So, what's the best lubricant for the O-rings in the EAS valve block please?
I've got the Vitron ones from X8R and they recommend Vaseline or di-electric grease.
I do have Vaseline, I also have some Silicon grease (from Carbusonic) which I think I used last time. A quick google for di-electric grease comes back with Silicon grease, am I OK to use this stuff on Vitron?
I don't use anything, bit of spit on the air lines when reinserting that's all.
I would use either silicone grease or Vaseline
cool, thanks! a very light amount of silicone grease has been applied.
I'll see if this valve block works and report back. Eventually.
The "fully tested" Valve block/compressor assembly will eventually become my spare once I get it working. I guess I should have made sure it was test as "working" instead of "knackered compressor and valve block that failed with a known good compressor" but caveat emptor eh? £100 doesn't buy you much on the bay of thieves.
It’s definitely getting more challenging to find good parts these days.
I work on the principle that it will be knackered and rebuild anyway. If, when I test it, it isn't knackered, that's a bonus. I have 4 pressure gauges on short lengths of pipe that I can put in the 4 corner outputs, a short length of 8mm pipe to link the in and out that would go to the dryer and then put pressure in the port that would come from the reservoir. That way I can pressurise a valve block, open the inlet valve and the 4 corners in turn by putting 12V onto the relevant pins in the connector (that way it also tests the driver pack) and put pressure into each gauge. Then leave it and see how long it takes for them to drop. No drop means it is good, any drops in pressure means it needs a rebuild.
Do not use Vaseline on rubber seals. It eventually degrades the rubber resulting in leaks. Use specific brake rubber grease - designed for the purpose. I always have a ready use spare rebuilt valve block ‘on the shelf’ (together with a spare pump) and swap the valve blocks and pumps over every three years as a maintenance activity. I have not had a leak between services since using rubber grease.
Garvin wrote:
Do not use Vaseline on rubber seals. It eventually degrades the rubber resulting in leaks. Use specific brake rubber grease - designed for the purpose. I always have a ready use spare rebuilt valve block ‘on the shelf’ (together with a spare pump) and swap the valve blocks and pumps over every three years as a maintenance activity. I have not had a leak between services since using rubber grease.
This is my ambition. But I'm starting with 3 pumps and two valve blocks of varying function.
I'm starting to wonder about the electronic bit in the reserve EAS box. Nanocom reported that the rear valves were open from startup and it wouldn't let me shut them. I'll compare with my working EAS box...
They will be. Unless the car is at the desired height, as soon as you start up it will open the rear valves and the inlet. It will always raise the rear first then the front. So what you should see is rear valves open, they close, fronts open then close and it will then repeat until all 4 corners are up to height so it will close all of them.
Even with the boot lid open?
Errm, no. That should inhibit all movement. Does the Nanocom show it as open?
Yes it did, and I was surprised when I wandered back from putting my tools away and the car was up, I thought the bonnet inhibited the EAS as well? I had left it up because I wanted to fill the reservoir first.
No, the bonnet doesn't but all 4 doors and the tailgate should. Although thinking about it, having your foot on the brake pedal inhibits movement but after 3 minutes it gets bored and moves anyway, maybe some versions of firmware have a timeout on the doors too?
OK, thanks Richard. I'll double check next time I try that EAS box. For now I'm running the original I rebuilt about 6 years ago.
If you run into problems on your way down south and are using the A1, I've got 2 valve blocks and a pump that I've rebuilt and fully tested sitting on the bench, so you could always make a pitstop on your way down. The second valve block is currently being pressure tested and is holding nicely at 13 bar, around twice the pressure it will ever experience in use.
Richard, you're a star.
I managed to mangle both pumps during "rebuild" one was my fault - snapped a bolt trying to tighten the head back onto the piston barrel. The other one must have been locktited to death as the first bolt I tried to remove snapped. I really CBA drilling out bolts from these things so I'm probably going to be buying disposable Dunlops from now on.
Don't throw them away. I could certainly do with the motor & bearings sections. I have one with fractured magnets that need sorting (it fell off the bench).
I'm 1/2 mile from J5 on the M4 if you're passing this way.
Sadly not headed that way, but I can recover the OEM one from the bin. It ran fine, but didn't seem to have much pressure. I'll hook out the barrel and motor part. I had taken the head off to have a look inside and I think that has sunk into the nightmare!
Edit: Rescued - but not the lightest thing to post. Where are you? (PM)