Pipe cleaning

Boxwolf · Post by **Boxwolf** » Fri Apr 17, 2009 1:44 pm

I want to try and lubricate my front struts as they are a bit sticky going up, the method listed on the DIY section of the site mentions cleaning the pipes. Is this essential, and if so, what would the best method of doing this be? thanks.

tom · Post by **tom** » Fri Apr 17, 2009 5:30 pm

These are the ruber pipes from he strut. Clean them with a toothbrush and soapy water to get the mud off the outside. That's all you need to do.

Boxwolf · Post by **Boxwolf** » Fri Apr 17, 2009 7:13 pm

Okay, things didn't go too well. The container of LHM i used wouldnt stay in place as the suspension moved and the pipes kept slipping out. I managed to get it to suck up a little but not from low to high because the pipes would just come out. After getting my hands filthy, swearing and putting the pipes back on I tried putting the car up and down but no difference, it still sticks going up and sometimes down.

Is there any way to attach a container other than hooking it on another pipe, and to keep the pipes in when the suspension moves?

MULLEY · Post by **MULLEY** » Fri Apr 17, 2009 7:50 pm

I normally use a small plastic drinks bottle to pop the lhm in, then use some zip ties to actually locate the bottle securly against the strut, that avoids the bottle from moving too much & spilling that lhm all over the floor. Or get someone to actually hold the bottle in place whilst you make the suspension go up & down.

DLM · Post by **DLM** » Sat Apr 18, 2009 11:03 am

Yup - a 2-man job without artificial aids. You got a literal reply about "cleaning" from Tom (who originated the technique you're trying) because the aim of what you're doing is to lubricate the strut internals.

The only thing that ever removes accumulated (and normally microscopic) crud from any of the major hydraulic components is the temporary use of Hydraflush instead of LHM. It'd be stretching a point considerably to call even that "pipe cleaner", and it's not needed here.

kiwi · Post by **kiwi** » Sat Apr 18, 2009 12:18 pm

One thing I noticed in using what DLM mentioned and that is the Hydraflush running in my system instead of the LHM and this issue of sticky struts has gone straight away.

Boxwolf · Post by **Boxwolf** » Sat Apr 18, 2009 3:06 pm

I'll try again with a plastic drinks bottle (or two) next weekend. I intend to get some hydraflush sometime soon anyway, so if the LHM up the pipes doesnt help that might.

DLM · Post by **DLM** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 10:14 pm

My main experience of using hydraflush was on a friend's car as an early attempt to tackle a heavy, notchy steering problem after the usual checks for belt and pump problems. It was the next and cheapest thing to try, as we didn't have a known-good or reconned FDV available - and his BX has to work for a living towing so lengthy down-time isn't desirable.

It cured that problem gradually, but didn't make his sticky struts any better in that case. I suspect we caught a filter blocking-up in the FDV just in the nick of time - but I can't put my hand on my heart and say 100% that was the cause.

Over some time, I've followed a few threads on various Citroen forums where people have used hydraflush for various reasons. One thing that seems common experience is unpredictability: it's a black-box treatment, worth trying. Like a simple lhm change, effects can seem miraculous at first but improvements don't always seem to last.

Glad to hear it's worked for you in that case, kiwi.