leaver arm damper

[hotrodder13]

i am trying to change the fluid in my leaver arms damper on the front, ive got the old smelly fluid out but how do i refill,

thanks tom

[aupickup]

the bolt in the top comes out
refill from there and keep working the arm to expel all the air

[PSL184]

I use a syringe but you could try a washing up liquid bottle (a clean one of course ).
Secret is to go slowly, I find, and bounce the car a few times to settle the fluid as you go. Leave a small air gap at the top and recheck the levels for a couple of weeks as it will settle down as the air works out.

[hotrodder13]

thanks, do i leave the bottom one undone, or just the top one and then bounce the car up and down thanks, i undid the top bolt to refil but it didnt go down,

ps im not suprised my car bounce abit there was only a few drops in there even after bouncing it a lot to empty)

[PSL184]

Replace the bottom one - make sure you still have the little valve (you didn't loose it did you?) the air should be forced to the top....

[hotrodder13]

no i didnt lose it i made sure of that, ill try again 2moro

[bmcecosse]

Best to try to work some new fluid through the damper - with the bottom valve left out. The old fluid is smelly because the 'long chain' molecules of the original oil have been ripped apart - and turned the oil into something like 'fish oil' !! I've always found it very runny - but perhaps yours has gone thick and is not keen to come out. See how you get on - but it may take a while to get all the old oil out - and new stuff in. Maybe you should try some thin 3 in 1 oil at first, to help flush out the old, and then add the new thicker oil. Hopefully you are adding SAE 30 or 40 oil ?

[hotrodder13]

im using moss's specail leaver arm damper fluid and the old stuff that came out was a bit thicker then the new stuff, and i thought it smelt like a farm

[bmcecosse]

The Moss oil will be too thin for decent damping - but use it as a flushing oil! You can get a small can of SAE 30 in Tesco - in the gardening section. SAE 40 probably need to go to a motorcycle place, and no - 10W40 is NOT SAE 40!!

[hotrodder13]

thanks ill try and get some which will make them stiffer as i need to replace one of my bumpstops that has been smashed off,

tom

[bmcecosse]

May as well replace both - that's the problem with running too low - and with useless dampers......... make sure the rebound rubbers- under the arms - are there too. And carefully tighten the damper fixing bolts!

[hotrodder13]

they are there but i might replace, so which is better fluid and i wanted to lower it more as well

thanks for all your help tom

[bmcecosse]

I did use EP90 oil in my dampers in my Rally Minor - and nothing broke - but I suggest SAE40 will be fine for a road going car. You can see for yourself the problem with lowering too far - it will smash the hell out of your inner wings........

[hotrodder13]

it has slighly damaged the inner wing but it already needed replacing, and i tryed changing the oil and when emptied there was no diffrence, so i filled up the passanger side and there was a big diffrerance, but i could not get it to go right through the damper and i tryed to top up the driver side but it just seems to not want to fiill up,,

could it be blocked or am i better getting a suringe and putting it right in the damper

thanks tom

[Declan_Burns]

Try silicone tubing on the end of the syringe and see if you can suck the most of the old oil out- then flush it as suggested before re-filling. That's what I tried and it di make it a bit easier and less of a mess.

Regards

[bmcecosse]

The other damper may be blocked with fried up old oil! It may be beyond redemption......... You will probably need to change the oil 3 or 4 times to get rid of all the old oil. Run the car for a week bewteen changes!

[hotrodder13]

ok ill try getting all the old oil out with a suringe, will ep90 be to stiff, the front is stiffer with moss's stuff

thanks tom,

[PSL184]

Many will freak out at the thought of EP90 but if you want a firm ride then go ahead - just keep an eye on your top mounts to make sure there are no fatigue cracks forming from the additional stresses going through them....

[bmcecosse]

Go with SAE 40, yes - I have used EP90 on my Rally Minor, and I had no problems. But for road use - SAE 40, from motorcycle place.