| Author | Message | ||
     Carl Jensen New User Username: carl_jensen Post Number: 5 Registered: 2-2005 |
A few months ago my rear height control valves started to leak. One thing led to another so I rebuilt both valves and the rear rams, cleaned the fast and slow restrictors even though they were spotless inside, rebuilt the fast/slow solenoid (but I didn't check some kind of interior clearances in the solenoid as the service manual suggested), replaced the #2 accumulator + valve, rebuilt (cleaned) both brake distribution valves which were very clean inside, and rebuilt the G valve which did have a little crud. However, now the fast/slow solenoid appears to be acting up kind of like it did some years ago when I had a shop do some work on the height control system. After they did the work the height control system made an awful squealing noise when I put the car in gear, until I disconnected the fast/slow solenoid electric leads so the solenoid would stay on slow levelling and not make the noises. The shop was far away from my home so I never brought it back and have tried to do all the work myself since then. Unfortunately, I am having more troubles now when I connect the electrical leads to the fast/slow solenoid. The solenoid itself appears to be working OK as it clicks when I connect the electric leads and I hear a swooshing sound of RR363 coursing through the solenoid for a few seconds. But after I have connected the leads to go into fast levelling, the pressure warning light goes on and stays on. It does not do this when the electric leads to the solenoid are disconnected and the system is in slow levelling. It also appears (I may be wrong on this) that there is plenty of pressure going to the right rear height control valve when I bleed its ram while pushing up on the lever of the valve (in slow levelling no less), but the left hand valve has very little fluid come out the bleed screw even when I push up on the height control lever. I had tried to bleed this per some very good recommendations in this forum, but it just doesn't seem to have enough pressure going through it. Has anyone had a similar problem of losing system pressure when the fast/slow solenoid electric leads are connected, but has pressure when the leads are disconnected? Thanks! | ||
| Carl Jensen New User Username: carl_jensen Post Number: 7 Registered: 2-2005 |
Success!!! I replaced the fast/slow solenoid and now everything works like a charm. After all that I have been through, this seems too good to be real. Sure is a good feeling - I'll cherish this moment while it lasts. And thanks to everyone in this forum and Bill Coburn's Tee One Topics. The suggestions and solutions presented have been invaluable and have allowed me to fix some things that even had Rolls-Royce shops stumped. | ||
| Bill Coburn Moderator Username: bill_coburn Post Number: 546 Registered: 4-2003 |
Well Carl you don't seem to need us after all. Well done. Thank you also for your kind words re Topics. There is an idiot cult throughout this movement that virtually despises anybody other than a Factory trained expert who works on these cars. If that course was followed there would be very few cars running today. You read the book asked the questions and had a go - just great. We all do it. Really the two speed levelling is a gimmick and is of more practical use in lowering the car than raising it. Many years ago when the Shadows were still machines of wonder I witnessed the arrival at an official function of 2 very important people who alighted from the back of the car while flunkies grovelled and scraped. Unfortunately both of the dignatories were huge I would guess exceeding 200 lbs each! The maximum weight the system seems to be able to handle is 600 lbs after that the rams are fully extended and the springs simply compress and the car goes down. These two mammoths were within the above limit and the car when it arrived looked as I remember almost level. The chauffeur stopped the car and immediately switched off the engine and leapt out to open doors. The heavies pryed themselves out of the car, adjusted their clothing smiled at everyone and waddled off to the official reception point. The car however would have liked to adjust itself too but the ignition was off and the solenoid was on slow levelling! So there was this very smart car - black as I recall with its arse so high in the air you could almost see the diff! Very undignified. Had the chauffeur left the ignition on, engine running or not, opening the door would switch the solenoid and the car would have virtually remained level during the whole alighting exercise! The only time I have heard of the Factory advising on this technique was at the School for Driving!!! As to not getting lift/fluid out of one ram I suspect you have moved the actuation lever in the levelling valve too far and disengaged the piston. Have a look in the book and it tells you how to recover the thing but offers no original expletives to use when it happens. | ||
| Richard Treacy Grand Master Username: richard_treacy Post Number: 912 Registered: 4-2003 |
Just to follow up on Bill's comment on two-speed levelling, it is even more irrelevant with export springs, where the levelling is practically never activated. Also, for the very reason Bill notes, later cars (our '72 included) work on high speed even with the ignition off and the key removed. If you hear a click from underneath on opening the door with the key removed, you will know it is that way. Fortunately, on SZs there is no such two-speed system. On 20,000-series cars, the system is even reduced to just one height control valve connected to the antiroll bar centre. It takes several minutes for the height compensation to do its job on those cars, so there is no roll-set problem (as on early Shadows with front levelling) in long bends with a single valve. So, make up your own mind on the usefulness of the solenoid valve. Malfunctions, other than the two o-rings leaking, are almost exclusively due to sludge or foreign bodies stopping the valve from opening fully. This vents the high pressure to the reservoirs leading to system pressure loss, but is easily rectified by a good clean out. At least they can only ever leak in the worst case, and it only cost a few cents to repair one so long as fluid has not destroyed the electrical coil in the process. Nice party trick though. RT. |
