Citroen XM Forum

John
You are doing a sterling job here, well done.

I wonder whether heating the cast hydraulic head then cooling the inner pressing would enable the head to be rotated if the inner core was clamped tight using a spread collet and the cast head gripped with something. Adding lubricant to the joint surface would help as well.

I still wonder about complete manufacture, or at least of the lower plate and bonded rubber section, with old hydraulic heads being re-used.

Hi Will

The inner core on all the types of head centres have 2 diagonally opposite 10mm holes (size estimated).
So a gripping tool could be made up.
The top of the head centre looked at in plan from above has a whole series of angular shapes.
A cut out jig shape fixed on the end of a bar would grip that very securely.
So I suspect that rotation may be worth a trial run at some stage.
The other options are still worth looking at:
I would like to play on a scrap XM with a C5 strut head and an XM sphere.
I think it is just possible that it will fit under the bonnet clear of the chassis without rotation.
Might need to adjust a few components. May talk to PeterN about doing this on his bus shelter refugee.
The other possibility I wondered about was a blank with a 10mm pipe connection instead of a direct mounted sphere.
Then run a flexible pipe to a seperately mounted sphere.
Bit Blue Sky that one but avoids the rotation need.

John

xmexclusive wrote: The other options are still worth looking at:
I would like to play on a scrap XM with a C5 strut head and an XM sphere.
I think it is just possible that it will fit under the bonnet clear of the chassis without rotation.
Might need to adjust a few components. May talk to PeterN about doing this on his bus shelter refugee.
The other possibility I wondered about was a blank with a 10mm pipe connection instead of a direct mounted sphere.
Then run a flexible pipe to a seperately mounted sphere.
Bit Blue Sky that one but avoids the rotation need.

John

The remote sphere would work, but due to the neck containing dampers the fixings and interconnect would need to be robust, maybe a screw in angled adapter might be the answer to giving enough clearance.

The XM at Gloucester is scheduled for stripping next w/e and it will be having the struts removed so maybe a test bed.

Hi Will

Really like that opinion of yours that a remote piped sphere would work.
I though about getting Colinxm to make up an angled sphere adaptor then discounted it.
It was the fact that the Citroen pressure testing tool kits that Dean and I have contains a sphere position blank that set me off.
Then I realised from my plumbing experience that getting anything angled with just a thread to tighten it never sits tight it the right place.
Beginning to think we might be cooking with LHM here now. The green mist might just be clearing a bit.

John

the Citroen pressure testing tool kits that Dean and I have contains a sphere position blank

indeed they do but for the life of me i cant figure out why i would need to use it?

D

xmexclusive wrote: Then I realised from my plumbing experience that getting anything angled with just a thread to tighten it never sits tight it the right place.
John

True, but there are options for this. Either have a sealant to seal the threads when in the correct position, it sounds daft, but something like hemp or a synthetic version of might do and there are some very good industrial adhesives available which can seal threads effectively, or use a fitting with a flat seat similar to the original sphere, so the square O ring can be used, then have a swivel seated fitting a bit further down so the position can be set correctly.

If we know what threads are required it might be possible to buy ready made hydraulics couplings.

I think once a test fit is made and the correct angle worked out, a trip to a hydraulics fittings supplier might be in order.

The adapter sounds like a nice way of getting round the sphere fitting with new heads problem.

I think the sphere would require an additional support to avoid undoing the threaded adapter, as it would no longer be axially in-line.

Bx Spheres point down, would it really need support?
http://athena.cx/main.php?g2_itemId=1200

Learning a bit more.
From tonights look at the bits I think it is only the strut rod that has a taper not the strut head.
In the top of the strut head there is a circular recessed groove to form the oilway to feed the strut with LHM.
At the centre of the strut rod taper there are 2 oil feed holes positioned to match the strut head oilway.
To seal this oil feed the strut head has 2 "O" rings one above the oilway and one below.
These "O" rings seat in a semicircular grooves machined in the steel of the strut head.
Each of the steel sections with the "O" ring is so short that it does not have a taper just parallel sides.
By making the lower "O" ring section slightly larger in diameter the taper on the strut rod is matched.
To make the C5 strut head work for a thick rod XM (my main interest) the taper needs machining down on the rod.
Anyone know if struts can be dissassembled or if the machining is practical.

John