I've had a fun day - well no, I haven't really, but in reality what happened today was fortunate both in location and time.
Here's the story...
A couple of years ago while UFO was being repainted etc, I decided that it would go back together with rebuilt spheres all around. I had a full set of old spheres with removable dampers that were rejuvenated by a couple of friends in CCCNSW. I had the new diaphragms and they did the hard work. Splitting, cleaning, painting etc and regassing. Great. They could not do the two piece accumulator I had as it is smaller and the clamps would not grip the collar etc. So, I went to level 2 and sent the sphere off to Richo.
NOW at this point I stress that what happened today was NOT Richo's fault in any way.
Richo did a wonderful job on rebuilding the sphere even to providing a new correct diaphragm (Desmopan). It came back to me within about 10 days. As UFO still had a good new style welded accumulator sphere on it, I decided to leave fitting the rebuilt one until a later time when I was "looking at it". That time came about 12 months later (late 2011/early 2012) when I was putting a new mounting gasket on the fuel pump.
Anyway - all went well.
In the meantime I read various stories about two piece accumulators going bang but decided that I would still proceed.
A couple of weekends ago I took UFO to Bundanoon and back (about 160km return) with four adults inside and it performed very well. Last weekend I did a pre Cit In oil change and checked underneath and all looked fine.
Today, due to some car arrangements here revolving around a still failing Xsara clutch, I decided to take UFO to work (35km each way) and leave the C4 for little UFO to go to Sydney and the C5 for Mrs UFO to do stuff she needed to do in Wollongong.
I set off for work and went around the Kiama bends with aplomb then up the hill before dropping down to Bombo beach on the Princes Hwy. It is three lanes here to allow northbound Kiama traffic to enter and usually as some dive right WAY too quickly I often move to the rightmost lane. I noted that there was a Police VW paddy wagon also coming on from Kiama. The cops accelerated up the middle lane and shot through and at that point I heard BANG, CLANG, CLUNK. Perhaps the people in cars nearby also heard it and no doubt with windows down they would also have heard a fair chunk of my vocabulary!
I thought the car had popped a conrod and had smashed the side of the block, so while manouvering into the left lane I tapped the brakes and also felt the weight of the steering. Oh shite! I know what happened.
I was able to pull to the side of the highway but on a bridge - fortunately with a bike and breakdown lane. As I pulled up there was whitish mist/smoke from under the bonnet. I had only the gears and park brake to pull up on.
Anyway, sure as eggs, the gas end of the accumulator sphere had blown off so it looked like. It's still sitting somewhere near Kiama Cemetery (perhaps Maryann is keeping it for me :disappr Fortunately nothing seemed to have hit anyone else nor surprisingly I could not see a large LHM stain on the road. However if it rains in the next few days I will be extra cautious going down that hill and into the left hand bend at the end!
Straight onto NRMA (I have Premium coverage on UFO) and told them where I was (eventually no BOMBO not BONDI) and about 80 minutes later the flat bed turned up. Giving the NRMA there dues, I asked them not to bother with a roadside guy as he would just look at it and tell me it's broken. I asked for an "all up" with a low angle tray. The NRMA person on the phone first made sure I was safe and not blocking traffic and could stay out of traffic's way - good move.
A while later I saw this black Hoondie I45 pull up in front of me with people taking pics out the window. Oh bugger! It was four of my staff on their way to a job in Nowra and they saw me and decided to a/ Stop and have a laugh at my expense and b/ Check if I was ok. They actually went into Kiama to do a U turn and come back. After a suitable amount of ribbing and chuckling from them, I gave them some travel advice and sent them on their way.... :wink2:
The flat bed turned up and did a sterling job of getting UFO on the truck - no scrapes at all. He delivered me and the car back home and helped me push it onto our (thankfully) almost flat driveway. Turns out he was the same bloke who brought the Xsara home a few weeks ago!
I called my boss and declared a flexi day so that I could get the spare (welded) sphere I had onto the car before the sun came overhead in the driveway.
After some time and cursing I got the regulator off, removed what was left of the old sphere, tested the spare and refitted the reg with sphere on and got the pipes back in place. Mutter, grumble, curse, swear etc. Of course I put all new seals on too. Pipe and sphere.
I finished reattaching everything prior to starting the car and then let it bleed back to the tank for some time - until the froth and bubble stopped, did a few tighten and loosens of the bleeder valve then got brave and let her lift up to operating and then full height. All was good. I also topped up the LHM tank and only lost about 1 1/2 litres.
I have attached pics of the remnants of the sphere - aka our new door bell, and also pics of the subframe. I'm not sure if the dents I can see and feel are from today or a prior occasion, but there is a large indent the shape of the back of the sphere plus a smaller indent that would be the nitrogen screw (word?). The thread on the upper part of the sphere has blown off (the now C shaped section) and that was obviously the week point. The regulator had been ticking over at normal intervals prior - so it was not a failed diaphragm.
Anyway, out of all this, my recommendation is to never run a two piece regulator sphere. Use a modern welded accumulator sphere instead - please.
As to the timing - it is fortunate it happened today, as the next trip for UFO is to be to Griffith for Cit In. Who knows what may have happened had it popped going up Jamberoo or Macquarie passes on Thursday next week?
