Changing Anti-sink Sphere, how?

[archman1]

I was going to have a go at doing this little jobbie sometime soon. Has anyone here already done it. Assuming I can get past the rust and undo that big nut! In particular how does the pipe go into the sphere? Do i need a replacement pipe or a flaring tool?

Also is it possible to change it with out removing the exhaust - on a 2.0TCT?

Thanks
Steve

[demag]

I haven't done it but I'm sure there are a few on here who have. I think you can drop the subframe slightly or cut the bracket because I don't think the sphere will come out from that position. Isn't the pipe just a normal Citroen 3.5mm hydraulic fitting?

I'm sure Steve (Steelcityuk) has a link to some Flickr photos on his profile.

[xmexclusive]

I can confirm that the pipe connection to the anti-sink sphere is a standard 3.5mm (edit note, 4.5mm as Steve points out below) connection going into the centre of the sphere base. The outer thread is the same size and diameter as normal spheres and the large nut just screws onto that thread to fix the sphere into the hole through the mounting bracket.

John

This post has been edited by xmexclusive on February 27, 2009 11:38 am

[steelcityuk]

Hi,

On both my previous XMs the pipe wouldn't come out of the sphere and had to be replaced. I ended up ordering replacement pipes from Pleiades because although I have a 3.5mm flaring tool the pipes on mine were 4.5mm. I seem to think that the length needed was 19".

I removed one by cutting the support bracket because I didn't want to drop the subframe to get it out, I was more concerned about damage to the other pipes. The rest of the bracket was solid and I gave it all a good coating of Waxoyl to stave off rust.









Steve.

[broyty]

just going to chuck my twopeneth in i always remove the exhaust from the axle back as for the pipe i always have one ready then the old one will undo use a 3/4 drive socket on a rattle gun to undo the large nut and a bit of fiddling later the ball comes out with no need to cut the bracket or drop the subframe.
Yesterday i did one on my 95 2.5 vsx estate with no problems and tomorrow i am doing the one on my 95 2.0l turbo exclusive i have been spraying wd40 on it for a week now and hopeully it will take approx 1 hour if all goes well.
When i refit the ball i apply copperpaste on the threads and tighten up then apply heavy wp grease over the end of the thread and pipe nut to keep water out this makes it easier next time.
also it is a lot easier on a lift than laying on the floor.

Mick

[eXeM]

Hi,

I have just done this job. I bought a special sphere-removal tool from internet.
I dropped the rear suspension tube on nearside only. Got tool on sphere, but due to poor access was unable to get a good hammer blow to get it off.

Cut off the hydraulic pipe as couldn't get any purchase on nut with an open-ended spanner. Decided to remove the carrier which is held by three bolts. All the heads sheared off due to rust. Knocked out the remaining part of bolt and nut with a large SDS drill in chisel / hammer mode.

Once decent access away from under the car job is easy. Held bulb in sphere removal tool. Put foot on sphere tool on ground. Put a large plumber's wrench on the big nut. Hit hard with hammer. Its free!

Also an opportunity to remove rust and clean up the carrier.

Obviously, you need to make a new pipe and 3 x 6MM bolts to put carrier back.

I am planning to put some hot melt glue over the big nut etc to keep out the elements to make next time easier.

[noz]

Hi all,

Having removed Anti-sink spheres several times to check the remaining pressure I can confirm my method as follows:

I have got into the habit of always wearing plastic safety glasses whilst working on the car particularly on the hydraulics. I've had a couple of near misses and now respect my eyesight too much to work without them.

This operation is normally done with the rear of the car on a set of domestic ramps so that you have enough rooom to work under the car. The usual precautions about ramps apply.

Fully depressurise the suspension system by putting the height control lever to minimum and running the engine for 2-3 minutes. If the suspension struts are still solid in the chassis and can't rattle about by shaking the sphere with your hand then there's likely to be some residual pressure in the system. This will be because the little spool valve in the height corrector has become stuck and is not allowing the LHM fluid to return to the reservoir. If this is the case then you can help the height corrector by levering the little actuator arm with a screwdriver against the chassis tube. Be careful because the little bar-bell joint is plastic. As you pull the arm towards you, you should hear the hiss of the LHM fluid escaping back through the return line to the reservoir. The spheres and strusts should now be slack in the chassis members.

Remove the rear-most section of exhaust and allow the middle section to droop supported by the bracket in the middle of the car. Remove the large heat shield if it still exists on your car.

