Morris Minor Owners Club

can a rear damper be repaired?
my o/s/r one is leaking from the arm
when removed it was empty
or is it a case of getting a new or
good used one

Reconditioned is the normal choice, I don't think new ones are being made any more

New original spec are available from ESM; Pt No SUS701 R/L at £59.95 each plus P&P plus VAT.
Recon @ £16.95 plus P&P plus VAT.
Tele conversion £86.00 plus P&P plus VAT.
As you most likely know they should be replaced as a pair.

as my n/s/r one is ok would a working used one
be ok????
can't justify £60 surcharge...
and over £100+ for new ones at present time

Whilst I personally would only fit dampers as a matched pair. If you can find a S/H one that has the same resistance/damping as the one that is not leaking you should be alright in the short term but you should aim to fit at least a matched reconditioned pair as soon as you can. Unmatched dampers front or rear can result in bad road holding and unpredictable handling.

Declan has shown the way to do repairs....but is it worth it? I would pick up a second hand damper (two if possible) - drain and refil with SAE 40 oil, and put them on. Avoid the tele dampers......unless going for the (not inexpensive) weld-in kits with turrets.... standard lever dampers with 40 oil are very effective. And - make sure the rear bump stops are present and correct!

I have successfully repaired both my rear dampers, here is how I did it, http://www.mmoc.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=53062
For some it may seem a bit crude in the method but without access to the necessary machine tools,this was the only way I could devise.
Neither repaired damper shows any sign of leaking and the ride is noticeably improved.

If you have more than 3mm of play on the arm before the damper starts to move the pistons then unfortunately it is not worth repairing as the connecting rod links will be worn, it puts extra load on the connecting rod as it takes up the slack before starting to damp.

bmcecosse wrote:Declan has soiwn the way to do repairs....but is it worth it? I would pick up a second hand damper (two if possible) - drain and refil with SAE 40 oil, and put them on. Avoid the tele dampers......unless going for the (not inexpensive) weld-in kits with turrets.... standard lever dampers with 40 oil are very effective. And - make sure the rear bump stops are present and correct!

yes roy... i have always filled mine with sae 30 and have good rear
bump stops..
will try to get some sae 40 and give that a go
thanks

It's a great method that Richard uses - but again I wonder if it is all worth it...... These dampers are not exactly 'rare'

If it's leaking out - it won't last long!

seen some sae40 compressor oil...
at machine mart £7.19 1ltr
is this ok for the dampers?

Yes - but it's crazy expensive........keep looking!

i have now got a good used set of dampers.( thanks connor).
cant get any sae 40 oil
so will have to use 30..as i have a can full

could ep90 be used
just asking
thanks

Yes - I used EP90 in my rally Minor.
Or this - yes expensive - but at least free delivery! http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SIP-02350-Tra ... 48609d088d

bmc
Glad that you have posted the link to the SIP Advanced Compressor Oil on here as it does not state the SAE on the bottle.
Now I know the SIP compressor oil on my shelf is SAE40.

bmcecosse wrote:Yes - I used EP90 in my rally Minor.
Or this - yes expensive - but at least free delivery! http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SIP-02350-Tra ... 48609d088d

thanks roy..
thats good to know

cleaned and flushed out the dampers.new sae 30 added.
leaky one replaced.
and its working great
the old oil was very thin and stunk...
why the awful smell?????

Because the long-chain molecules in the oil are literally 'torn apart' with the repeated squirting through the tiny gaps - and the resulting 'thin' oil so produced is akin to FISH oil....! You may want to change the oil again after a few weeks use - to make sure all the old oil is removed.

will do roy thanks
is ep 90 any better than sae 30 or 40...

It's quite difficult to compare the viscosity. Be happy with the SAE 30, look out for some SAE 40 or even some SAE 50 at a reasonable price. Or try a local motorbike shop? But don't be conned in to expensive 'fork oil'. Or just get this.... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rock-Oil-SAE5 ... 3a8998f8ef