Winter Project.

[photo_ed]

As the nights are starting to draw in and I'm running out of Mini related things to tinker with until the Spring really, being at a loose end this Sunday afternoon brought my thoughts round to doing something with the spare Sachs dampers in my parts hoard. So after a rummage in some boxes I dragged out by far the worst set, to do an initial appraisal and clean down.



This set were taken off my car in 2021 having been previously refurb'd by Cornering Force in around 2013 ish I think. They were in good working order when removed, the issue with them being the amount of corrosion on the outer bodies which both Mick at Diamond and myself agreed needed a closer looking at. So here were are fast forward a couple of years and it's time to give them a proper once over. They've been stored in a reasonable environment since removal and coated generously in both Ferrosol and more lately ACF50, thus keeping the advancement of the corrosion under some kind of check.

They're a little on the gruesome side in places though, so let's see how things go. Wish me luck!

 

[sj2112]

Ooh looking forward to following this

 

[NickReilly063]

Me too Ed -

 

[photo_ed]

A bit of a thread resurrection folks, in related news to my damper resto - which I've been pretty rubbish on updating here it has to be said. Whilst moving some things from one of the storage units to another yesterday I found a box...

What have we here?



A set of original Trophy springs... Fronts in lovely order, still with the original Renault Parts tags in evidence. The rears just with a little surface rust where they've sat in the beam - perfect for some Saturday fettling.



Time to break out the Hydrate-80 on those rears...



Next instalment... epoxy zinc primer, high gloss black topcoat, trying to retain the original red & white markings but may be tempted to re-do these too for full concours effect...

 

[photo_ed]

Fronts all polished up, ready to go back in the box.

 

[NickReilly063]

Cool

 

[mustang1974]

As the nights are starting to draw in and I'm running out of Mini related things to tinker with until the Spring really, being at a loose end this Sunday afternoon brought my thoughts round to doing something with the spare Sachs dampers in my parts hoard. So after a rummage in some boxes I dragged out by far the worst set, to do an initial appraisal and clean down.

View attachment 32814

This set were taken off my car in 2021 having been previously refurb'd by Cornering Force in around 2013 ish I think. They were in good working order when removed, the issue with them being the amount of corrosion on the outer bodies which both Mick at Diamond and myself agreed needed a closer looking at. So here were are fast forward a couple of years and it's time to give them a proper once over. They've been stored in a reasonable environment since removal and coated generously in both Ferrosol and more lately ACF50, thus keeping the advancement of the corrosion under some kind of check.

They're a little on the gruesome side in places though, so let's see how things go. Wish me luck!

Did you manage to get the dampers refurbished?
Mine are in a sorry state and look exactly like these.
I spoke to BG Motorsport sport who were very helpful over the phone but the 1 thing that concerned me was when they said that if there were any rust holes on the spring platform they would send them back to me unpowder coated and I would have to get the holes welded up because they don't do that themselves.
There is quite a bit of surface rust and I'm reluctant to post them for them to be sent back and pay for postage twice because its hard to see any problems with the build up

 

[photo_ed]

Did you manage to get the dampers refurbished?
Mine are in a sorry state and look exactly like these.
I spoke to BG Motorsport sport who were very helpful over the phone but the 1 thing that concerned me was when they said that if there were any rust holes on the spring platform they would send them back to me unpowder coated and I would have to get the holes welded up because they don't do that themselves.
There is quite a bit of surface rust and I'm reluctant to post them for them to be sent back and pay for postage twice because its hard to see any problems with the build up

The dampers are still a work in progress, I got as far as grinding all the rusty bits off, but then became distracted with some other things, so I need to pick up and continue with them. Might drag them back out this evening.

My advice to you re: spring platforms would be to carefully remove and sand back the rust on them and see if they've perforated (many of them have now, and there's probably folk out there driving around on a ticking time bomb of spring platform failure). If they've gone through, it's not necessarily a complete loss, a competent / skilled fabricator/welder should be able to put some fresh metal in there providing there's something left of them. I have seen this done very roughly though, so research & pick your fabricator carefully.

 

[mustang1974]

I have invested (amazon delivery pending) in a soda blaster gun (sodium bicarbonate aka baking soda/ bicarbonate of soda) I've done a bit of research and sand blasting and similar forms damage the surface slightly and pit it but soda is delicate and none damaging.
I'm not sure if it will manage to get all the rust off but if it manages to remove enough so I can see the surface clearly I will be happy to send them off to BG Motorsport.
Regarding welding, I work in the motor trade and have access to some very good people who weld on a daily basis on some very expensive cars so I just need to twist their arm for a favour. Just got to be careful of heat transfer to the main body of the damper but it shouldn't be a problem hopefully

 

[photo_ed]

I have invested (amazon delivery pending) in a soda blaster gun (sodium bicarbonate aka baking soda/ bicarbonate of soda) I've done a bit of research and sand blasting and similar forms damage the surface slightly and pit it but soda is delicate and none damaging.
I'm not sure if it will manage to get all the rust off but if it manages to remove enough so I can see the surface clearly I will be happy to send them off to BG Motorsport.
Regarding welding, I work in the motor trade and have access to some very good people who weld on a daily basis on some very expensive cars so I just need to twist their arm for a favour. Just got to be careful of heat transfer to the main body of the damper but it shouldn't be a problem hopefully

Sounds like a good plan, I would be interested to hear (& see) your results from the soda blasting.

 

[mustang1974]

Sounds like a good plan, I would be interested to hear (& see) your results from the soda blasting.

At the moment I'm having trouble with my delivery from Amazon. Its due before 8pm tonight (18 minutes from now) and its not looking good. Might have to order another 1 from a different seller but I will happily upload a video and some pictures if it works

 

[photo_ed]

Dug out the dampers to remind myself where I'd got to with them.



Getting down to the bare metal now rather than the crusty rust! Plenty of treatments to perform yet, then I have to decide on what colour to finish them in...

 

[hoolio]

Yep they are nasty, the pair you had off me were better than those. Wire brush on a drill time (mask up) for a start maybe.

 

[photo_ed]

Yep they are nasty, the pair you had off me were better than those. Wire brush on a drill time (mask up) for a start maybe.

Yes, the 'black set' are in much better shape, which makes me wonder why I'm messing about with this set. It was the challenge I think, to make these good again...

I think by the time I've wire brushed them they'll be getting somewhere, I was then going to treat them with Bill Hamber Deox-C, then Hydrate-80. A good primer, then top coat - choices, choices... though I do have a fair idea which colour I'm choosing (purists look away!! ).

 

[hoolio]

To be honest, seeing the way some are disintegrating, well worth the effort. The challenge is getting to the bottom of the pits. Their Highbild primer, fine sand, spray, fine sand etc etc will get a nicer finish if you want to get properly anal.

When I did mine I did consider the colour, but couldn’t do it

 

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Rear Springs in the 'spray shop' today..



Zinc primed last week, high build primer today, hopefully top coat tomorrow.

 

[NickReilly063]

Do you want me to dig you out 2 x touch up sticks (white / red) to put the markings on Ed - you could then lacquer over them

 

[photo_ed]

Do you want me to dig you out 2 x touch up sticks (white / red) to put the markings on Ed - you could then lacquer over them

I've already got a couple Nick, took a spring down to the local factors and got the two closest matches to the red & white.

 

[NickReilly063]

Originality at it’s best

 

[photo_ed]

Originality at it’s best

I've got the correct width brush too Nick...

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