea I had was heat... are the strut tops alloy or soft steal?? Would I benefit heating the threaded part up to release the sphere...?

Advice guys??

Cheers.
Paul

[myglaren]

A bit of steel bar or rod would substitute as a cold chisel Paul, all you really need to do is transfer the shock from the hammer to the neck of the sphere to break the seal - probably corrosion on the treads. Might even work to belt the sphere body judiciously - don't welly it too hard and distort the joint/threads.

[addo]

Let the gas out, then try again (wear eye/ear protection). If this fails, drill a pair of ¼" holes through the upper hemisphere and use a tommy bar.

[CitroJim]

My Rattiva had this problem.

You can hit the thread boss with a dead-blow through a brass bar to try shocking them loose but in my case Chris570 came to the rescue with a much easier solution. He used the Pleiades tool with a long tube extension on it - part of an old bike rack actually! - and they gave in as easy as pie...

When using a cold chisel, only use it to raise a lip on the welded seam of the sphere and then use a big punch on the raised lip in conjunction with a 4 lb club hammer.

That last-ditch approach has not failed me yet.

Chris's approach above is good too for tight rear corners too

[citroenxm]

Ive got a Pliedies Tool! It was on the sphere!!! I used an old centre section of xantia exhaust of about 4 meters LONG!!!

Hence I said above the sphere was almost hitting the INNER WING!! wehn wrenching!!

So is heat a NO GO Then????

[xmexclusive]

Hi Paul

Have a care if you apply heat.
Might not do the strut head rubber much good.
There is also the rubber sealing rings in the strut head grooves, melting them would be a pain to clean up and obtain replacements.
I have had the odd sphere so locked solid that I broke a Pliaedes tool on it.
Then I set too with a cold chisel and peeled large chunks from the centre ridge of the sphere before it finally came undone.
Your sphere is done for anyway so I like Addos suggestion of hole drilling.
Sod's Law you only get these sort of problems when the weather turns so cold.

John

[Deanxm]

nope, its got to be red hot to do anything and that will quickly transfere to the strut head and cook the ram seals and maybe transfere to the strut top rubber, go back out there with a bigger hammer Paul

D

[CitroJim]

Ive got a Pliedies Tool! It was on the sphere!!! I used an old centre section of Xantia exhaust of about 4 meters LONG!!!

Hence I said above the sphere was almost hitting the INNER WING!! wehn wrenching!!

Gosh! That is tight

So is heat a NO GO Then????

I'd be wary of applying heat there in case it damages any of the rubber parts of the strut top Paul. But that's me. I'm a bit of a wuss with heat... The4 point has already been well made by John and Dean...

I'd get yourself into Bangor in the morning, go visit B & Q and pick up a cold chisel and punch up to the job. I really think that'll be the best method given that an extension on the Pleiades tool failed..

The cold chisel I use has a blade about an inch wide and is about 9 inches long overall. The punch has a flat tip of about 5/16" in diamater and is about 10" long overall...

[Peter.N.]

I use a home made double chain wrench with a 4' jack handle over the flexy bar, I have never failed to get one undone but I have nearly pulled the car off the ramp trying

Peter

[addo]

I find they're most stuck when one is pinholed; even after dropping down and releasing the reg, bleedoff pressure from the failing sphere "locks" the antisink and thus you have system pressure.

While you can confirm/dispel this by undoing a feed pipe to one of the front struts, it's easier - if the spheres are knackered - to release the gas.

[citroenxm]

Jim,

Im like you with Chisels, like you are with heat... I most normally hit my HAND rather then the end of the chisel... Im scared of the mass movement of the strut head.. I need to put something between the strut head screw part and the inner wing to stop the top twisting.. This is I think where im loosing my inertia...

Ive not got the tools or time to drill out any holes on the sphere... depite this, I cannot see how different that would be over useing the pliedes tool...

So ill measure the space between the inner wing and strut thread part of the top and cut a peice of wood to fit between them... then try that...

[addo]

Spheres aren't that thick. In the time you've spent on this thread you could have easily drilled two holes through it.

£30 on a nicad rechargeable drill is well spent; you can readily bust open and replace the cells every few years...

[citronut]

Paul you are aware they are not left hand thread

regards malcolm