Hydraulic pressure HELP !!

ianselva · Post by **ianselva** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 1:05 pm

I've just had to replace the 3 way main hydraulic feed rubber pipe that goes from the reservoir to the FDV , the Height adjuster and I forget where else . This involved draining the fluid from the pump and the FDV . Now its all back together and ther is no hydraulic pressure or it seems any pumping going on. I have taken the pump feed pipe off and filled it with LHM but it doesn't go down.
Is the any way to bleed the system ? The pump was perfectly OK when I started the job.

Cheers

Ian

Post by **docchevron** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 1:52 pm

Some cars seem to struggle a bit like yours. Especially if the pumps a bit weak. Although it seems odd that it wont pump since you hadn't disturbed any HP lines??

Suggest trying the same trick (filling the LP hose to the HP pump with fluid) give it some revs, Try cracking the bleed bolt on the PR off 1 1/4 turns and see if the fluid starts to cycle, it should....

Cheers
Chris G

thanuttiscotsman · Post by **thanuttiscotsman** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 3:25 pm

hi there,
this kind of crap has happened to me many times. my fluid ran very low once and when i filled it up the car would not rise. but after many revving and lots of time still nothing. then the next day nothing. could not figure it out. then next time i started it after running for 10 mins it literally jumped off the ground. im sure they just get airlocked and sometimes just takes time for it to work itself out.

ps dont worry if you cant sort it it will solve itself as it has done this to me many times and always fixes itself. though im sure you can do some poking to help it along.

cheers rossco

ianselva · Post by **ianselva** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 3:37 pm

Thanks
That fixed it although I still had to circulate a lot of fluid into the pump before it started to get pressure up . Its all fine now.
Incidently the hose I replaced seemed to be one of several variants, the first one the main dealer sold me only had two pipes coming off the main branch. The next one had three but the FDV pipe was a lot too long with a larger size end on it and the height corrector was too short. However I made that one fit, but there must another diesel one with power steering available that would be the correct one.

Cheers

Ian

tom · Post by **tom** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 5:42 pm

If this is a pipe from the reservoir to the height corrector and flow distributor, it is a return pipe and not a feed pipe so there is no need to drain the pump in the first place. The way to refill the pump is to remove the pump feed pipe at the reservoir, jam a funnel into it , hold it as high as possible and have an assistant start the engine, turning it off when the funnel empties. Pop the pipe back on.

Post by **docchevron** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 2:15 am

tom wrote: jam a funnel into it , hold it as high as possible

Isn't that illegal in some countries......

Cheers
Chris G

tim leech · Post by **tim leech** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 9:31 am

Only if they catch you Chris!

Post by **docchevron** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 12:51 pm

ianselva · Post by **ianselva** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 1:17 pm

tom wrote:If this is a pipe from the reservoir to the height corrector and flow distributor, it is a return pipe and not a feed pipe so there is no need to drain the pump in the first place. The way to refill the pump is to remove the pump feed pipe at the reservoir, jam a funnel into it , hold it as high as possible and have an assistant start the engine, turning it off when the funnel empties. Pop the pipe back on.

I thought the small pipes are return pipes, and the large one to the pump the feed . I realize the big pipe to the pump is a feed , else I wouldn't have tried putting LHM down it. I didn't drain the pump but lost some as I had removed the pipe while changing the head/gasket. I had it running for up to half an our with the pipe suspended and full of fluid with nothing happening. It was only when I opened the bleed valve that fluid started to move.

Ian