Rear Sphere Wont Come Off

richardd1652 · Post by **richardd1652** » Fri Feb 10, 2012 4:11 pm

Trying to get rear sphere off the mk1 Leader as i need to remove suspension unit to get a better attack on the broken pipe end stuck in the unit but the bloody sphere just wont budge. Tried chain wrench, knocking 7 barrels of sh*te out of it with a chisel but still no joy. Any ideas anyone?
Richard.

JayW · Post by **JayW** » Fri Feb 10, 2012 5:25 pm

For those which will definitely not budge my last and only successful resort has been to drill a (10mm) hole in the side of the sphere and insert the pointy end of one of my trusty heel bars as a lever to turn it.

I've done this several times over the years and always with success. Suffice to say the sphere is knackered after but providing the pipe union of the cylinder is properly located in the carrier on the axel (so the union bears the force and not the pipe) it's never done any other damage.

Yes it's extreme but sometimes there's no alternative. Cue gunfire!

richardd1652 · Post by **richardd1652** » Fri Feb 10, 2012 5:41 pm

Thanks Jay, that sounds like a cunning plan.
Richard.

rmattila · Post by **rmattila** » Fri Feb 10, 2012 6:12 pm

Welding a M30 nut to the end and using a mallet-wrench (such as that: http://www.rmattila.com/images/remontit ... vel011.jpg ) will usually do the trick, if everything else has failed.

Kitch · Post by **Kitch** » Fri Feb 10, 2012 9:40 pm

I take it you've used the sphere tool? I've never had a failure with one - worked every single time, and that involves times I'm laying on my back underneath pushing against it with my foot.

BX Meteor · Post by **BX Meteor** » Sat Feb 11, 2012 6:22 am

I put a post up in BX Technical for the same reason on 3 May 2011

bx petrol auto saloon · Sat Feb 11, 2012 3:16 pm

Dear Richard.
I have just last week renewed all four spheres on my TXi, The way
I did mine was the fronts in " Low " no pressure. But the rears I put the
car in " High " with full pressure stopping the cylinder from moving at the
same time, and then it does get a bit messy when you have to put in
" Low " to remove them.

All The Best Richard hope this helps.
Vince.

Oilyspanner · Post by **Oilyspanner** » Sat Feb 11, 2012 5:30 pm

Neatest way is to put the car up on ramps, ride height on highest setting and if needed ballast in the boot, using the tool "crack" the spheres half a turn, lower car to minimum crawl under and remove the spheres easily with little spillage, fit the new spheres and O rings hand tight, send the car up to max height for the final tighten of the sphere and to check for leaks, when I had a pipe snapped off in a rear cylinder I removed the cylinder and got it in a vice, did have to damage the nut getting it out though, if the sphere is really stuck then a blowlamp played around the thread helps (diesel models only)

richardd1652 · Post by **richardd1652** » Sat Feb 11, 2012 9:03 pm

Thanks guys , think the idea of Jayw,s is on the agenda as the reason for removing sphere is i need to get rear unit out to aid the removal of a snapped off pipe so high settings etc will make a dreadful mess on my drive .
Richard.

ken newbold · Post by **ken newbold** » Sat Feb 11, 2012 9:26 pm

I can save you a lot of time and trouble.

Jack up the rear of the car as high as possible, support it of course! then use a reciprocating saw or angle grinder or even a hacksaw blade and cut through the cylinder across the centre, just in front where it comes out of the subframe housing. The rear half will come out the back with sphere attached, the front half will come out forward. JUST MAKE SURE YOU HAVE EXTRACTED THE PISTON AND PUSH ROD FROM THE FRONT. They're hardened and don't like being cut.

Then you'll need a new cylinder, new pipe and job done!

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Rear Sphere Wont Come Off

Rear Sphere Wont Come Off

Rear sphere won,t come off