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MG MGF Technical - mgf replacement hydragas units

my mg garage will not re-pressurise my suspension because thet say the pressure will be too high.I have managed to locate new units but only for the front - rear units are not available.The garage tells me that they can modify the front units to fit the rear.My question is has anyone had experience or know of this being done?
d brimble

Sorry, cant help you with the modifications. We bought secondhand rear units from Andy Jennings, no problems so far!

http://www.mgcars.org.uk/andyjennings/mgf_suspension.htm
Eric Martin

There were 5 NEW rear units came into Australia just recently, I bought one for a client, I believe the others were sold immediatly.
Fitting a front to a rear I hear, has been done but it effects the spring rate.
There is a 'dry' conversion coming onto the market very soon I believe....

Mark.
M T Boldry

Thanks for the info Eric I will contact Andy as part of plan B.
Mark, the 5 new units you speak of, where did you buy
your unit and is the dry conversion just for the rear or must you convert all 4 corners? You confirm my thoughts re fitting front to rear because of the weight of the motor.
d brimble

D Brimble.

The conversion set is for all four wheels and I guess it'll not be cheap. My contact in the UK, Clive, posts on here so will no doubt pick up on this thread.

How many Hydrogas suspension units do you need?

I may have a lead on another NEW one....!

Mark.
M T Boldry

thanks for your quick reply Mark. I need 2 rear units
Doug
d brimble

They are expecting to retail the full set for around 850 pounds, if there is enough interest.
Eric Martin

Have you tried Link Automotive at Mitcham? They replaced a rear hydragas unit on my MGF Trophy 160 last year. They also pump up the suspension annually without any problem.

http://www.linkautomotive.com.au
Mark Hughes

Doug, I can ask the IF there are any more available. I know this one wasn't cheap $850.00 if I remember correctly....! (boy, stuff over here is expensive compared to the UK...!).

Contact me off board.

mark26r(at)hotmail(dot)com

Mark.
M T Boldry

I have a brand new front and rear for sale.

Rear is a trophy but I believe it can be converted to a std rear by swapping the piston.

I also have a front std.
A W Craig

AW, where in Queensland are you?

Mark
M T Boldry

Rockhampton, you can email me
andrew.craig@ergon.com.au
A W Craig

Trophy spheres can not be converted to 'standard' unfortunately - as there are internal differences too that effect the damping rates.

Been trying to get details on the internal differences of Hydragas units for a while - unfortunately without too much luck recently...
Rob Bell

I understood it was the piston shape that set up the damping characteristics. I would expect that unless you were on a race track you would not be able to tell the difference. I suspect many owners run there cars with depleted nitrogen spheres so they get a harsher ride anyway.

I had purchased the units and had intended to install it as a standard once the pistons were swapped. I was happier to install this rather than risk buying a second hand unit. I tended to treat my car gently so I expect i would not have known the difference.
A W Craig

I have come across a competitor from the Geelong car club who has front spheres fitted on the rear and he sets some very fast times without problems, bugger!
Andrew Regens

Probably a bit late but.. if you are still looking for this you could try my mechanic in adelaide:

AA Automotive (08) 8364 4988.

Heaps of goodies on site. After my crashie tried (and failed) to find a new bonnet, at next service my mechanic advised me "I've got a few of those"...

Ali
A Steventon

Just a point of interest... I have front units all round on my car.

All of my spheres had lost their nitrogen (super harsh ride even with correct ride height - Solid!) and one finally burst and lost the fluid too on one side forcing me to renew.

I sourced 4 units from an online breakers who sent me 4 fronts instead of 2 of each. I asked them to send 2 additional rears and in the interim I swapped over the pistons from my old rears into 2 of the 'new' front ones and put them on he back.

It was meant to be temporary but the car handled fine and I assume (as has previously been said)) that the pistons determine the damping rate. In fact I personally believe that they are identical except for the shape of the bottom section of the sphere (narrower on the rear) and I believe there is a practical reason for this - to allow you to remove and fit a rear sphere with the subframe still on the car. It's a tight fit but the narrower bottom 'just' squeezes past the rear inner wing and subframe. the front unit won't fit into the gap, no matter how hard you try - Unless you temporarily bend the inner wing outwards to allow the unit to slot into place (not a drastic as it sounds!)

Anyway, when the rears arrived they were in a notably poorer condition than the fronts that I had on, so I put them in the attic as spares and kept the fronts all round. That was 4 years ago and everything is still performing well.

Fronts don't get the same wear as rears (heat and weight to factor in on the rear), so they may be a better option in the future as spares dwindle and are harder to come by?
Mark Clayton

I still have a brand new front and rear for sale.

Rear is a trophy but I believe it can be converted to a std rear by swapping the piston.

I also have a front std.
A W Craig

Read your comments with interest Mark. You confirm exactly what my research has uncovered, I will go your way - thanks very much.
d brimble


I gave my spares to an old guy Rex in Bowen, I lost his number can anyone help as he was put onto me by this forum.

