Displacer Knuckle

Post any technical questions or queries here.
Post Reply
rogerotto66s
998 Cooper
Posts: 571
Joined: Mon Sep 10, 2018 8:29 am
Location: Collegeville,PA USA

Displacer Knuckle

Post by rogerotto66s »

What is the best and safest way to re-insert the knuckle (whatever it is called)?
I tried a little lube and plastic wedge with no luck.


IMG_3052.jpeg
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Roger Williams
1966 Austin Cooper S - LHD - Wet - Personal Export
360gts
1275 Cooper S
Posts: 2932
Joined: Sat May 24, 2014 7:12 am
Been thanked: 20 times

Re: Displacer Knuckle

Post by 360gts »

Roger, I put some air into the displacer...just enough to push the rubber out. I have an adapter that fits onto the hose end with a Schrader valve.
Be careful....just a little air.
That will allow you to insert metal piece into the rubber.
Cheers
D
rogerotto66s
998 Cooper
Posts: 571
Joined: Mon Sep 10, 2018 8:29 am
Location: Collegeville,PA USA

Re: Displacer Knuckle

Post by rogerotto66s »

360gts wrote: Sun Nov 17, 2024 1:14 am Roger, I put some air into the displacer...just enough to push the rubber out. I have an adapter that fits onto the hose end with a Schrader valve.
Thanks D.
I do not have air but I can use my hose adaptor and pump up with my home-made displacer pump.
I will try that and report back.
Roger Williams
1966 Austin Cooper S - LHD - Wet - Personal Export
rogerotto66s
998 Cooper
Posts: 571
Joined: Mon Sep 10, 2018 8:29 am
Location: Collegeville,PA USA

Re: Displacer Knuckle

Post by rogerotto66s »

I am refurbishing 4 displacers but only have the “knuckle” for 2.
Does anyone have another 2 knuckles they are willing to part with?
Roger Williams
1966 Austin Cooper S - LHD - Wet - Personal Export
360gts
1275 Cooper S
Posts: 2932
Joined: Sat May 24, 2014 7:12 am
Been thanked: 20 times

Re: Displacer Knuckle

Post by 360gts »

rogerotto66s wrote: Sun Nov 17, 2024 1:43 am I am refurbishing 4 displacers but only have the “knuckle” for 2.
Does anyone have another 2 knuckles they are willing to part with?
Roger, there are a couple of members on here who refurbish the displacers...Tim at Minimail....you could try him.....he might have some spare bits.
Cheers
D
Aussie Bill B
850 Super
Posts: 181
Joined: Fri Dec 27, 2013 10:19 am
Location: Camden NSW AUSTRALIA

Re: Displacer Knuckle

Post by Aussie Bill B »

rogerotto66s wrote: I am refurbishing 4 displacers but only have the “knuckle” for 2.
Does anyone have another 2 knuckles they are willing to part with?
Roger, be aware that there were 2 different lengths of the socket that the ball knuckle fits into. About 0.150" extra length - possibly to lift the ride height without using spacers.
These should push on while twisting it, with a little rubber grease and some carefully chosen words.
User avatar
whistler
1275 Cooper S
Posts: 830
Joined: Sat Nov 05, 2016 5:02 pm
Location: Cardiff
Has thanked: 10 times
Been thanked: 4 times

Re: Displacer Knuckle

Post by whistler »

360gts wrote: Sun Nov 17, 2024 3:11 am
rogerotto66s wrote: Sun Nov 17, 2024 1:43 am I am refurbishing 4 displacers but only have the “knuckle” for 2.
Does anyone have another 2 knuckles they are willing to part with?
Roger, there are a couple of members on here who refurbish the displacers...Tim at Minimail....you could try him.....he might have some spare bits.
Cheers
D
Tim has retired now.
User avatar
Peter Laidler
1275 Cooper S
Posts: 6134
Joined: Sat Jul 15, 2017 5:35 pm
Location: Abingdon Oxfordshire
Has thanked: 27 times
Been thanked: 29 times

Re: Displacer Knuckle

Post by Peter Laidler »

Yep, done it regularly. Inflate with air until the inner female end is protruding, slap on the rubber grease - or better still some KY Gel from your wife's private cupboard and then wiggle. twist and turn the male part in.......... if you'll excuse the phrase

And while you're down there, don't forget that at the bottom of the opening where the plastic knuckle cup sits there is a small 3/32" hole that goes through the bottom of the opening. Clearing this vent hole makes life easier when assembling and stripping by preventing the vacuum or pressure stop.
User avatar
mab01uk
1275 Cooper S
Posts: 8230
Joined: Thu Jun 24, 2010 7:08 pm
Location: S.E. England
Has thanked: 85 times
Been thanked: 63 times

Re: Displacer Knuckle

Post by mab01uk »

whistler wrote: Mon Nov 18, 2024 9:57 am
360gts wrote: Sun Nov 17, 2024 3:11 am
rogerotto66s wrote: Sun Nov 17, 2024 1:43 am I am refurbishing 4 displacers but only have the “knuckle” for 2.
Does anyone have another 2 knuckles they are willing to part with?
Roger, there are a couple of members on here who refurbish the displacers...Tim at Minimail....you could try him.....he might have some spare bits.
Cheers
D
Tim has retired now.
You could also try Hydragas & Hydrolastic Service Ltd for hydrolastic related spares:-
viewtopic.php?t=38933

On Tims Minimail website it says:-
"After 30 years at our farm we have moved !
Orders for stamping plates are now being done on a weekly basis unless requested quicker.
Hereafter I will be selling off the new stock by mail order I have and carrying on with bits and pieces of used and doing the plates."
https://www.minimail.co.uk/news/
Tim Harber
998 Cooper
Posts: 551
Joined: Mon Jun 28, 2010 4:15 pm
Been thanked: 3 times

Re: Displacer Knuckle

Post by Tim Harber »

Yes , still breathing , thanks Martin

I do have some odds and sods of displacer stuff lurking, but it will take a while to sort.

There were 4 or 5 variations of the knuckle - the one in the pic has a sharp edge to it which defies getting it back in and I used to grind it down a bit to make a smoother radius and the use a bit of fluid as lubricant

I threw away over 50 dead units (less knuckles) when we moved as the time and energy to get them back into the land of the living would be huge. We did experiment with taking them apart and seeing if you could swap the guts around.

Not for the first time I had an occasion last year with someone complaining that the re-hosed unit leaked instantly , which was impossible , unless you are that nosy and try to undo the adaptor where it goes into the unit to see if you can do it yourself cheaper. It is not rocket science but requires some care and application. It didn't help to keep my enthusiasm up

I have a huge library of pics and detail on displacers which I will make available - one day . I have had many happy hours of archaeological style digging, trying to work out detail on them , along with the jolly rubber cone but several things never got answered
rogerotto66s
998 Cooper
Posts: 571
Joined: Mon Sep 10, 2018 8:29 am
Location: Collegeville,PA USA

Re: Displacer Knuckle

Post by rogerotto66s »

I was successful using air to slightly push the rubber up and insert one knuckle.
It actually went in on the first try.

No luck on the second knuckle with the remaining 3 displacers.

I did notice a difference on the two knuckles I have. As Tim mentioned one does have more of a lip than the other.

Will continue trying by removing the first knuckle and trying on other 3 displacers just to see what combination works.
One displacer has a distorted socket which may not accept a knuckle.

Thanks all for feedback.
Roger Williams
1966 Austin Cooper S - LHD - Wet - Personal Export
Post Reply