If you have a broken accumulator, you would lose all the fluid very quickly, so having a second accumulator or suspension sphere assisted braking wouldn't make a lot of difference. The false sense of security that can be maintained with a merely flat accumulator would be lost in short order. In a late Xantia/XM with an anti-sink system, the suspension side would retain pressure and that may help for a short time, but every other model I've experienced drops as soon as you open the regulator bleed screw indicating that it has no pressure left in the circuit. It really means you have to look at the different piping circuits in different models to determine how it might behave. There would be a big difference in the outcome between having a flat accumulator and having a busted accumulator.
DS/D Special - failed two piece accumulator sphere
- Thread starter UFO
- Start date
Yes, well not to me, but to another AF'er. a split front suspension sphere while normal road driving in Sydney suburbs. It was a DS23 auto.
Well I found the other half of the sphere this afternoon on my way home from work. I was cruising past the area where it happened and glanced right and it was sitting in the gutter on the other side of the road (the same side as where it happened). I did a u turn through Kiama, came back and parked and walked along the footpath to pick the piece up out of the gutter. Other than a couple of dents in the edge of the sphere there is no other damage to the piece. I think I now have the required components for a new wind chime or door bell.
One of my work colleagues is a former metal technologist and has offered to look at the broken sphere next week to give his opinion.
One of my work colleagues is a former metal technologist and has offered to look at the broken sphere next week to give his opinion.
I'm just wondering if all late D's had these two piece accumulators or were the 74/75 fitted with the CX single unit type?
maybe im totaly wrong..?
Im thinking along the lines of the XVS tyre replacing the XAS tyre as a better 'modern' fitment...
maybe im totaly wrong..?
Im thinking along the lines of the XVS tyre replacing the XAS tyre as a better 'modern' fitment...
I would be very interested to view a thorough report on the state of the metal structure! One can tell a great deal from the break. There is a thread going at the moment on Yahoo TA-L about a broken stub axle on a traction. All sorts of theories have been expounded. But just from the photos of the break one can see clearly that it had been fractured for quite a while and that finally the last remaining joining metal let go suddenly! I am not saying that this is the case with your sphere---it probably is not! But a weakness in the metal may be evident!
The first of the one piece welded spheres were seen on D series in the 1969 model.
They (one piece) are a more economical part to manufacture, the material is cheaper, the process for manufacture development became the norm.
Both types were supplied by the factory as evidenced by the GS having one piece spheres, the SM had two piece. The D series had the two piece riveted sphere until the end of production, CX wagons had a two piece sphere on the rear only in the early years, until what date I don't know.
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Hmmm so the typical Citroen lucky dip. Sure makes it clear the problems the company were having at the end.
Ordering all sorts of fitments in small just-in-time shipments to make some cars to sell them to bring in some Francs to order another bucket of bits. Seat of the pants kinda living.
I've seen one fail from fatigue, and it split about 1/3 of the way around before the pressure was lost and it stopped. The failure shown here looks like an overload failure (overpressure) These things are ductile material, so overload failure shows a 45 degree fracture face (as this one does) where fatigue cracks would run straight.
As far as I can see from the picture, this one failed in overload from both the mode of failure and the detail of the fracture face. Get a second opinion from the engineering faculty of a University near you or a mechanical engineer. (see SAE Australia)
Enzed (the hydraulic hose mob) carry pressaure guages of a suitable range, but I have not looked up the workshop manual to see how often the regulator pressures should be checked.
It is possible, given the operating principles of the regulator for a one - time overpressure to occour if a bit of grit jams the sensor spindle. I would not just put another one on.
As far as I can see from the picture, this one failed in overload from both the mode of failure and the detail of the fracture face. Get a second opinion from the engineering faculty of a University near you or a mechanical engineer. (see SAE Australia)
Enzed (the hydraulic hose mob) carry pressaure guages of a suitable range, but I have not looked up the workshop manual to see how often the regulator pressures should be checked.
It is possible, given the operating principles of the regulator for a one - time overpressure to occour if a bit of grit jams the sensor spindle. I would not just put another one on.
I had a split one in my stock of stuff, but I ratted the damper valve and sent the rest to the scrappie. It was a fatigue failure and the edge of the diaphram was sticking out. It had failed from the root of the last thread from the inside out, so there might be a fatigue crack in this one as an intitator, but metalurgy alone is only part of the question, the loading regieme has to be considered too.
Good luck!
Good luck!