Excellent sphere removal tool

[Frogchod]

Last weekend I attempted to change the accumulator sphere on my XM, it's a right pig to get to, you can just get your

hand on it and slip a chain wrench on. But there appeared to be no way of applying leverage without removing the rads.

So I blagged this used from French ebay

Really easy to use, slip it over the sphere, 19mm socket on an extension bar and bingo one sphere changed in about 10 mins

60 euro well spent I think

No idea who made it. It's got DAMS-197 stamped on it.

 

 

[tooSavvy]

French... NOT made of cheese... Shock!

 

Good catch M8

 

 

TS

[djimbob]

Looks very much like an oil filter removal tool, good spot and thanks for sharing

[Sigmund Fraud]

Brilliant, but expensive. IIRC, the proper Citroen tool is/was made by Facom and looked like a very heavy duty oil filter chain wrench.

 

The AS-approved removal procedure involves a cold chisel and BFO hammer - equally effective, unless one needs to re-use the sphere.

[Frogchod]

BFO hammer and chisel method was tried

But there's just not the room to give it a proper thwacking

[forddeliveryboy]

Even the Pleiades tool would have struggled to beat that! Good purchase, any more pics - esp of the bits which move/articulate.

[mrcitroen]

I have the Pliaedes tool which always seems to do the trick. I have owned Hydro Cits over 20 years, it has paid more than its way!

 

That French job looks good!

[Frogchod]

I've never seen one like this before.

It's quite chunky but slipped into position ok.

It slips over the sphere and holds itself in place on the ridge around the extremity of the sphere.

Then the sloppiness of the cam arrangement on the tool tightens up as you apply torque and jobs a goodun.

Hopefully this pic is clearer.

[myglaren]

A bit expensive but cheap if it works!

[explosive-cabbage]

Do you have a link please?

[Frogchod]

No links, I just searched "outil sphere" on French ebay

However I have just emailed the seller asking where he got it from.

He was a perfect seller so I hope for a reply.

 

Google might yield some results if you're creative and know a bit of French lingo. "DAMS-197" is stamped on it

[Eddie Honda]

I believe that tool was made by WANODA

 

[forddeliveryboy]

The Pleiades one is v good, angled to reach all the awkward to reach sphere on the Hydractive models - but I do like the design of the one above.

 

http://www.mycitroen.dk/library/ds/red/Parts%20Suppliers%20etc/Pleiades.pdf

 

 

Or you can easily make your own, with a length of inch square bar and some M8 threaded bar. Bend the bar to a semi-circle to fit round a sphere, drill two holes at one end of the bar to take the two ends of bar, thread nuts on, cut off excess thread, use nuts to tighten round sphere, bar to crack the sphere's thread. 

 

When cracking the threads, do it with the suspension on high to prevent the cylinders from moving. (And don't lie under an unsupported car). 

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1471753/Gripping-yarn-of-man-who-thought-hed-found-a-bomb.html

[Frogchod]

Ebay seller has been most helpful and replied to my query.

No website.

Address is : Outillage Dams, St Daimas de Tende, 22 avenue Martyrs de la Resistance, 06430, Tende, Alps Maritimes.

Phone is 04 93 04 60 44 or fax 04 93 04 62 72.

He said it was around 90 euros new.

 

That Wanoda one above looks identical apart from the different markings on the cam.

[Heidel_Kakao]

I may as well bump this thread rather than starting a new one. I will probably need to change my XM's accumulator sphere in the near future and was wondering if anyone has a removal tool like Frogchod's that I could borrow. That type looks much better than the kind with a normal handle as I don't want to remove the radiators to get enough room to swing the tool.

 

I was going to attempt to just use an oil filter wrench removal tool initially but the forums seem to suggest this is rarely successful.

[dollywobbler]

I've only got the long type so space might be a struggle. An oil filter wrench stands pretty much no chance.

[Heidel_Kakao]

I am almost tempted to pay a garage to change it for me but I really resent paying labour charges for something that I could probably do myself.

[Heidel_Kakao]

 

Would not even something like this double chain filter wrench have a chance? I am probably vastly underestimating the force required to remove a sphere but I will most likely realise when I come to have a go at it myself.

[beko1987]

No chance. I had use of a proper tool when I had the spheres on my xm checked, and it took doing the bolts up so they dug into the sphere slightly, then a fair bit of smacking with a big hammer to undo.

 

Or it'll be like the beige bx and be barely hand tight...

 

There were some on ebay for £15 when I had my xantia, don't know of the quality though

[dean36014]

I brought a 15 quid one on ebay, do the bolts up tight and it works perfectly.

[Frogchod]

I may as well bump this thread rather than starting a new one. I will probably need to change my XM's accumulator sphere in the near future and was wondering if anyone has a removal tool like Frogchod's that I could borrow. That type looks much better than the kind with a normal handle as I don't want to remove the radiators to get enough room to swing the tool.

 

I was going to attempt to just use an oil filter wrench removal tool initially but the forums seem to suggest this is rarely successful.

Pop over tomorrow (with sausages and bacon) and I'll change the sphere for you.

Or if you're near Reading I can get my sister to take the tool back with her for you to borrow.

[Heidel_Kakao]

Pop over tomorrow (with sausages and bacon) and I'll change the sphere for you.

Or if you're near Reading I can get my sister to take the tool back with her for you to borrow.

Are you not based in France? It would be tempting to have an excuse to pop over to the XM's homeland but I wouldn't be able to do so for quite a few weeks as I have a fair amount of stuff going on at the moment.

 

Reading though is two hours (100 miles) from me so much more manageable.

[Frogchod]

Yes I'm in Normandie about an hour from Caen.

I could maybe get my sister to post in on from Reading. Postage from France is mega euros...

Or maybe a shite relay up to you ?

[forddeliveryboy]

Something improvised can sometimes work if locked threads are able to be shocked free with a heavy hammer on a length of substantial ally bar connecting with where the sphere screws in.

 

I've known rear spheres which have been solid with corrosion undo by hand using this technique, which isn't to say it's a definite. There have been those which have needed a hefty blow to the lever on the Pleiades tool, even after thread-shocking.

 

There are people, presumably used to non-Citroën engineering, who tighten the things up with as vigour as they need to remove them. Hand-tight is enuff, it's the condition and correct positioning of the rubber seal which counts, as with the pipe connections.

[eifion]

I have a Pleiades removal tool you're welcome to borrow, but I'm up in North Wales. I'm not sure how it could be got to you cheaply.

[steveo3002]

I have a Pleiades removal tool you're welcome to borrow, but I'm up in North Wales. I'm not sure how it could be got to you cheaply.

 

hermes will deliver for £3-4

[Heidel_Kakao]

 

Problem solved! I had to be stubborn and try it for myself and the above rig complete with bit of wood to protect the radiator from accidental damage has easily loosened my accumulator sphere.

 

Thanks to everyone that offered to lend me a tool but I should be ok now. Just got to buy a new sphere.