The lady who bought my car needs the springs and i know Rex did not use them.
A W Craig

Looking for a Trophy FRONT urgently if anyone can help...

Mark.

mark26R(at)hotmail(dot)com
M T Boldry

I heard about the dry conversion today at MG city when I dropped my car off. He said they are dummy spheres to fit it the original space but have springs in them and the set comes with new shocks to fit as well. Sounds great, but pricey he said 2 grand fitted, alot of that would be fitting labour mind you.
P Thomas

Did MG City give any idea when the units will be available?
Pete Cornell

WOW! only 2 grand fitted...ummm, excellent! Ummm, My cars worth 4 grand according to Red Book plus 2 grands worth of shocks so does that now make it worth 6 grand!
Sue Wilson

Probably not Sue, but it does get rid of all the Hydragas problems and prolong the life of the car. Also takes some of the F out of MGF.
Pete Cornell

I think at $2000.00 fitted you'll be doing well...!

The Suplex kit that is being developed in the UK is suggested to be available there at circa 1000.00GB Pounds. That will equate to close to $2000.00 landed in Aus.

Is the conversion that MG City the same kit I wonder?

Mark.
M T Boldry

Hey Pete is that F for Fun or F for @#%&@#! :-)
Yep your right Mark $2000 fitted is doing well. Saves me breaking a nail. I may even consider driving the MGF to GC when the times right.
Mark, if you have koni adjustable shocks (dampers) already can they be used as part of the suplex set up?
Sue Wilson

Hi everyone,
Brown & Gammon (UK) have the Suplex units listed for GBP830 plus VAT which doesn't apply to exports. I ordered a set when they had a 100 pound discount if you paid a deposit back in February. This equates to under A$1200, plus an unknown as yet amount for freight, but I expect that will be no more than about $200. Thus the whole kit will set me back about A$1400, plus fitting here in OZ, unless I get unlazy and tackle it myself. Latest delivery is about mid April. Apparently Suplex ran into a manufacturing glitz with one of the components but that has been rectified.
Sue, F is for FUN of course!!!!
Pete Cornell

No MG city didnt tell me when but said it would be soon. He said 2 grand fitted when I said "oh pricey" he said well if you replaced the hydrogas set up it'd be a thousand dollars per corner, 4 grand, ouch! so that is cheap for the conversion. Sue red book puts an MGF even a 97 model at 6600 to 8700, where'd you get 4 from? :oD
P Thomas

Hi Paul, My 1998 would be considered $4000 as its got 190 000km's on the clock even though it's immaculate and mechanically perfect. A substantially lower kilometre same year model, with unseen mechanically problems/faults would fetch a higher price than mine because of the low kilometres its done. Unfortunately Red Book dosn't see it that way. I got asked the other day if my car was new...I laughed and said.."Naht, it's 13 years old"! The car still has the original MG sticker on the windscreen and little white labels on the hardtop and sunvisors!
Certainly the F is for Fun or for the "fortune" I have lost in depreciation since new.:-)
Sue Wilson

Hey Sue sounds like a gorgeous car and a credit to you, have you done a huge amount to keep it going in tip top condition with that many Ks? Mine has 80000 so gives me hope that she'll last a long while yet. Well I guess anything will if you throw enough money at it ;o)
P Thomas

Hi Paul, I havn't done much at all really. Just 2 failed head gaskets and alot of driving, regular servicing & I have shares in Meguires, Kumho & Caltex!
Sue Wilson

Pete, would you let me know when your kit arrives as I'd like to see one.

I'm led to believe delivery is slightly delayed, but shouldn't be too long.

What are you going to do about Qld Transport 'Modification Plate' ? and will the modification effect your Insurance?

I'm hoping the kit can be passed as similar to the TF but untill I see one, I won't know.

The other thing that I'm concerned about is Duty and GST... as the kit is over the $1000.00 threshold for personal import, you may have Import Duty to pay plus GST.

However, taking ALL that into account, I think it's a superb way of saving the F from dying. As mentioned above, to replace each Hydrogas unit, even IF you could get them, would cost well over $1000.00 per corner...!!!

Mark.
M T Boldry

Hi Mark,
If you send me your email address I'll forward you a photo of a complete set - you probably know of Suplex, they make OEM springs etc. for many European manufacturers and have a great reputation for quality. I have emailed Clive Berry of Suplex UK for an update on delivery and will post the info as soon as I have a reply. The last update I had from him was delivery in the UK by February, so that obviously hasn't happened!

I fully expect to pay GST on the shipment which will add about $120 I guess, but still a cheap way to upgrade the suspension. Not sure about additional import duty but I don't think that will apply. I don't expect problems with Qld Transport as the gear is MOT approved in the UK I believe.
Pete Cornell

Pete, you have mail...

Mark.
M T Boldry

Mark did you get my email about the MGF Trophy front unit? Dave Kar-Solutions
David Karle

This thread was discussed between 08/09/2010 and 12/04/2011

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