Pumping up the Hydragas by hand!

[Hans Efde]

I depressurized my hydragas units to make room for springs. I removed about 3/4 of a confiture jar of liquid per sphere. I used a screwdriver to push the Schroeder valve and caught the spray with a small bucket.

[Maphet]

I depressurized my hydragas units to make room for springs. I removed about 3/4 of a confiture jar of liquid per sphere. I used a screwdriver to push the Schroeder valve and caught the spray with a small bucket.

Yet more good news! That's pretty well what I expected; I wonder why all the guides I can find insist you have to take the car to a garage to have it done?

[Rich]

Swapping the spheres at the front is as easy as you suspect. Let the pressure out, unbolt the side plate and pull the sphere out. To make it eaven easier you could remove the valve core, fully compress the suspension and replace the core, the rod should remain retracted. The biggest problem is usually caused by the ball joint sticking in the sphere due to corrosion.

That's good news, I thought it looked pretty simple, but you really can't tell until you have done it. Is letting the pressure out as exciting as I worry it might be or is it just a fairly predictable flood of fluid? I have to confess that given the number of pumps it took to get a partially pressurised system up to pressure I rather suspect that an unpressurised one may take all day...

It's more smelly and messy than exciting.

[Maphet]

I'll take smelly and messy over 'exciting' most days of the week. Thanks all for the reassurance.

[Rich]

I'll take smelly and messy over 'exciting' most days of the week. Thanks all for the reassurance.

It doesn't taste too good either.... don't ask.