| Author | Message | ||
     Jeff Cheng Experienced User Username: makeshift Post Number: 117 Registered: 02-2016 |
So SRH23650 has developed quite a nasty leak at the RHS rear height leveling valve, to the tune of draining the reservoir over 48hrs. As life would have it, I will not be able to attend to repairs for another 6mths, so I ask if there is anything I can/should do during it's slumber. My main worry is leaving the hydraulic system dry, so my plan is to top off the fluid once a month and idle the car for 30-40min, to keep everything operating and fluids circulating. In between, I also plan to add 500ml of fluid every 2wks and just let it flow through the system and leak back out, keeping all the internal bits coated. I use YAK363, so the cost is not prohibitive. Am I overthinking it? Would you knowledgeable folk do anything different? Thanks, Jeff | ||
| Martin Taylor Experienced User Username: martin_taylor Post Number: 163 Registered: 07-2013 |
It would probably be less time and effort to get under the car and install bearings or plastic blinking balls in the two feed lines to the levelling valve. | ||
| Robert J. Sprauer Frequent User Username: wraithman Post Number: 529 Registered: 11-2017 |
Kelly at British Tool Works has a kit containing blanking plugs and caps that I have found very handy. The ball bearing method, which can work, has to be done carefully because over-tightening can deform the union. Mailing the kit worldwide would not be prohibitive due to it's weight. | ||
| Geoff Wootton Grand Master Username: dounraey Post Number: 2147 Registered: 05-2012 |
I had the same problem with a leak on my height leveling system, with no time to fix it, so blanked it off. Best thing I ever did on the car. The clicking from the hydraulic pump stopped and when I get time to recondition the system I can remove the components without having to take the car off the road. I will be able to carry out the entire restoration at leisure. Ron Shaver has put up some great videos on youtube on how to repair the components of the height control system. If you decide to blank off the HCS let us know - I can provide info on how I did it on my car. The key is to trace the lines from the front of the car, not the back as usually specified. I agree with Robert - don't use ball bearings, buy caps and plugs from Kelly. They are machined to the correct angles and will not deform the unions. | ||
| Brian Vogel Grand Master Username: guyslp Post Number: 2953 Registered: 06-2009 |
Far be it from me to say anything even slightly negative with regard to Mr. Opfar or his business, but those blanking caps, if used in this instance, leave the exit line "just dangling there," even if one blanks them off, too. I'd be more inclined to use plastic balls these days than metal, and they're easily sourced. Even if one were to deform the flare and make it unsuitable for reuse later, it's not that difficult to splice in a new piece of cunifer line if it were to come to that. If one does not "go gorilla" but tightens down only enough to get the necessary sealing, it should be reversible. I was shocked at just how much more "resistant to flaring" mild steel line is compared to cunifer, and thus it's resistant to deformation in general (within limits, of course). I don't remember if I documented rebuilding the height control valve, as it was one of my first projects and before I got in the habit of trying to document anything like this I do not only for my own later reference, but for others. It is not nearly as hellish as some references imply, but I did find it a grand PITA to get the X-ring seals in place correctly. (I also believe I still have a couple of the seal kits for the HCV.) Brian, who has nothing but the highest praises for the work of Mr. Opfar | ||
| Robert J. Sprauer Frequent User Username: wraithman Post Number: 530 Registered: 11-2017 |
I second the praise for Mr Opfar. Geoff. Let us know, perhaps with a pic, where you blanked off the system. Some of use share this info on other forums and store it in our huge reference files. Thanks! | ||
| Geoff Wootton Grand Master Username: dounraey Post Number: 2148 Registered: 05-2012 |
Hi Robert Here are a couple of pics. The reason for the pipe union from the cunifer to steel line is I upgraded my master cylinder to a 0.75 one and when I came to remove the old 0.625 M/C I found a previous owner had rounded the union on the M/C. After a day of release fluid and mole grips I had no choice but to cut the line to get the old M/C off. The union is the flare type, not compression. The red arrows in the second pic point to the plugs which screw in to the T piece. I capped the 2 redundant lines to stop water/crud ingress. I found the capped lines were adequately supported by the cross member. Needless to say, Kelly's plugs and caps worked perfectly. TO ANY READERS NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE HYDRAULIC SYSTEM BIG DISCLAIMER: DO NOT COPY THIS ON YOUR CAR - IT MAY BE CONFIGURED DIFFERENTLY. TO DETERMINE THE CORRECT LINES TO BLANK OFF YOU MUST WORK FROM THE DISTRIBUTION VALVES TO IDENTIFY THE CORRECT LINES.   | ||
