| Author | Message | ||
     Peter Talbot Experienced User Username: squerryes Post Number: 37 Registered: 7-2010 |
This enquiry is posted on behalf of a fellow RREC Member who lives in rural Mouton, France. Attached (I hope) is a JPEG image of a Mysterious Bit found on his drive and believed to have "fallen off" his 1983 RR Silver Spirit. It appears to be made of sponge rubber/fibre, oil soaked, a collar of some sort, about 2" (50mm) diameter. It's broken in 2 pieces, which is presumably why it fell off. But: fell off from where and from whence did it come? Any help appreciated. Peter  | ||
| Paul Yorke Grand Master Username: paul_yorke Post Number: 642 Registered: 6-2006 |
Peter, It's a cover off the height control spring. Not a complete worry in itself, but he will need to get the whole spring & pivot COMPLETELY smothered in grease to stop water penetration and the pivot eventually seizing up. We consider greasing them up a service item. Plenty of Spray grease inside if it still has the cover on. | ||
| Peter Talbot Experienced User Username: squerryes Post Number: 41 Registered: 7-2010 |
Paul Thanks your response - now I'm going to demonstrate my ignorance by asking for more info. please: I've got the Spirit Service Manual (from a reputable source !!) but just can't find the right page out of the 1545 contained. Please could you advise me: 1. Which page/pages of the Manual I need to consult 2. The Part No. of this cover 3. Is there a single height control spring or are there 2, one each side ? If so, where is it/them located ? I don't have this problem, I just leave Ghost Motors to sort things out, but Rod in rural Mouton, France, is some 300Km away from an RR Specialist. He is putting his 1983 Spirit into a local garage (Mercedes trained mechanics)who look after the routine servicing of a couple of Shadows but have no experience in servicing a Spirit (100Km service is due). Thanks Peter | ||
| Paul Yorke Grand Master Username: paul_yorke Post Number: 643 Registered: 6-2006 |
1) pictures G12 1 (part 2 actually points to the foam) and G12 2 (the pointer line for parts 7 and part 8 go across the foam) 2) UR 23669 - bet I would seriously advise just greasing it up completely unless this is a car used while snow and salt are about. 3)probably 2 valves on his car. | ||
| Bill Coburn Moderator Username: bill_coburn Post Number: 1270 Registered: 4-2003 |
I will try and put a picture here  | ||
| Bill Coburn Moderator Username: bill_coburn Post Number: 1271 Registered: 4-2003 |
Gosh sometimes I amaze myself! Paul how long do these covers last. It really seems like a band aid solution. When you say grease up do you mean stuff the whole mechanism with grease and don't bother with the cover? | ||
| Paul Yorke Grand Master Username: paul_yorke Post Number: 644 Registered: 6-2006 |
Impressive Bill - Did you just run outside and take that picture? That is the later type valve which is a more sensible design (and much cheaper) . They seem to last as long as they are not poked. I believe they are formed from the same material as the base of Jaffa Cakes. Yes, pack with grease. I'm not sure if the part is available. If your covers are intact, you can carefully slip a straw from a clear grease or chain grease aerosol in and lube them. Take care though. | ||
| Peter Talbot Experienced User Username: squerryes Post Number: 42 Registered: 7-2010 |
Paul Thanks, Rod in Mouton well impressed by your rapid response to my query on his behalf. Peter | ||
| Peter Talbot Experienced User Username: squerryes Post Number: 46 Registered: 7-2010 |
Mysterious Bit sorted, now I need a bit more help please. Really don't know why Rod doesn't join this Forum and communicate directly !! Rod lives in Mouton, France, and has a 1983 Spirit which has just been serviced by local garage - judging from the service listing, I'm suprised the car even went at all. His local garage (Mercedes trained Owner)is finding a residual problem with rear brakes and secondary foot brake adjustment and says pads need replacing. Two points here: Tony - local garage - says pads are same as those on old style Ford Cortina - is this true? RR tools to tackle rear pad replacement in rural France just don't exist - any ideas, please, if those for other marques might suffice. Peter | ||
| Paul Yorke Grand Master Username: paul_yorke Post Number: 655 Registered: 6-2006 |
FFS Tell him to just use OE ones. It's not as though they are £400 plus a set like a Bentley Conti GT. By secondary brakes, I'm guessing you mean foot operated parking brake? FOPB pads are different to "all" cars as far as I'm aware. And relatively cheap. IMPORTANT - All the clevis pins on the FOPB must be free to move easily. Any stiffness will cause excess wear and the need for frequent adjustment. One in particular will PUSH the pad against the disc and ruin both in no time at all. Remove the adjuster nut , open the swinging callipers and they should swing freely with finger pressure. Any stiffness requires as much WD40 and as much time as it takes. And a copper mallet for really stiff ones. 2 hours per side over a day or two in some cases. If not it's calliper off I'm afraid. Special tools - errrrr hammer and punch. Vice-grips. How rural is this place  The main problem with rear brakes these days is lack of use and maintenance. The pads MUST be removed and lubricated and re-fitted every year and should be part of the annual service. If you or your garage peers past the wheel and says the pads are fine OR or rely on your MOT test - then get a blunt stick, take the wheel off, look at the pads, and poke yourself in the eye with the stick to remind yourself that it needs to be checked! Tip for rear pad removal. If the pins are reluctant to move - drill them out. Unfortunately on the rear of Spirits you can not use a punch on the pins because of the trailing arm brackets behind them. All other pins should be put in from the side facing away from you so they can be tapped out when changing next time. This is a picture of a Pad that somebody had just fitted. Disc and pad worn through    | ||
| Chris Browne Experienced User Username: chrisb Post Number: 24 Registered: 2-2010 |
Hi Paul, Just read your piece on parking brakes. Up to now, I have always just visually checked the parking brake pads for lining thickness. I was interested to hear that you recommend that parking brake pads should be removed and lubricated as part of the annual service. Do you mean lubricated with copper grease and do you recommend the same procedure for SY cars or are their parking brakes more forgiving to occasional use than SZ? Thanks and kind regards, Chris | ||
| Peter Talbot Experienced User Username: squerryes Post Number: 48 Registered: 7-2010 |
Paul & Chris - thanks your inputs, much appreciated. Slight mis-understanding with Rod: below is extract from his recent email: The problem isn't the pads, but the discs themselves. The fronts are fine, no queries there, but the rear discs are attached to the hubs (as one might expect!) and the hubs look more complex than those on the Shadows - Tony's worried there may be special tools involved which he doesn't have, and he doesn't want bto end up with the car in bits and he can't do the next bit! Apparently, the rear discs aren't bad from the outside, but are corroded on the inner side - possibly salt damage? Advice please and, yes, Mouton is so way out in the boondocks that I'm suprised they've even got electricity, let alone broadband !! Peter | ||
| Paul Yorke Grand Master Username: paul_yorke Post Number: 659 Registered: 6-2006 |
Peter - what he has is the typical effect of seized brake pads I'm afraid For the sake of properly checking the pads - another disc is lost ( What is the chassis number? Some need a special puller, some are just splined. TBH the disc can often recover to a fair condition once new pads are fitted. The other option is an on the car disc skimming lathe. | ||
| Peter Talbot Experienced User Username: squerryes Post Number: 49 Registered: 7-2010 |
Paul Many thanks for all your help. Chassis No. of Rod's Spirit is: ECH 09680. Peter | ||
| Paul Yorke Grand Master Username: paul_yorke Post Number: 662 Registered: 6-2006 |
Peter you should be fine. PM if you like for disc prices. I think that should should be a LOBRO shaft with splined outer stub axle car, so no special tools should be needed. |
