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EDC rebuild update

117K views 558 replies 85 participants last post by  AseanAero 
#1 · (Edited)
A few people have been asking me what's going on with this so I thought I'd update everyone

I was sick to death of this on-going EDC drama so a couple of months ago I started to seriously research a solution. After much searching I found a specialist suspension company who had the ability, but more to the point had the will to help us. These guys have many many years of experience with all manner of road and race suspension, they specialise in rebuilding old Ferrari and Lamborghini shocks amongst other things, and the boss is a good guy which is so important in these situations

Bottom line is that he's willing to help us. He currently has 2 front and 2 rear units in pieces and he's sourcing all of the necessary seals and gas sacs. They have the ability to manufacture their own seals if necessary so he's not anticipating any problems. There's nothing complex in the units and he's quite confident he can turn these around for us. Rebuild units would come totally refurbed, repainted and would be tested on their suspension dyno before being released. This is not just a hydraulics company, this is a bona fide suspension specialist who has all of these facilities in house, blast cabinets, dyno etc etc

The plan is the same as it always was, he'll hold a set of refurbed units in stock, people will buy them from him and pay a deposit which they will get back when they return their own units which will be refurbed for the next person

Target price is £100 per rear leg and £150 per front leg inc. VAT :cool:

I should be able to update you again next week. We will need to get him all of the blown units we have as there will be occasions where a solenoid or hardened shaft is too damaged to re-use so he has to salvage parts from another leg. Having said that, they can source the solenoids direct and manufacture their own rods if necessary but it would put the price up dramatically so while there are so many blown units available they might as well be recycled

More info soon :)
 
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#105 ·
Any thoughts on the Accumulators?

As a side note; it may be worth him also trying to get a channel into buying the accumulators. Many of the rear shock problems are caused when these fail and would not make sense to change the rears without doing these also.
I for one would certainly replace both at the same time.

Regards
Steve Maher
'92 Touring
 
#106 ·
As a side note; it may be worth him also trying to get a channel into buying the accumulators. Many of the rear shock problems are caused when these fail and would not make sense to change the rears without doing these also.
I for one would certainly replace both at the same time.

Regards
Steve Maher
'92 Touring
Good idea, I can't wait for the time that I can start the new thread on this then I can bow out and you can all chat to Jon directly. He'll join and be able to answer all of your questions himself

Another 100 miles today, my rears are still ok. Go figure...:rolleyes:
 
#115 · (Edited)
http://www.m5board.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=96498&highlight=pentosin

Post 16 indicates what I have recommended & I feel safe with personally beyond CHF 11S in the past.
Without detailed formula info or the manufacturer & what std the fluid meets,
It would be reckless to recommend anything despite what I feel should be ok.
The person filling the system really does have to be satisfied with the product in the abscence of detail.

Sorry chaps but better safe than sorry.

Farrell
 
#116 ·
By the way, I heard a couple of days ago from a friend in sweden, that there is a guy i umeå that has rebuilt both front and rear dampers for his own 3,8. Hes builds racind dampers on order and refurbs Öhlins dampers for motorbikes and snowmobiles and has a really nice shop.
He has never offered that service publicly though and in what way he has done this is unclear.

Sakke
 
#117 ·
I'd like to know his contact details, since geographically its probably not that much farther to Umea from Göteborg as England to Göteborg, there is the added beauracracy of cross border admin.
 
#119 ·
That's great, it seems that there's only 1 part number for the EDC legs for all years, do we know if the same applies to the SLS? Is the rear just an ordinary EDC leg or is it different, and were there different part numbers through the years?

I sent my old rears off yesterday so he can rebuild them next week after his holidays with the uprated seals. Mine, although not pouring oil out, is still wet under the car so it's a good opportunity to fit and try the uprated seals on another rebuilt set. I might actually get to fit my new parcel shelf and rear seats one day... :3:
 
#120 ·
The part numbers for the 'normal' SLS shocks are 37122226245 and 37122226246.

Looks like they are unique to the 3.6, looks like all of them use these part nos.

Looking at them, they are quite different in outside appearance to the EDC units. But the must surely be less complex! (cheaper/easier to refurb?)
 
#123 ·
I've had rear SLS M5 shocks rebuilt successfully in Australia by a guy who has successfully rebuilt rear EDC shocks. I am also aware that there are a set of front EDC shocks on their way to the same crowd at the moment (not mine) so it will be interesting to see if they can rebuild the fronts here.

Cheers
 
#126 ·
Mike, sorry can't help with the rears, I don't have any spares. I was wondering if yer man has tackled the front legs yet? or do you have an idea when he might?, as I'm keen to get my car back on the road and I'm trying to get a plan together of things I need to get done.
Cheers,
Phil.
 
#127 ·
I know this is taking a frustratingly long time for those people desperate for them. The update is this....

A front pair are being done as we speak, Cyrus is going to fit them and test them. He's got a good leg with only 15k on it which is going up to the suspension place to be run on the dyno to provide a 'normal' baseline curve that rebuilt units can be tested against

My rear right has failed for sure, the problem at the moment is that Parcelforce have managed to loose the set I sent them last Thursday which should have been rebuilt with the new top seals and back with me by now. Because this unit failed (we obviously don't know why yet but it appears to be leaking from the seal area) the thinking is that we need to get a set of fronts and a set of rears built with the new seal design and then tested properly before this is opened up to everyone. The horror scenario is that rebuilt units start to fail so this needs to be nailed down 100%

There is a hell of a lot going on behind the scenes, rest assured that the project is very much alive, but this unit failing was unexpected and we need to find out why. I'll update everyone as things progress but in the meantime, assuming that this pair has been lost forever by Parcelforce, we really could do with a set for rebuild if anyone has a pair of rears lying around waiting to be done
 
#128 ·
What a bunch of arseholes Parcel Force are, so effectively your guy wont be able to examine the cause of the failure. I hope they turn up.
Look forward to hearing how sal gets on with the rebuilt front units, hope somebody can come up with another set of rears, Yewcorner per chance ??
I would strip mine off the car and send the lot down if your toiling, but not being local it is possibly not the best option.
Cheers.
 
#130 ·
No, the set they lost are the original ones that came off my car, the failed unit is still fitted and will be swapped for the new rebuilt set whenever they appear. He will definately be able to diagnose the failure. But this illustrates a problem we could have, if these 2 are lost then they are 2 from the 'rebuild pool' and it wouldn't take much for the whole operation to grind to a halt by either lost units or people not sending theirs back
 
#133 ·
Mike,

all ready on my end to test both front rebuilt dampers.

I can have the newish front off within 24 hours of you telling me and driving to Silverstone and giving it in and picking up the new ones.

If you could kindly keep me updated on when we can do this - need to get car back on road.

Thanks
Sal
 
#139 ·
:eek7:
Now you lost me.... Have you bought a used set??? Prepare to change them one more time then in a short while if you`re not sure about how old they are...

As said before, minor dampnes around the seals is considered normal and does not necessarely mean that the damper is shot.
If it is a rear one and pouring out fluid, then it will empty the power steering of fluid and this is a problem.

Otherwise we could send the dampers in a joint package to save costs, as i am looking at EDC change shortly(this autumn)

cherrsagai
Sakke
 
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