Mot Failure?

eadmr04

eadmr04

Member
Just having a quick look around while I've got the wheels off before I have an MOT and have just noticed this. Think it's the de dion dust cover? It's got a small tear in it but just wondered if it might be an MOT failure? If it is, is it a specialist job or would a normal type of garage be able to replace it? Thanks.
 

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AFAIK it's a failure. Steering and suspension boots always were a failure back in the day, then for some reason they weren't, now they are again...:confused:

It's not a specialist job, but make sure they don't read the WM before they do it atherwise they'll be taking far more apart than they need to. Undo the ring of bolts next to the boot, split the tube from the elbow, cut the old boot off, stretch the new boot over the end of the slider, fit the expanding clip to the slider, refit the ring of bolts, put a few shots of 20/50 in the filler plug, then run the car around the block before fitting the clip to the outer tube.

Regardless of the MOT, it should be done anyway.
 
Cheers Harvey,

Mine currently has a steel band one end and spring the other and am I right in thinking these are generally replaced with a jubilee clip one end and cable tie the other?

Would I require any other parts, I'm thinking of buying some new bolts but is there a gasket between the two faces that would need to be replaced?

Do I just need to undo the gaitor end bolts of the tube? I was thinking of jacking the car up on the drivers side with the rear wheel removed to give better access. I've tried all the bolts and have managed to make sure all of them will free up but I've noticed that a couple of them are not bolts but look like nuts on studs. If this is the case and the studs will not come out will I still have enough room, bearing in mind the tube will probably have to separate by about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch to clear the studs?

Hope the above makes sense. I'd really would like to do the job myself so want to have a really good idea what's involved, because if I get half way through and balls it up I'll really be in the mire.:oops:
 
I'd use the spring band on the slider, but a cable tie on the outer tube will be fine. There are 6 bolts and two studs and nuts, you only need to split the gaiter end. There is a gasket but most of the time that doesn't need to be replaced. You will have plenty of room to get the elbow off the studs, remember that the slider slides, and the elbow moves outwards. You need to position the stands under the base unit, not under the trailing arms or elbows. The higher you can jack the car up the easier the job will be. Only possible problem is the bolts snapping, and you won't know that until you try to undo them, but if you run around the thread ends and nuts with a wire brush and penetrating oil in advance you'll improve you chances of them coming out. If you've got them moving then you shoul;d be laughing. Just don't tighten the cable tie on the tube until you've driven around the block.
 
I have one other suggestion. When I did one a few years ago, the oil had migrated into the boot. Upon dismantling, I found some corrosion pitting in the inner tube, hence the degredation of the rubber boot as it turned into an oil seal. The later cars had greased tubes, so I used grease, instead of oil. The later cars used grease, and used felt seals instead of rubber seals.

The job is easy to do. I think there are some very good photos on here.

Follow Harvey's directions for dismantling, they are very good. Do not follow the directions on the book. The take off much more that needs to be removed.

James.
 
j_radcliffe said:
I have one other suggestion. When I did one a few years ago, the oil had migrated into the boot. Upon dismantling, I found some corrosion pitting in the inner tube, hence the degredation of the rubber boot as it turned into an oil seal. The later cars had greased tubes, so I used grease, instead of oil. The later cars used grease, and used felt seals instead of rubber seals.

The job is easy to do. I think there are some very good photos on here.

Follow Harvey's directions for dismantling, they are very good. Do not follow the directions on the book. The take off much more that needs to be removed.

James.
Click to expand...
Cheers James, I will have a look when I take it apart to see what my options might be.
 
One crucial thing is to buy a decent replacement boot to try to avoid doing the job again in a year or two. So far I haven't succeeded in that. The last one I fitted is less than 2 years old and already starting to show signs of perishing. The previous one (on a different car) barely lasted a year.
I did bodge it once, wrapping leather round and fixing it with cable ties. It lasted well but I always felt that it was slightly restricting the free sliding movement of the tube. But if you're desperate to get through an MOT...
 
NoS gaiters come up on ebay.

Having the same lack of life with these repo items i would buy one of the NoS items.

Glad to see LRV is still on the road, john was a great asset to the P6 family, lovely car too.
 
arthuy said:
NoS gaiters come up on ebay.

Having the same lack of life with these repo items i would buy one of the NoS items.

Glad to see LRV is still on the road, john was a great asset to the P6 family, lovely car too.
Click to expand...
Thanks, yep still going strong. He gave me a fantastic record and history file of information when I bought it and I've kept it all up to date.
 
Ordered a new gaitor/boot, gasket and new set of bolts to get it repaired.

I've managed to get all the old bolts out and nuts off the two studs and prized the two sections apart. The sliding section was quite stiff but I've put a bit of oil in and greased the shaft and all seems to move quite smoothly now. Should the sliding section come completely out or just move about 3 to 4 inches? Mine just moves 3 to 4 inches but I just wondered when fitting the new boot, do you have to stretch it completely over the flange part of the slider or does the slider come out and you put it on from the other end?

Thanks.
 
Hi
You stretch it on as Harvey said,you cant pull tube out due to wire retainer clip on inner tube which only
comes off when tube assembly removed from car.
Cheers,
Clive.
 
Willy Eckerslyke said:
One crucial thing is to buy a decent replacement boot to try to avoid doing the job again in a year or two. So far I haven't succeeded in that. The last one I fitted is less than 2 years old and already starting to show signs of perishing. The previous one (on a different car) barely lasted a year.
I did bodge it once, wrapping leather round and fixing it with cable ties. It lasted well but I always felt that it was slightly restricting the free sliding movement of the tube. But if you're desperate to get through an MOT...
Click to expand...
Cheers Willy.
 
Forgot to update. Got it all done with a new boot, clamp and set of nuts and bolts. Took a bit of a while but I'm no mechanic. was a bit of a struggle getting the boot over but put it in boiling water first to soften it and eventually prised it over. All successfully done and MOT passed a couple of months back.

Thanks for all the advice
 
I've been meaning to do this job for a while, and thought I would buy myself a set of nuts and bolts to get round sod's law of, "If you don't buy 'em, then they will break".

Looking at the parts book I have it states (for both sides):

4 Nuts - 254820 - 1/4 UNF
16 Spring washers - GHF331 - 1/4 dia
12 Bolts - 255407 - 1/8 UNF x 3/4 long

This ties up with 6 bolts and two studs and nuts per side, and I'm guessing a washer on all 8.

Is it correct though, that the bolts are not the same size as the nuts and washers :confused:

Can you point me in the direction of a supplier for small quantities of nuts and bolts as well :)
 
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