Sphere recharging

BxMauritius · Post by **BxMauritius** » Tue Dec 01, 2009 7:47 pm

Hi all, anyone used the valprex 2000 valves and C720 recharging kit made by Tecnosir.
Can these be purchased in the UK?.

Rouben.

citronut · Post by **citronut** » Tue Dec 01, 2009 8:45 pm

i dont know if tjhey are still avalible in UK BUT THEY USED TO BE AROUND 300 UK pounds,

just done a google search and found there site

http://www.tecnosir.com/english/attrezzature.html

so it looks like they are still selling this equipment,

not that i belive in re/gassing with the price of new AMTEC spheres nowadays

regards malcolm

Post by **docchevron** » Wed Dec 02, 2009 12:46 am

Well, there is a certain value in regassing genuine spheres.
Amtex are ok, but they dont tend to last all that well really, and once they are flat they really dont seem to take a re-gas.
Whereas, a genuine sphere, if recharged every couple of years or so, seem to last forever.

BxMauritius · Post by **BxMauritius** » Wed Dec 02, 2009 7:05 am

Well here in Mauritius we only have the choice of buying from Citroen themselves or some nearly as expensive imitations.
I would prefer to recharge what i have and make the money back on the equipment by recharging other peoples cars.

The cost of importing amtex spheres is also not worth it because of the cost of freight and duty.

citronut · Post by **citronut** » Wed Dec 02, 2009 8:52 am

in you situation it is probably more viable to try to keep re/gassing old spheres because of the cost of new,

new genuine spheres are around 80 or so UK pounds each to buy here, so i see why you choose that route,

when spheres in general used to cost a lot of dosh to replace new over here, re/gassing was more usual/common place

regards malcolm

Vanny · Post by **Vanny** » Wed Dec 02, 2009 7:39 pm

My last front genuine Citroen spheres where £5 each (and in date) and i had them fitted for just £5 more. This was in the North though.

kiwi · Post by **kiwi** » Wed Dec 02, 2009 10:19 pm

Interesting!

On my TRS I have valves fitted to the spheres for recharging and have the mileage of the last recharge/fitting since they were done. All I need to do know is find a recharger in the North Island save me replacing them.

The TZS which is the harder suspension of the two has not got these valves and I may just do a swap given the current situation of vehicle running costs. Replacing them I have seen for $170 per pair from a supplier in the south island. Thats about 70 quid?

BxMauritius · Post by **BxMauritius** » Thu Dec 03, 2009 5:27 am

I think its the way to go if you have many Bx's and with 5 spheres each. You could just keep topping them up once a year.
So somebody in NZ must have the equipment lying dormant somewhere, unless they are still recharging nowdays. Good luck on your search.

Tecar · Post by **Tecar** » Thu Dec 03, 2009 6:46 pm

kiwi wrote:Interesting!

On my TRS I have valves fitted to the spheres for recharging and have the mileage of the last recharge/fitting since they were done. All I need to do know is find a recharger in the North Island save me replacing them.

The TZS which is the harder suspension of the two has not got these valves and I may just do a swap given the current situation of vehicle running costs. Replacing them I have seen for $170 per pair from a supplier in the south island. Thats about 70 quid?

Most guys who service cits in NZ will still have the recharging gear - an engineering firm in Hamilton used to make the valves and other stuff for recharging.

maxgreenwood · Post by **maxgreenwood** » Thu Dec 03, 2009 11:32 pm

Can all shperes be recharged? I've seen ones with the little black plastic cap on, and assumed these were ones that could be. I think mine are genuine ones - from Pleiades, is it a case of breaking the seal on the nut on the front to do and fitting with the black protective cover when regassed for the 1st time?

Took the BX out tonight for the 1st time in 6 weeks. Been driving my XM in the meantime. I'm loving the BX again

, what a car, got so much going for it. thinking about resigning myself to the fact i might have to keep two on the road, the BX for economical round-town and the XM for cruising. The savings in fuel on the BX justifies the cost of having two cars... and hopefully i can keep the BX fixed up myself, seems like lego compared to the XM.

sorry a bit off topic, but i think a burst of BX enthusiasm should welcome on any thread

kiwi · Post by **kiwi** » Thu Dec 03, 2009 11:51 pm

Tecar wrote:Most guys who service cits in NZ will still have the recharging gear - an engineering firm in Hamilton used to make the valves and other stuff for recharging.

Any recommendations? Lots of these people do not advertise their services so word of mouth be useful...cheers

citronut · Post by **citronut** » Fri Dec 04, 2009 8:56 am

yes kiwi Martin at Pleiades, in Sawtry Cambs, the only problem with that is the air fair TEA HE,

and yes Max any sphere can be re/gassed as long as the bladder/diaphram is in tackt,

all they do is un/screw the kniple on at the end of the sphere and screw in a valve,

then its just pumped up like a tyre, but with nitrogen not compresed air

regards malcolm

CaM · Post by **CaM** » Fri Dec 04, 2009 9:06 am

kiwi wrote:
Tecar wrote:Most guys who service cits in NZ will still have the recharging gear - an engineering firm in Hamilton used to make the valves and other stuff for recharging.
Any recommendations? Lots of these people do not advertise their services so word of mouth be useful...cheers

adlams in new plymouth
adlams in wellington
terry falkner in masterton
amsterdam autos in lower hutt

there's heaps around. perhaps someone even closer, in wanganui maybe? there used to be a couple of places in palmerston north but not sure any longer.

kiwi · Post by **kiwi** » Fri Dec 04, 2009 9:21 am

Thats a start

kiwi · Post by **kiwi** » Thu Jan 14, 2010 8:30 am

I went up to Hamilton (NZ) today and while I was up there I went to see Alan Sklenar for a replacement drivers door I managed to bend. Long story but basically it was a saving compared to losing insurance excess and couple years NCB.

Anyways back to the topis while I was there I mentioned the hard ride I was getting, as soon as he did the bump test his conclussion was a flat sphere on the Drivers side. Since they had never been recharged he did the test and sure enough the Drivers Side was near enough flat and not rechargable.

But he had a second hand good one which he checked and was able recharge both spheres of which I now have valves on like the other BX we have.

Brilliant piece of work the return trip- home was so smooth none of the bumps that I had experianced on the way up troubled me in fact the car now slices the corners with low advisory limits and made the teip a pleasure to drive back.

Happy? You betcha and as for a source of parts this guy is an absoluate hoarder. If he aint got it its because he can not find it buried under the parts he has. Great guy very helpful.