Hydrolastic leaks

I feed up with the F going lopsided, why does this happen, what does it leak from where, how do I trace it, how do I fix it??????

I also have this problem, but I was lucky to have a cousin give me a pump! Though I suspect it will need a proper fix soon - goes down every couple of months.

I get mine pumped up once a year. In that time it drops to about 335-340mm.

As to leaks, I would suspect the usual suspects in a pressurised system. Valves and joints. You might be able to spot the leak if you use a gas leak spray( as gas fitters use when checking installations). You spray the joints etc and then look for bubbles being formed.:shrug:

i think it could also be that the nitrogen has leaked from the sphere and no matter how many times you pump it up it will eventually go down. so if its the nitrogen then im afraid you will need new spheres as you can not pump the nitrogen back up

rayb wrote: i think it could also be that the nitrogen has leaked from the sphere and no matter how many times you pump it up it will eventually go down. so if its the nitrogen then im afraid you will need new spheres as you can not pump the nitrogen back up

Thats what i suspect, although the suspension is not rock solid in the "suspect" corner, so i suspect there is still some pressure in it. Would it get picked up by an MOT?

Assume your MOT will look for the total ride height of a car only.

For further analysis, the process to find out wether the nitrogene sphere has gone is described in the workshop manual. Not very clear though.

I''ll try with my few english language skills.
Just imagine there are two spheres split by a sheet of rubber gasket and the upper with nitrogen has a pressure of about 20bar (360psi?)
Now the upper will push down the rubber sheet easy ... until you start to pump rock solid fluid against this 20bar to the other side. The more fluid you pump, the higher the rubber sheet will rise and the pressure will raise above 20bar . These final lets say 32Bar (420 psi) from the nitrogen provide the correct spring for our little car.

In our case it will reach max 40Bar (640 psi), but that's another story.

So what happens if the nitrogen escapes ?
Correct, the pressure drops from 20 bar to lets say 10 or 1 or less.
You need to pump in more and more fluid to fill the lost nitrogen space and finally there is no more spring, but fluid only and may be trapped airbubbles in the system.

So what can be done ?
Dead easy. :sick:
Get hands on a Schrader valve and affiliated thread cutter.
Drill a hole to the top of the unit. Find someone with lathe skills to make some thread studs from steel. Weld the stud to the Unit can carefully. Bolt on Schrader valve. Paint it for rust protection.

Pressurise with 360psi Nitrogen and be happy.
Or check the publifications of the MGCC / MGF Register for the company who currently builds up the business for this job.
(Need to look up)
Another source is known here
http://www.aronline.co.uk/blogs/2011/08/05/tech-recharging-maxi-spheres/

Back to the process.
As there is probably no nitrogene with initially 20 bar or less in a broken system, a pressure measuring will indicate what's up with it.
A unit needs to be connected as single unit to the pump. Then pump up and spot on the pressure raise while pumping. There must be a kind of delay time at about 20 bar. Means even you do pump strokes, the pressure stops raising. If so then the unit is fine.
In case you can pump and pump with no pressure delay time in that range and suddenly the pump blocks and pressure gauge kicks to maximum immidialtely then the is no nitrogene in the unit, but fluid only and no spring.

Anyone out there who got me ?

:woohoo: Dieter, you are an MG F/TF Superstar :thumbsup:

Even I can follow that :silly:

Seriously, thank you so much I now have much more confidence in dealing with any possible issues with the suspension in the future.

Dieter, ich danke Ihnen sehr. Du bist ein Superstar und Ihre Kenntnisse der MGF / TF ist legendär

PQD44 wrote: . Du bist ein Superstar....

:woohoo: didn't know that.
I'll show this award to my wife Rosi. She always is pushing me still to trivial works like peeling potatoes, fill dish washer, use vacuum cleaner etc. :rant:

Dieter wrote: .... I'll show this award to my wife Rosi. She always is pushing me still to trivial works like peeling potatoes, fill dish washer, use vacuum cleaner etc. :rant:

:blink: Be careful you need to make sure SWMBO is happy or you may just find your broadband cut :omg:

Thanks again for the advice :thumbsup:

Dieter wrote:

PQD44 wrote: . Du bist ein Superstar....

:woohoo: didn't know that.
I'll show this award to my wife Rosi. She always is pushing me still to trivial works like peeling potatoes, fill dish washer, use vacuum cleaner etc. :rant:

Dieter's Award

rayb wrote: i think it could also be that the nitrogen has leaked from the sphere and no matter how many times you pump it up it will eventually go down. so if its the nitrogen then im afraid you will need new spheres as you can not pump the nitrogen back up

You are quite correct :thumbsup: But they usually loose the "bounce" when all of the Nitrogen has gone :omg: ~ there are som new spheres in various places but they are about £180 a pop ~ scrappie is going to be best or better still Daz, because he is not going to sell a duff one. :nonod:

I got it all thank you, And your english is very good, far far better than my German :bust: