NOS Hydrolastic displacers markings

[STG95F]

I know its a strange one , but did all the Hydro displacer hoses come with this yellow Dunlop marking on the hoses when new ?

[Craig]

I will have a look at my NOS ones a little later today and post a picture....

Craig

[STG95F]

Great thank you ,

I have only seen one like this , all the rest had no markings

Ian

[360gts]

Yes, some have yellow...most have red. This is not indicative of the displacer hardness....that is usually depicted with paint around the hose and a couple of 'dabs' on top of the rubber part as well as paint around the metal unit with a P/N.
I have a few NOS sets that reflect this.

[STG95F]

thank you

[Peter Laidler]

From the enquiries I have been making recently regarding the repair to/of hydro units the opinion among the many local Oxford area hose repair or RE-hose specialists is that these braided type hoses were a lower end of the pressure scale type hose made by Dunlop Hyflex. You can still find it occasionally at the odd hose repairers who have taken over the Dunlop-Hyflex brand. Forgot to say but my new green banders from Unipart, fitted in '86 have yellow (now illegible) markings on them. Thanks to you I can now decipher what the markings were!

NOS sets 360gts..... you really need to off load that extra stock - with a green bander to me!

And while we're all at the back end of our cars.......... Anyone out there got the rear struts out of the hydro units, out on the bench? Could you measure the diameter of the strut, the exact length OF THE FULL DIAMETER PART plus the length of the insert part that slides into the hydro unit.......... and anything else you can think of. I think I'll turn up a couple from stainless steel while I'm in a bit of a bull-shxx mood and take the rear apart - again! Many thanks

Added as an afterthought...... I asked Somerford's if they had one I could measure but they're out of stock and have been for ages. Apparently, they can't find anyone to make them! Nope......, I refuse to believe it too. Probably a stock SAE mild steel bar stock cut to length and machined down at one end. Probably not a fast mover, a part that wears out or rusts away!

[STG95F]

Peter, according to Mini spares site this part can be cut down and used for hydro cars and they are not expensive

http://www.minispares.com/catalogues/cl ... spx?1~8~71



http://www.minispares.com/product/classic/HILO-01.aspx

[Daz1968]

Looking at the catalogue page where does item 4 the compression spring fit, as unless it's inside the rod I don't think I have one on my car.

[Peter Laidler]

Thanks for that Stig but I just want to make a shiny set out of stainless bar that I have. Regards from Oxford

[STG95F]

Inside the rod behind the dowel Daz . can be a pain to get out

[Peter Laidler]

I'm glad Daz raised the point but I've often wondered why the spring is there? Any ideas?

[InimiaD]

I've got all those bits you want measured up loose in the shed. I'll have to round them up and get my wooden ruler out.
The struts come in different lengths by the way.

[Peter Laidler]

You're right....... Certainly the 3x parts lists I've looked through list 3x part numbers, presumably for different lengths! Mk1 given as 21A 1497, the Mk2 (mine is a Mar'69 Mk2) as 21A 1805 and the Mk3S is given as 21A2276. If I can have the outside dia and length of the largest diameter part of the longest you have. I'll prepare the new struts and finally measure up and machine for identical length when mine are out.

I can't understand the difference between a Mk2S and a Mk3S. But hey, if life were simple it'd be too easy. Mind you, now I'm sitting back thinking why the hell am I doing it? Thanks again

Anyone any idea why there's a spring inside?

[Nick W]

You're right....... Certainly the 3x parts lists I've looked through list 3x part numbers, presumably for different lengths! Mk1 given as 21A 1497, the Mk2 (mine is a Mar'69 Mk2) as 21A 1805 and the Mk3S is given as 21A2276. If I can have the outside dia and length of the largest diameter part of the longest you have. I'll prepare the new struts and finally measure up and machine for identical length when mine are out.

I can't understand the difference between a Mk2S and a Mk3S. But hey, if life were simple it'd be too easy. Mind you, now I'm sitting back thinking why the hell am I doing it? Thanks again

Anyone any idea why there's a spring inside?

I believe its to stop it poping out of the displacer, when theirs no load , ie when the vehicle is airborne

Nick

[Peter Laidler]

With the car airborne...., wheels dropped....., wouldn't the presence of a spring inside the shaft thinggy make it MORE likely to push the shaft out of the displacer? Not in mine it wouldn't because the small diameter bit was rusted into the displacer and the shaft and the spring! Last time I stripped it I just cleaned it all out and put in two springs from a local; commercial spring maker who loaded up the decent remaining spring and came back 5 mts later with a matched pair!

The good news is that taking Stig's advice I re-read the parts list he mentioned and there it says 21A1805 strut is the Hi-Lo strut cut to 245mm. That's probably the answer - staring me in the face.

Off at a tangent but I've really enjoyed getting my hands and overalls dirty this summer, under my S especially after doing sod-all to it for the past few years. Makes me realise how much I like the car. But a sad week..... My brother in law who bought a brand new tweed grey/white S in 1965, MMD 216 C and did a bit of bit part racing in another 522PUR died this week of the dreaded C. He started me off on this lifelong love of Mini Coopers. Farewell Brian

[Craig]

Well my "Green" displacers have red markings on the hose

Craig

[smithyrc30]

Very good used or even new rear S damper with two silver dots and two silver bands:
https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/x495740028

Shows the marking protocol for the dampers

[mab01uk]

Some photos taken from this link below of a set of NOS displacers.
https://mmalleck.smugmug.com/Cars/NOS-Mini-hydrolastic/

[InimiaD]

I've got all those bits you want measured up loose in the shed. I'll have to round them up and get my wooden ruler out.
The struts come in different lengths by the way.

I found 3 loose struts and they all measured roughly 246mm long x 18.90mm in diameter.
I think 2 of the struts are off my MK 2 S.

On another rear wet subby I measured the in-situ strut at 250mm.
I think that subby came off a 66 ish Elf or Hornet.

From this mornings findings it looks as if the later the Hydro car, the shorter the struts.

[Spider]

I've got all those bits you want measured up loose in the shed. I'll have to round them up and get my wooden ruler out.
The struts come in different lengths by the way.

I found 3 loose struts and they all measured roughly 246mm long x 18.90mm in diameter.
I think 2 of the struts are off my MK 2 S.

On another rear wet subby I measured the in-situ strut at 250mm.
I think that subby came off a 66 ish Elf or Hornet.

From this mornings findings it looks as if the later the Hydro car, the shorter the struts.

The different length struts were used with the early & late displacers. If I recall right, the shorter ones were used with the earlier displacers (the ones that are set further down the body).