Here's the story...
A couple of years ago while UFO was being repainted etc, I decided that it would go back together with rebuilt spheres all around. I had a full set of old spheres with removable dampers that were rejuvenated by a couple of friends in CCCNSW. I had the new diaphragms and they did the hard work. Splitting, cleaning, painting etc and regassing. Great. They could not do the two piece accumulator I had as it is smaller and the clamps would not grip the collar etc. So, I went to level 2 and sent the sphere off to Richo.
NOW at this point I stress that what happened today was NOT Richo's fault in any way.
Richo did a wonderful job on rebuilding the sphere even to providing a new correct diaphragm (Desmopan). It came back to me within about 10 days. As UFO still had a good new style welded accumulator sphere on it, I decided to leave fitting the rebuilt one until a later time when I was "looking at it". That time came about 12 months later (late 2011/early 2012) when I was putting a new mounting gasket on the fuel pump.
Anyway - all went well.
In the meantime I read various stories about two piece accumulators going bang but decided that I would still proceed.
A couple of weekends ago I took UFO to Bundanoon and back (about 160km return) with four adults inside and it performed very well. Last weekend I did a pre Cit In oil change and checked underneath and all looked fine.
Today, due to some car arrangements here revolving around a still failing Xsara clutch, I decided to take UFO to work (35km each way) and leave the C4 for little UFO to go to Sydney and the C5 for Mrs UFO to do stuff she needed to do in Wollongong.
I set off for work and went around the Kiama bends with aplomb then up the hill before dropping down to Bombo beach on the Princes Hwy. It is three lanes here to allow northbound Kiama traffic to enter and usually as some dive right WAY too quickly I often move to the rightmost lane. I noted that there was a Police VW paddy wagon also coming on from Kiama. The cops accelerated up the middle lane and shot through and at that point I heard BANG, CLANG, CLUNK. Perhaps the people in cars nearby also heard it and no doubt with windows down they would also have heard a fair chunk of my vocabulary!
I thought the car had popped a conrod and had smashed the side of the block, so while manouvering into the left lane I tapped the brakes and also felt the weight of the steering. Oh shite! I know what happened.
I was able to pull to the side of the highway but on a bridge - fortunately with a bike and breakdown lane. As I pulled up there was whitish mist/smoke from under the bonnet. I had only the gears and park brake to pull up on.
Anyway, sure as eggs, the gas end of the accumulator sphere had blown off so it looked like. It's still sitting somewhere near Kiama Cemetery (perhaps Maryann is keeping it for me :disappr Fortunately nothing seemed to have hit anyone else nor surprisingly I could not see a large LHM stain on the road. However if it rains in the next few days I will be extra cautious going down that hill and into the left hand bend at the end!
Straight onto NRMA (I have Premium coverage on UFO) and told them where I was (eventually no BOMBO not BONDI) and about 80 minutes later the flat bed turned up. Giving the NRMA there dues, I asked them not to bother with a roadside guy as he would just look at it and tell me it's broken. I asked for an "all up" with a low angle tray. The NRMA person on the phone first made sure I was safe and not blocking traffic and could stay out of traffic's way - good move.
A while later I saw this black Hoondie I45 pull up in front of me with people taking pics out the window. Oh bugger! It was four of my staff on their way to a job in Nowra and they saw me and decided to a/ Stop and have a laugh at my expense and b/ Check if I was ok. They actually went into Kiama to do a U turn and come back. After a suitable amount of ribbing and chuckling from them, I gave them some travel advice and sent them on their way.... :wink2:
The flat bed turned up and did a sterling job of getting UFO on the truck - no scrapes at all. He delivered me and the car back home and helped me push it onto our (thankfully) almost flat driveway. Turns out he was the same bloke who brought the Xsara home a few weeks ago!
I called my boss and declared a flexi day so that I could get the spare (welded) sphere I had onto the car before the sun came overhead in the driveway.
After some time and cursing I got the regulator off, removed what was left of the old sphere, tested the spare and refitted the reg with sphere on and got the pipes back in place. Mutter, grumble, curse, swear etc. Of course I put all new seals on too. Pipe and sphere.
I finished reattaching everything prior to starting the car and then let it bleed back to the tank for some time - until the froth and bubble stopped, did a few tighten and loosens of the bleeder valve then got brave and let her lift up to operating and then full height. All was good. I also topped up the LHM tank and only lost about 1 1/2 litres.
I have attached pics of the remnants of the sphere - aka our new door bell, and also pics of the subframe. I'm not sure if the dents I can see and feel are from today or a prior occasion, but there is a large indent the shape of the back of the sphere plus a smaller indent that would be the nitrogen screw (word?). The thread on the upper part of the sphere has blown off (the now C shaped section) and that was obviously the week point. The regulator had been ticking over at normal intervals prior - so it was not a failed diaphragm.
Anyway, out of all this, my recommendation is to never run a two piece regulator sphere. Use a modern welded accumulator sphere instead - please.
As to the timing - it is fortunate it happened today, as the next trip for UFO is to be to Griffith for Cit In. Who knows what may have happened had it popped going up Jamberoo or Macquarie passes on Thursday next week?
Last edited: