Topic

MG mad wrote: wrote:

You're right that placement of the valves is important, but I do know there are a handful of MGFs that have had this done to them in Auckland - unfortunately I don't know if any spacers were used, but I don't believe so.

I meant space/room/modding bodywork to get them fit, but in fact it said either that or a different placement of valves. Sorry for the unclear description.

Any chance of info/schematics from your dad's friend on the placement, or anybody else who might have done this on the forum (has anybody)?

Even if it would be for giving it a go after having taken them out for something else in the meantime, i'd like the idea of trying to revive them eventually

So, having had no success (zero, zilch, nada) in sourcing any other viable alternatives, i ordered the australian spring conversion kit (A$1600 suspension & GAZ dampers + A$250 shipping to France). In case any others should be interested i repeat here the contact information for them: Stuart (britishautoparts @ bigpond.com), or here .

As i'm going to have a go and try to fit them by myself, i'm starting to plan things out while waiting for them to arrive. Thus a few questions for which you'd maybe have answers

- Would you recommend i absolutely order and change the dampers bottom bolts ( these ).
- Maybe something else i should definitely change/replace during the operation?
- Anything else i should do as a worthwhile work (even if not in relation to the suspension) while in there? As i'm not able to strip the car apart every other weekend this might be the occasion to do some small maintenance in the same bulk of work/time.

Thanks in advance!

Crikey. If your spending that much you might as well go the whole hog and change everything you can ie all the bushes, mounts etc.

Well, i wasn't exactly looking for to spend that much but the car is otherwise in an excellent condition and the hydragas units are gone. So, of course it's expensive but i wanted/needed to get it back to shape. I've looked for alternatives for a few months now, and once i decided wanting a permanent solution there exists only the Suplex kit or these. Compared to the Suplex kit the springs and the dampers are both adjustable and the kit has only had praise, so when the acceptation of the situation finally hit me it was a matter of investing in quality and a peace of mind.

It's my hope that once the replacement has been done the suspension has been be dealt with for the remaining life of the car (which i wish to be long and prosperous).

Now, i'm not on an unlimited budget, quite the contrary this hurts and the money could've gone elsewhere (vacation etc) so i'm unwilling/unable to spend on stuff that doesn't need to be replaced, but as i plan on keeping the car i'd like to try and keep it in shape. Hence my questions, but in a sense of knowing if "x and/or y are likely suspects to have gone bad, check them out" or "you should definitely replace x at the same time".

When you say all the bushes do you mean the poly-bush kits that are sold for front or back?
What would the mounts be (sorry, i'm a handy person but not very mechanically inclined)?

Thanks for the advice
Anybody/anything else?

Well i was being a bit vague but im in the process of replacing anything that is made of rubber with polybush as available (just the cheap kit off ebay) or hem type if not, while trying to clean up/ derust /paint as i go along. After all my car is about 18 years old so i reckon its all got to be knackered and what's the point of an mg that doesn't handle?

Hi guys,

I've aquired 4 secondhand hydragas units from a low mileage "F" in the hope of resolving my hard ride, as like Sebastion I'm experiencing similar symptoms.

But, I don't believe that after 11 yrs there will be a lot of Nitrogen left in the spheres. So having jumped on a similar thread on the F Register there seems to be a company who can fit the schrader valves.

http://www.mgfregister.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=14130

I hope to be in contact this week with Sportlines Suspension to see what they can do. I've ordered my hand pump off the seller on ebay and ordered some fluid from Rimmer Bros so we should in a few weeks be in a position to replace said units and hopefully the suspension should be similar to when it came from the factory.

Tone

Keep us updated on this. please.

Quick update. I've made contact with Sportsline Suspension and we are looking at getting said units over to Buckingham next week for work to be done.

Thye will fit schrader valves in the centre of the sphere on the fronts and 30degs offset on the rears, and then add the correct amount of nitrogen

cost to be confirmed.





Photo courtesy Steve Barnard

As i've understood, it's not only the fact of nitrogen escaping -and thus just needing a refill to "repair" the loss- that is the problem; those are sealed units and they rust inside and/or the membrane separating the two chambers can/will fail. I could imagine this route to work with the best chances with NOS units that have no rust, and even then what is possibly the shell life of the rubber parts having stayed dry for all those years?

Dieter's site has a gory autopsy report of a 60K unit in a disastrous state.

In any case it's certainly positive and can only help, even if it should be just to get back to health those units that are in otherwise working condition.

As to my end of story, all four units were rock hard so either only a loss of nitrogen or a membrane failure, or both. And additionally the rear unit of the side that had gone done several cm's in the past few months was officially dead:

Hi Sebastion,

I appreciate that there is an element of risk that the units I have, whilst low mileage ones, they are 12 yrs old .

I'm not certain there's any nitrogen left in them, they will almost certainly be rusty as per Dieters inspections, but at the moment I have no alternative that I wish to follow.

I've heard different results on the Suplex System, Darryl is still trying to sort the legalitys of his kit and I would like to keep some originality in the car.

And then there is the cost, for me to change completely my suspension is a no goer, I've invested enough funds in the car. I'm already exceeding its market value, the existing suspension is OK but I'm sure it could be better so for me its a case of refurb some secondhand units and we'll take it from there.

Sportsline Suspension have said they cannot guarantee the Nitrogen Spheres will be of any use, we can but hope and pray.

Hi Sebastian
I am in a similar position as yours and evaluating the possibilities.
Have you installed the Australian kit?

Hi Taki,

i installed the kit last weekend. The parts are heavy-duty quality and solid all around, plus adjustable. I'm no expert but would be ready to recommend it. The only downside is price.