| Robert J. Sprauer Frequent User Username: wraithman Post Number: 531 Registered: 11-2017 |
Thanks Geoff. Well done | ||
| Mike Thompson Frequent User Username: vroomrr Post Number: 939 Registered: 04-2019 |
I believe two of these connectors with the two blocking screws would work as well.  | ||
| Jeff Cheng Experienced User Username: makeshift Post Number: 118 Registered: 02-2016 |
Thank you for all your replies. The more I think about it, the more I am leaning towards disabling the leveling system. From the diagrams on rrsilvershadow.com I should be able to cap off the high pressure feed line into the high pressure restrictor on the rear subframe to disable the entire system? Is it as simple as this or is there more to it? What have others done to disable the system? Thanks. | ||
| Geoff Wootton Grand Master Username: dounraey Post Number: 2150 Registered: 05-2012 |
Jeff The high pressure line feeds directly into the height control valve and also into the high pressure restrictor/solenoid valves. I would keep well clear of the rear subframe - you may seal off the one circuit but not the other. Best to go upstream and seal the system "at source". If you remove the rat trap cover you will see four lines that run to the rear subframe (see pic2 above). The four lines are 1 Low pressure brake line (from master cylinder) 2 High pressure brake line (from deceleration pressure limiting valve situated at the rear of the rat trap) 3 High pressure height control line 4 Height control return line It's just a case of identifying lines 3 and 4 and blanking them off. If you decide to go ahead I can give you more info. | ||
| Robert J. Sprauer Frequent User Username: wraithman Post Number: 533 Registered: 11-2017 |
Also. There is a reason why the factory used colour coded bands to identify lines. The codes are listed in the FSM and will quickly identify what the line and pressure therein. | ||
| Jeff Cheng Experienced User Username: makeshift Post Number: 119 Registered: 02-2016 |
Geoff, Thanks for the explanation, your solution of capping off the pressure feed and return lines makes sense, essentially closing the loop. Just a bit of background, when I noticed the significant (1 drop per 2 seconds) leak a few weeks ago, I had decided to replace both HCV's at a shop due to being reluctant to dig into the hydraulics. Horror stories of rusty lines snapping, stripped fittings and general complexity had pretty much turned me off. The toy fund also had other ideas and was looking slim, so it would have to wait. I had an idle afternoon this weekend, so I drummed up the confidence to start undoing nuts and fittings to see what I could do about the HCV. I figured worst case, I get stuck along the way and it's going to the shop to remove and replace the HCV anyway. An hour or so later and I had the HCV out on the bench, and it was clear the leak was from the low pressure return cap. The o-ring must have shrunk as the cap had a significant amount of play, enough to rotate with a single finger and for the cap to fall out on it's own once the circlip was removed. I found a suitable replacement o-ring from my assortment and in another hour had the HCV back in the car and fittings snugged back up. I topped up the reservoir and crossed my fingers, remembering that I really had nothing to lose and that the worst case scenario was that it still leaked and I wouldn't be any worse off than before. As the car warmed up and System 2 pressurised lifting the rear up onto the rams, the HCV showed no signs of the previous leak. A few fittings weeped slightly, but stopped after I nipped them up further. So I guess this weekend I gained a little confidence boost and learnt a valuable lesson that the hydraulics are also just nuts and bolts and not some voodoo magic. If down the track it does come to having to replace the HCV, I now feel that it is a task I could complete myself. :-) | ||
| ross kowalski Prolific User Username: cdfpw Post Number: 1225 Registered: 11-2015 |
Jeff, Good work! | ||
| Geoff Wootton Grand Master Username: dounraey Post Number: 2153 Registered: 05-2012 |
Jeff Well done and thanks for the update. | ||
| Brian Vogel Grand Master Username: guyslp Post Number: 2963 Registered: 06-2009 |
Jeff, You can definitely do this job yourself if you were able to get the HCV out and back in again. I found that this was the most difficult aspect of the whole job. The same is true regarding the accumulator control valves, too. I am self-taught on these cars of necessity, and a willingness to take the time required to read up in advance, stop when you're either frustrated and/or confused, and come back again when less stressed is the key to success. There are troubles in life which have no solution. Auto repairs, regardless of how complex (and, sometimes, expensive) are not among those. Brian | ||
| Robert J. Sprauer Frequent User Username: wraithman Post Number: 536 Registered: 11-2017 |
Check out "rollsroycenut" on Youtube. Ronnie Shaver has a series on the height control system. It is explained well and he shows you how to dis-assemble and rebuild. |
