Way2go wrote:That's the nearside rear isn't it? There's a number of HP pipes running over the subframe that side where if a pinhole break occurs the green stuff flows over and seems to come from anywhere. I had a front-back pipe go at this location and the leak first of all was not as catastrophic as you would think.
It got considerably worse when moving pipes to faultfind though!
Yup. It is that area. However, I can't imagine a pinhole in a high pressure pipe would just cure itself. It must have been a slightly leaky return. Of course, if I end up being recovered from London this weekend, then you were right to be concerned!
Right. This seems to be a pretty massive high-pressure leak now. LHM is misting in pretty clouds in front of the rear wheel and puddles are forming very quickly indeed. I've never seen frothy LHM before. I believe the phrase for such moments is "Bumhats."
My Cars: 1999 Xsara LX 2.0HDI (90) Hatch - Fern 2002 C5 2.0 HDI (110) Estate - Jasmine - SORN 2011 Mini Cooper D Clubman - SOLD 2016 Mercedes A180D Sport - Auto refinement 1992 TZD Turbo - Bluebell - SORN 1992 TZD Turbo Estate - SORN 1991 Gti 16V - Blaze - crash damaged, will get repaired - SORN 1990 Gti 8Valve SOLD - looks like it's been scrapped 2002 Mini Cooper S - SOLD - i miss this car 1992 TXD - Scrapped in March 2014 1988 CX 25 GTI Turbo2 - SORN 1996 - AX Memphis 1.5D - Dream - SORN
High pressure causes the lhm to atomize, it looks like smoke, i remember Tim's old G-Seg doing that at a ccc meet a few years back.
2002 C5 2.0 HDI Estate - Jasmine - Now SORN
2011 Mini Cooper D Clubman - SOLD
2016 Mercedes A180D Sport - Auto refinement
1992 TZD Turbo - Bluebell - My daily
1991 Gti 16V - Blaze - crash damaged, will get repaired.
1990 Gti 8Valve SOLD - looks like it's been scrapped
2002 Mini Cooper S - SOLD - i miss this car
1992 TXD - Scrapped in March 2014
1988 CX 25 GTI Turbo2 - SORN
1996 - AX Memphis 1.5D - Dream - SORN
It's interesting that you at least got some warning - I've never known a high pressure leak do that. With me it's been either all or nothing! I suppose looking on the bright side tracing it shouldn't be as much of an issue. I spoke to Pleiades a couple of weeks back and IIRC each front to rear pipe was under £20. I've got that job this year I think, as I've spotted a couple of areas where the coating has failed.
It's odd isn't it? At one stage last week, it definitely wasn't leaking at all, then it was VERY leaky. I'll have a search in a bit (high workload at the moment) but is there anything I need to know before tackling front-to-rear pipe replacement? I'm presuming it must be that pipe.
Dollywobbler wrote: is there anything I need to know before tackling front-to-rear pipe replacement?
Carefully hinge the back of the rear subframe down (bolts in the boot) to gain good access for threading the new pipe through. It's nigh on impossible to thread this pipe through otherwise even if massaging some of its bends. Use a jack to support the subframe when lowering and only drop it enough to get the new pipe through to avoid placing undue strain on the other pipes.
I need to do this soon, and have decided that rather than just hinging the subframe down I'm going to drop it out to so I can get some prper rust-proofing into the front subframe mounts, which tend to be hidden rust traps. Seems dafto not to take the opportunity while you're halfway there anyway.
1990 BX TZD Estate ('the grey one', 1991 BX TZD Estate ('the white one'), 1982 2CV6 Charleston (in bits), 1972 AZU Serie B (2CV van), 1974 HY72 Camper, 1990 Land Rover 110 diesel LWB, 1957 Mobylette AV76, 1992 Ducati 400SS, 1966 VW Beetle, 1990 Mazda MX-5, 1996 Peugeot 106D, 1974 JCB 2D MkII, 1997 BMW R1100RS, 1987 Suzuki GSX-R1100, 1978 Honda CX500A, 1965 Motobecane Cady, 1988 Honda Bros/Africa Twin, 1963 Massey Ferguson 825, and a lot of bicycles!
I think that's a fair point Kevin. This car is remarkably solid, so it'd be sensible to try and keep it that way! At the moment though, I feel I don't have enough axle stands. I'd appreciate tips on where to support the rear of the car if I'm dropping the subframe. I'm slightly concerned that I have absolutely no idea what needs doing to even start this job, but I guess I'll have to learn as I go.
Hinging the subframe is not a fraction of the work to dropping it IMHO. You can carefully hinge it without disconnecting the other HP pipes, brake lines, ABS sensors wiring etc. Also alignment on reassembly remains fairly automatic. But hey if you want to be thorough, go for it, but be prepared for some disintegration of other pipes etc upon dissasembly necessitating additional expenditure.
I've just had a look at it actually. I still can't see where it's actually leaking from. Possibly above the axle arm, but it's hard to say. There is LHM spraying out everywhere now. Ugh!
I've not done the job myself (yet) but speaking to Plieades about it they said dropping the subframe was optional with the cupro nickel pipes, with them being more flexible than the steel originals. That's a job for me one dry day this summer!