Which sphere and where to get them...

[sparksie]

Hi all

Sadly, on my way home this evening, the ride became hard and crashy on the front right (OSF).
When I got home I tried the bounce test and all the other corners bounce fine, but this one is rigid.
Then, when I looked under the bonnet, I found the inner wing soaked in LHM, which seems to be coming from the "pip" at the opposite end from the pipe, on the sphere.
Can anyone tell me how to go about ordering the right sphere(s) and where to get them from, please?
I called a few motor factors, but none of them can get them, or even tell me where to go for them.
Also, did anybody ever continue the research into C5 type sphere's compatibility with older cars?
Thanks, as always, for any help...

[Northern_Mike]

http://www.aepdirect.com/citroen-xantia ... ory_id=121" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I hope that link works...

[Hell Razor5543]

I would contact AEP direct. I bought some spheres from them, and they contacted me asking for the vehicle reg to make sure they sent me the right ones.

EDIT; Mike got there first.

[sparksie]

Thanks Guys

Bought two of them, as the carriage is the same for two as for one and the NS one is bound to pop soon if I don't have a replacement ready to go in.
Just hope they're the right ones now
They only list one type that agrees with my car details, so all should be well...providing nobody's changed it!
Fingers crossed

[Hell Razor5543]

Next time you use them it is worth ordering more, as P&P is free for orders over £50 (well, it was for me).

[sparksie]

I've never heard of them giving up at the end like that.

Maybe they'd been regassed and they'd not completely tightened the end cap down?

Anyone else heard of this happening?

Well, I didn't really think about it, as I figure if oil is coming out there, at the very least the diaphragm has split.
But, now you mention it, if the cap lets oil out, then it's a fairly safe bet it wasn't keeping gas in!
Perhaps that's why it failed...?

[sparksie]

Ok guys
The time has come for me to ask for other suggestions for sphere suppliers.
Getting the run-around, in a big way, and probably going to be looking for a refund.
Anybody know a reliable, professional, source?
Thanks all

[Northern_Mike]

I've had plenty from AEP, so have many on here, and never had a problem.

You could try Pleidaes +44 (0)1487 831239, I've had a couple of pumps from them and at least 20 spheres (2 full Activa sets!) in the past.. I could be wrong, but I think a lot of theirs are regassed, though it makes no odds to me.

[isisalar]

GSF seem to be okay. I recently bought one with a 2011 fill date and had it tested. The pressure was bang on still.

[handyman]

Sparksie, if you're still looking, I've got a pair of new & unused Drivelink front spheres available for your car. PM me your location & I'll get you a price to ship to ROI.

Handyman

[sparksie]

Sparksie, if you're still looking, I've got a pair of new & unused Drivelink front spheres available for your car. PM me your location & I'll get you a price to ship to ROI.

Handyman

Thanks all
Might have got there, in the end, though I haven't actually got them yet.
Very odd. As soon as they discovered I was a business it became VERY complicated and they repeatedly ignored my requests to process this transaction as normal, while waiting for me to procure documents most won't even have access to.
Still, they claim to have sent them now, so I'll have to wait and see.
It's particularly galling because Cit has been behaving herself so well I'd promised her on loan for the bank holiday weekend. But I couldn't follow through and now I'll be picking up the tab for a rental instead!
I could probably have bought a full set of spheres from a dealer and still come out ahead.
Hindsight is always 20/20, I suppose!
On the up side, now I get to play with her on Monday. Might do the timing belt and water pump, if I can get some alone-time.
Then I'll be able to attack the spheres on Wednesday, assuming the Tuesday courier brings them, of course.
Fingers crossed...

[Hell Razor5543]

I don't know if you have done spheres before, but this post does a very good job of explaining how;

http://www.frenchcarforum.co.uk/forum/v ... 22&t=24595" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Also, look at making the tool shown in Xacs' signature. It isn't either expensive or difficult to make, and it works very well. He has posted on page 5 of the thread.

[Hell Razor5543]

Sparksie, I hope you don't mind a suggestion when you do the spheres. Every six months or so go around and loosen them off slightly, and then do them back up hand tight (they don't need to be tighter then that). It massively helps for when you replace them in the future. I have just replaced all 6 of Gracies' spheres, and it took less than an hour to replace them (it took longer to set up, bleed the brakes, and put everything away afterwards). Total time taken was about 2.5 hours (and I am NOT a mechanic!).

Also, when you do replace the anti sink sphere, make sure that, before you do so, to get a 4.5mm LHM pipe seal (I have yet to get an anti sink sphere supplied with one), and when you fit the new one use an old square section O ring (off one of the normal spheres) on the thread between the sphere and the bracket. It helps to keep it tight and make it easier to remove (as you don't get rust from the sphere and bracket holding on!).

[sparksie]

Hi and thanks for all the advice.
This will, amazingly, be my first time doing a sphere, though I was present for all the cursing and swearing when the one underneath a DS was being done, many moons ago.
This time out, I'm expecting it to be relatively easy. They're up high, under the bonnet, protected from weather and crud. They look new, so I hope nothing more special than an oil filter wrench will be needed.
The ones at the back will be a different matter, whenever they need doing.
I won't be in the least offended if you guys remind me of those tips before I attack the relevant spheres. At the moment they're a bit hard to envisage, but I'm sure they'll make perfect sense when I see them in context.
Thanks all

[Hell Razor5543]

Make sure it is a good wrench then. The first time I did the ones on Gracie they looked good (protected from crud, etc.), but they were on so hard it took a 1KG hammer and cold chisel to start them moving! I broke a cheap Halfrauds chain wrench on them! And yes, the system was de-pressurised (except when I had to loosen off the rear strut ones, and they needed the chisel treatment as well!). Today all I needed was a decent pair of work gloves to undo the spheres (well, I used Xacs' tool on the rear strut ones to get them moving).

Just a thought. When I replaced my first ever sphere (a BX accumulator sphere) I didn't seat the O ring properly in its location (inexperience). When, later, I saw a dribble of LHM I tightened the sphere. OOPS! The O ring was no longer a ring, just a curved piece of LHM resistant material with a small bit taken out, and a large leak. I haven't done that again. You will see how they seat into the strut tops when you take the old sphere off, and (as far as I am aware) is the same (barring the anti sink sphere) for all the spheres on a 6 sphere Xantia.

Before taking the old spheres off wad a load of paper towel in the area. When you take off the old spheres you will get some LHM dribble out (although a ruptured sphere can spray it out!). A normal sphere holds about an egg cup of LHM.