replacing cc dry sump clutch seals

[ECR]

Anyone have any clever ways to insert the piston into the Caterham dry sump clutch slave cylinder after fitting new seals ?

If you have done the job you will know that when inerting the piston the smaller seal drops into the circlip groove on the piston preventing any further assembly.

My method is to use a piston follower which is basicaly a piece of steel bar the same size as the minor diameter of the piston which locates in the clearance hole for the first motion shaft. I then insert the follower and piston a little way to expand the seal and leave it (overnight preferably) for the seal to take on a “set”. I then push the whole assembly through quickly. This usualy works but last night, perhaps because the hot weather is making the seals more elastic, I could not get the piston to clear the groove. The assembly is now next to the beer in the fridge (to remove the elasticity) and I will try again later.

How do you do it ?

 

By the way warming the seals makes them infinitely easier to get into the grooves in the cylinder

 

Edited by - ecr on 12 Aug 2003 15:48:07

[ECR]

Anyone ?

[Foxy Smith]

Can't say I've ever had a problem. It's a job i've done twice now but at cool times of year. Could be the high ambient temp is an issue here.

 

Alan

 

You are using hydraulic fluid as a lubricant. Grannys,eggs,sucking!!!

 

Edited by - Foxy Smith on 12 Aug 2003 21:00:53

[ECR]

Yes using fluid as lubricant.

 

I tried pushing the cold assembly through last night with the same results. The only way I could clear the groove was to apply more pressure. My concern with doing this is that it will turn the lip of the seal back. Still it's assembled now.

 

Looks like you and I are the Club experts on this job

[Vinnie]

Hi,

 

I don't recognize this method or the associated problem - "the smaller seal drops into the circlip groove"...

 

Perhaps I've been doing it wrong, which is highly likely as I had big problems with this a few months ago 😳

 

My problem was that I received the cylinder complete and installed it - I did not notice that one of the lip seals was installed in the wrong way round However, once this was figured out and new seals had been ordered etc etc I put the lip seals into the cylinder and then pushed the piston through. I found that the piston had to be teased very carefully over the inboard seal so as to avoid turning and shredding the lip. It was a combination of brute force and "wiggle"

 

If you have a better method please explain. It took me a week to establish how many seals there were - when I ordered "a set of seals" for the cylinder from Caterham parts I got the internal lip seals, not the O rings on the outside for example

 

Vinnie

[Beej]

Guys - sorry to hijack your thread but I have just posted some questions concerning this type of slave cylinder and one of the contributors kindly pointed me to this thread.

 

I have had problems with the slave leaking past the O rings (at least I assume it is leaking past the O rings) - I slowly lose fluid even though I have good pedal pressure. Furthermore, the fluid is getting onto the clutch plate and causing all kinds of nasty vibrations.

 

So far as I can see the fluid is leaking both sides of the housing (ie bell housing side and gearbox side).

 

I recently (300 miles ago) replaced the whole slave cylinder as a unit - i.e. on advice did not try and fit new seals. The new one is probably worse than the old one! Now I have the engine out again, i have noticed that the O rings hardly stand proud of the cylinder body at all - they certainly don't look like they would seal anything. Are there different versions of this part? Are there different size O rings?

 

Any help and advice is very much appreciated.

 

Mark.

[ECR]

Can't realy add more to Nicks comments. Below are a few facts and figures I have gathered on clutch seals. The Viton alternative is not neccesary

 

Reference for O rings for outer body of clutch slave cylinder believed to be BS 832 (not confirmed)

O rings for clutch slave cylinder outer body to bellhousing:

.137” cross section diameter and fit into a groove 4.8mm wide x 51.56mm od (base of groove)

Clutch Slave Cylinder outer O rings (in Viton) from Wyco Seals, Hereward Rise Halesowen (Oswald Seals)

0121 501 2021: Reference 00-226FPM75. Price 53P each (minimum order charge £5.00)

[Beej]

CC supplied new external O rings. These sat noticeably more proud of the cylinder body than the (brand new?) O rings that were fitted to the unit, as supplied a few weeks ago. How can there be so much variation?

 

Either way, it didn't help. The engine is back in and fluid is pouring out AGAIN!

 

Has anyone got any good ideas on what other bell housing fits between a Vx block and a type 9 gearbox? - I would rather fit an external dry sump tank than keep taking the engine out every five minutes because the slave cylinder design is rubbish. What do the regular HPC cars have?

[I reply to every thread]

The bellhousing is a bespoke VX to type 9. Caterham will sell you one, as will SBD or a number of other suppliers. An ad on "Wanted" here may well suceed - It did for me.

[Beej]

Thanks. My price list says £194 for the bellhousing but does it take a cable operated fork (and is that included) or a hydraulic (slave cylinder) operated fork or a modern style concentric release bearing?

 

I'm also going to need a dry sump oil tank.

 

This is all getting very expensive!

[EFA]

My regular HPC's both have a Caterham "wet sump" bellhousing.

 

The advantage of the Caterham wet sump bellhousing is such that it will still mach up perfectly with your Caterham dry syump pan.

 

This is the precise configuration I use on my yellow car.

 

Fat Arn

Visit the K2 RUM website

See the Lotus Seven Club 4 Counties Area Website here

 

[I reply to every thread]

& will take a cable clutch