wheel cylinder clips

[Gunslinger]

ok this is going to sound stupid, but i need some help here .... got a pair of brand new rear wheel cylinders, and clips.

shot blasted back plates and light coat of paint (and no its not too thick)

but ... i am buggered if i can get these clips to lock in and hold the cylinders securely, i have now buggered 2 of them trying, the clips are of the circlip type that are curved across their profile, and i can only see one way they will fit (curving away from the backing plate at the edges) but when they go on they either stretch out too far and wont go back, or because of this curve wont "clip" in and lock without jumping out like a screwdriver does from a shallow headed screw.

i do intend to take them back and complain because to me it seems the groove is just too dam shallow.


anyone else had this trouble? or has any advice i would much appreciate it because i very nearly lost my patience with it completely tonight, and after i have shot blasted, cleaned and painted the whole axle this is not good

[baconsdozen]

I know how much of a pain this job can be.There is actually a special tool to fit the clip.Basically a long stud screws in the fluid inlet you then put the circlip in position then a tube that slips down over the rounded end of the cylinder,a large washer then a nut is screwed on the stud Tightening the nut pushes the tube down which pushes the clip in place.
Best of luck.

[Gunslinger]

Thanks for the info, if you know anywhere i can buy one of these that would be good, i dont even know what to call that, although i can pucture what your describing, but the conversation with my local tool/motor factors would be hilarious

i have had a closer look at the cylinders (not genuine ford) and they are going back to where i bought them from, i am sure the grooves arent deep enough, so that when the clips do go into place there is not enough land on the edge for them to hold to

i'll let you know how i get on

[baconsdozen]

Hello
I've been through my collection of manuals and can't find a reference to it in the official ford ones,but one for the Mk1 diesels by haynes has a not very good drawing of it.These clips do end up a very tight fit.I have done them with a piece of pipe just big enough to slip over the cylinder and a ruddy great G cramp ( I suppose a valve spring compressor would work as well) You have to push the cylinder hard to the back plate,it's almost impossible to do it with a screwdriver and trying to "winkle" the clip in place.

[Gunslinger]

cheers, i tried various methods lastnight, to no avail, i didnt try that pipe idea, main problem i see is that by the time you get the clips on they dont want to spring back far enough because they have been stretched out so much

the ones i took off push on to the original cylinders with a bit of force and hold much better than the same experiment with the new ones

[rover]

Sounds like you have just got some dodgy ones from your M.F, LPR are the worst ones so f they are you definately need to take them back, Lockheed are still available and are the best, I have no special tool and always manage to get them on with a blunt screwdriver and small hammer.


Merry Christmas.


Rover.

[madmark]

gunslinger ,belive me i know were you are comeing from ,they are a bitch of a job to do, i was luckyish after trying for along time i manadged to get one started then tap it in with a screwdriver and hammer! abosulute stupid design

[rover]

gunslinger ,belive me i know were you are comeing from ,they are a bitch of a job to do, i was luckyish after trying for along time i manadged to get one started then tap it in with a screwdriver and hammer! abosulute stupid design

Gota agree with that!

If it really comes down to it there is an easy option.....get some good quality hose clips....the ones with two wire hoops are best, tighten them up and the inner wire will pull into the groove tight enough for it to never move again! (and its M.O.T passable!)


Rover.

[Nighthawk]

I always used to use the screw driver and hammer method.

The trick is to get some one to push the cylinder tight to the back plate, while you start one side of the E clip in it's groove. then tap it round with the screwy until you get to the start of the other tip.

with luck it will have flattened enough to go straight in.

And no cheating by putting it on back to front either!

the curve of the clip should face out from the backplate towards the centre of the vehicle.....even though they go on much easier the other way.

[Gunslinger]

took them back this morning the guy looked at them and agreed the grooves were crap and the edges shamfered giving the clips sod all chance of gripping properly .... he's getting me some lockheed ones for tomorrow morning .... i like this place

as for fitting the clip the right way around i'll have to read your description better later, got to go to work now, but as i see it they can only really go on one way around because of the bleed nipple

[Gunslinger]

Gota agree with that!

If it really comes down to it there is an easy option.....get some good quality hose clips....the ones with two wire hoops are best, tighten them up and the inner wire will pull into the groove tight enough for it to never move again! (and its M.O.T passable!)


Rover.

i was actually contemplating tapping the outside of the brake pipe fitting turret, and then putting a thin walled nut on there .... still no guarantees i wont do that if i have problems with the next set, and yes bloody daft design, maybe thats why they changed them on later models


as for fitting the clip the wrong way around ... as i see it the open part of the clip has to face up towards the top so as not to foul with the bleed nipple ....

now which way for the curve if the clip is orientated that way ? (my bet would be curving away from the back plate at the bottom)

[Nighthawk]

As your aware, the gap needs to be at the top.

the curve of the clip needs to be away from the back plate, so the spring force of the clip is trying to pull the cylinder through the back plate

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[Gunslinger]

interesting ... i would have said the other way around .... like this

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Bearing in mind that the "gripping" tags on these clips are in the 11, 1 and 6 o'clock positions, thus if you put the flat centre section against the backing plate, the tags are furthest from it and will then need to be pushed down to clip in,

if its the other way around then the pressure applied will be less .... right ? because there is nothing for the clip to push against

[Nighthawk]

I can only tell you the way the clips were designed to be fitted, and also how the vehicle was put together.

I've also had to recitfy MOT failures where keen eyed testers have noticed their incorrect fittment..

spend some time with them and see which way grips the cylinder better, you'll lose some skin probably though

It'd probably be easier to fit the later "new generation" back plates and brake set up, they had nice sensible bolts holding them on

[Gunslinger]

thanks for the info, i will have a play around, i am considerig using a long reach socket to slide over and push them on.

as for the skin thing .... been there done that already, but i'll probably do it again no-doubt before i get them on.


interesting idea on the back plate thing, which would you recommend (twin wheel remember) ?

and does that mean i can fit all the later brake stuff ?

what about the handbrake cable ?

and finally ... what about bore size on the wheel cylinders ? (just for info .... mk2's are 23.8mm and mk3's are 24.5mm) if its too different its gonna affect the front to rear balance, not to mention needing the LAV reseting.


for now i will be using all mk2 stuff, but its an interesting idea for later, it would save me some serious headaches when searching for parts, one of the main reasons for sticking with the mk2 axle is the width issue, but the thought of fitting a later flatbed/dropside rear axle has crossed my mind too, as they are a little wider again, and of course would have the newer kit fitted as standard, along with antiroll bar mounts too usually