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K3 Part 2 
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Admin, and Coupe Nutter
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Joined: Fri Sep 14, 2007 10:34 pm
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Location: In the workshop
GTM: Cox/Coupe
Post K3 Part 2
Continuation after the original post got corrupt

Part one here

http://www.gtmdrivers.com/forum/chops-k3-part-1-t4382.html?sid=5f0bf9fb6f29abf8c51ef3d96e738f20


Neil

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IF wile e coyote had a GTM he would have one with Nitrous too! watch out road runner! The First GTM into the 11s then the 10s, PB 10.87 @ 125.5 Mph on A048 tyres, and fully road legal at Santa Pod


Sun Aug 11, 2019 10:42 pm
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Joined: Sun Oct 08, 2017 7:08 pm
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Location: Accrington, Lancs.
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Post Re: K3
How odd Neil. I can post again now you've split the thread. I'll take the opportunity to post a couple of pics of the floorpan. The idea is to bond three pieces of 12mm plywood onto the floor as i think it needs beefing up a bit.


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Sun Aug 11, 2019 11:43 pm
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Joined: Sun Oct 08, 2017 7:08 pm
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Location: Accrington, Lancs.
GTM: K3
Post Re: K3
Just like to add that I'll be ordering the coilovers and springs this week. If all goes well I might get that lot fitted next week.


Sun Aug 11, 2019 11:48 pm
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Joined: Sun Oct 08, 2017 7:08 pm
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Location: Accrington, Lancs.
GTM: K3
Post Re: K3
I was going to order the springs for my K3 today then I had second thoughts and decided to ask here first. I was considering 250lb fronts and 350lb rears but after some reading maybe I should go 275 - 375. I'm also a biggish bloke too at around 17 stone. Can anyone offer any advice please?


Mon Aug 12, 2019 6:26 pm
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Joined: Sun Oct 08, 2017 7:08 pm
Posts: 100
Location: Accrington, Lancs.
GTM: K3
Post Re: K3 Part 2
I have to say it's becoming a real pain posting here. I've just written quite a long post detailing the work ive done to the car over the last couple of weeks and whilst loading a couple of pics everything just disappears and I'm asked to log in again! Ill go over it quickly. Rear calipers painted and ready to refit. New brake hoses all four corners ordered. Front calipers removed and going for sand blasting this week. Front end cleaned off and brake discs skimmed. I'll post pics separately.


Mon Aug 19, 2019 9:11 pm
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Joined: Sun Oct 08, 2017 7:08 pm
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Location: Accrington, Lancs.
GTM: K3
Post Re: K3 Part 2
Badly corroded hydragas unit.


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Mon Aug 19, 2019 9:20 pm
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Post Re: K3 Part 2
They are but the internals could still be very good.


Tue Aug 20, 2019 9:59 am
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Location: Accrington, Lancs.
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Post Re: K3 Part 2
Yes the internals may be fine but I fear the casing may puncture any time soon. I'm also wondering if the poor state of these might affect the car passing its mot. I do have two spare hydragas units that came with the car presumably to replace these but having decided to go with coilovers means I'll be removing the hydragas system completely pretty soon anyway.


Wed Aug 21, 2019 12:42 am
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Joined: Sat Apr 08, 2017 3:08 pm
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Post Re: K3 Part 2
Should have no effect on MOT, I like the hydragas system, individualise each sphere & then you can control the height very easily, gives a better ride than a friend with TF springs at the rear.


Wed Aug 21, 2019 6:35 am
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Joined: Sun Oct 08, 2017 7:08 pm
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Location: Accrington, Lancs.
GTM: K3
Post Re: K3 Part 2
That’s interesting Phaeton. How would you individualise each hydra unit? Mine are connected front to back. I believe some are connected side to side? I’ve had a few cars with this suspension set up and I always liked both my land crabs but my favorite was the Austin 3 ltr. I think hydrolastic and hydragas systems always suited longer wheelbases much better. I thought the Allegro was a bloody disaster as it lurched from one bump to another.


Wed Aug 21, 2019 10:19 am
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Joined: Wed Apr 16, 2008 7:57 pm
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Location: Shepton Mallet
GTM: K3
Post Re: K3 Part 2
'Side to side' is easier and cheaper to manufacture than front to back, but does defeat the object of linked Hydragas as envisaged by Alec Issigonis. Some BL cars were side to side for cheapness, but the K Series Metro was front to back and certainly some reviews of the time thought the suspension worked well in that form.

Hydragas units come as front or rear units and these need to be reversed on the K3 so that the front units are actually from the rear of the donor - presumably this sorts out the spring rates. The Purple Peril had a spacer inserted above the front trumpet to sort the front to rear ride height, but that didn't remove another bugbear of Hydragas (affects MGFs as well) which is loss of fluid pressure over time even from new. To compound the problem in my experience the front and back rise (and drop) at different rates as the pressure is adjusted or lost!

Steve


Wed Aug 21, 2019 10:54 am
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Post Re: K3 Part 2
On the MGF there are Schrader valves up front that you can add fluid/pressure, I cut off the pipe part, welded up the hole (remove valve before welding) I did try to get fitments but they leaked.

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Wed Aug 21, 2019 11:18 am
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Location: Accrington, Lancs.
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Post Re: K3 Part 2
Hi Steve, I think I have a pic somewhere of the spacer you put in to sort the front ride height. I didnt know the units were different front/rear. I assumed they'd all be the same.
Btw, I sent you a PM to say thanks for the catches for the hardtop. I haven't been able to post properly for a couple of weeks and wasn't sure if you'd received it.

Phaeton, I wondered if that's what you'd done. It must work alright then.


Wed Aug 21, 2019 8:57 pm
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Joined: Sun Oct 08, 2017 7:08 pm
Posts: 100
Location: Accrington, Lancs.
GTM: K3
Post Re: K3 Part 2
Near side front hydragas unit showing the spacer to alter the ride height. Is that it Steve, that nut I can see just above the dust cover?


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Wed Aug 21, 2019 9:03 pm
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Post Re: K3 Part 2
Hi Si,
Confession time. A chap called Darren from a garage in Ilchester was the mechanic who did the serious work on the car, but I am pretty sure that the necessary 'spacer' (looking very much like any old nut) was 9mm; he did claim that it wasn't likely to fall out which does look to be the case! Haven't used him since the K3 was stored as have a really good garage in Shepton for the sensible car.

Darren's spacer fix was very successful in giving a good front/back ride height at a functioning Hydragas pressure, but it still benefited from an annual pump up. The ride quality on the 60 profile tyres with the pressure up to spec. was on a par with my trusty 306 and that can't be a bad thing!

Cheers,
Steve


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Wed Aug 21, 2019 10:01 pm
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