Jack the car up using the body (not the chassis). Since all my 2.5TD's have towbars then the towbar provides an ideal jacking point. Otherwise a plank of wood across the sills will do. The idea is to get the weight off the wheels and the chassis structure that supports the wheels. Slacken the four bolts which hold the sub-chassis to the underside of the body. Completely remove the two on the same side of the car as the anti-sink sphere. The chassis should drop at that side lowering it slowly on a trolley jack or similar. The chassis will be retained by the two slackened bolts on the other side. For anyone reading about this for the first time it will seem daunting. However, the dropping of the sub-chassis and its reinstatement are actually very straightforward.

A gap of approx 200mm should have appeared above the anti-sink sphere between the sphere and the body of the car. Now remove the 3.5mm pipe attached to the centre of the sphere. If the depressurising above did not work properly then there may be a sudden leak when the tubing end unscrews from the sphere. As long as you are wearing glasses you should only get wet. No other harm should befall you. The tubing nut is usually rusted into the sphere, or worse, to the tubing itself, so I'm in the habit of using a bit of heat (Oxy/Acetylene) to help it release.

Now, clean the exposed threads on the neck of the sphere and lubricate with your favourite release oil spray. If you have a socket big enough then undo the big nut facing you on the end of the sphere. Otherwise, take a cold chisel and put it against one corner of the big nut keeping the sphere attached to the bracket. Strike the chisel so that the nut turns in an anti-clockwise direction. This will take many blows but I've never failed to get the nut to turn and I've seen some rusty brackets ! After the nut revolves 1/6 of a turn you'll need to move the chisel around to the next corner of the nut and repeat. Keep doing this until the nut is free enough to turn by hand. Once the nut is off, the sphere will easily lift out of the bracket.

Take the opportunity to clean the rust off the bracket whilst you have access. You may decide that it would be easier to do this with the bracket removed. There are three nuts and bolts holding the bracket to the chassis. The nuts on two of them are easily accessible and a spanner can be fitted to hold them still whilst the bolts are turned. The third one is above the strut in the strut 'cage' and is more difficult to access. However, with perseverance it is possible. With the bracket off in your hand you can wire brush it and treat it with rust-eater or similar. the same goes for the upper surface of the chassis. Rebuild the braket using Waxoyl or similar and grease on the nuts and bolts. Clean and grease the threads on the sphere and clean up the big nut as best you can.

you may also want to take not of the bank of hydraulic pipes which run along the front of the chassis tube betwen the chassis tube and the fuel tank. this area remains wet becuse there's not much air circulation and is a favourite place for burst pipes. Clean the pipes as best you can and liberally coat with a rust conversion product. Then cover in Waxoyl or similar before reassembling the chassis.

Assembly is the reverse of disassembly. However, when the chassis is offered back up to the body with the aid of a jack you may find the two bolt holes don't quite line up. It is easier with two people at this point. Put a large screwdriver or podger through one of the holes inthe chassis and right through into the hole in the body. Lever the screwdriver until the other hole lines up with the body. Once you've got one bolt in the other should go in reasonably easily. If the second won't go in because of a small misalignment then you should tighten the first bolt whilst still levering the screwdriver. Tightening the first bolt will stop the chassis slipping back when the screwdriver is removed to insert the second bolt.

Hope all that helps.

Cheers

noz

This post has been edited by noz on April 28, 2010 10:28 am

[steelcityuk]

Hi Noz,

An excellent write up as usual.

However I've found a better solution to the antisink problem, buy a sinker!

Nice to 'see' you around again.

Steve.

[noz]

Cheers Steve. Its good to be back.

[razor]

Check out this way...


More pictures here: http://cx.zapto.org/gallery/album341?page=1

[robertmnorton]

Hi all,i confess i didn't find it too difficult.The depressurisation process is followed and the body jacked up to lift it above the subframe as Noz says.The hydraulic pipe is disconnected and a 50mm socket loosens the retaining nut.I then used a 1/4 drive socket and - i can't remember now whether they are 10mm or 13mm - a spanner on the nut to remove the mounting bracket.The 50mm nut can then be loosened off completely - it should only be finger tight. and the bracket weedled out followed by the sphere.
It is probably easier on my car as i had the cross box deleted when the s/s exhaust was tailored in,but the key is to jacking the body up an far as possible to make space.
robertm