ausmini :: View topic - hydrolastic fluid in the fuel tank

Imagine a freezing pommy morning, coming out, taking off in your mini, a little while later the hydro fluid defrosts, pisses out of the splits in the lines cos it expanded and then you land your bum on the ground with a heavy thud...

original mixture was mostly alcohol, a bit of glycol, some anti-corrosive and some stuff to stop people drinking it. Alcohol was used cos it's got a very low freezing point - ever tried freezing vodka? can't be done, but it tastes great really really cold...

Imagine a freezing pommy morning, coming out, taking off in your mini, a little while later the hydro fluid defrosts, pisses out of the splits in the lines cos it expanded and then you land your bum on the ground with a heavy thud...

where's it gonna evaporate to.... ?

back then, antifreeze wasn't what it is today, I dug up an old vic mini club magazine which has the official and original BMC recipe. 49% alcohol, 49% distilled water, 1% triethanolamine phosphate and 1% sodium mercaptobenzthiazole...

it has a freezing temperature of -31 C, and is of a constant viscosity. According to BMC, this is an antifreeze solution of constant viscosity, containing a rust inhibitor and a bittering agent that is required for legal reasons

I have used straight antifreeze, and have bought the proper stuff, the VMCI mag says 50/50 metho and antifreeze is another option...

I guess the key thing is don't freeze, don't rust, and be slippery :wink:

I've heard of racing hydro fluid too - must be like treacle :shock:

just so long as you don't connect an air-hose to the valve - I've heard of suspension places doing that and blowing up the bags... "duh, that looks like an air fitting... boom - what's all this green stuff?"

I want to know about the hydro pump made out of a clutch master cylinder - I thought of doing the same... can you post or email me a pic?

I was talking to the guy I bought my Cooper S off about trailers - I was thinking about making a car trailer out of a couple of dry rear subframes (clubmans are good for getting them - clubmans do have a few uses, but not many) He told me about a friend of his who has a tandem trailer made out of 2 hydro rear subframes (must be from early clubmans, not from roundnoses :wink:

), with fluid in them - apparently it's beautiful to tow... just like riding in a hydro mini

Author:	68matic [ Sun Sep 12, 2004 6:59 pm ]
Post subject:	hydrolastic fluid in the fuel tank
one fuel can full of hydrolastic fluid labelled: MINI DUC so here i go, filling up the moke with this fuel, obviously for my MINI MOKE. after about 100mL, this stuff is bright green in colour, and looks thick, unlike fuel oh crap. so lets have a drive, a fast one, make it, so all the fluid will be mixed in with the petrol and fly away into the dust with all the other fumes and smoke 12midnight, Cabramatta, darn thing dies on me. no phone run home pull home. float chamber all frothy with milky goodness, and we bleed the fuel tank and carby moral of the story, dont pour hydrolastic fluid into your fuel tank (one of the reasons why BMC laced the hydro fluid with green dye was coz it could be distinguished from other liquids) and label your fuel cans with more than the car name and your name and bring a phone with you always and run if youre in cabramatta... run.

Author:	drmini in aust [ Sun Sep 12, 2004 7:05 pm ]
Post subject:
"and run if youre in cabramatta..." Hah! I'd RUN (if I could), but you'd probably just blend in.... <edit> actually the `green dye' is just ethylene glycol, which is usually green... I wanna know WHY they put alcohol in it too..

Author:	68matic [ Sun Sep 12, 2004 8:12 pm ]
Post subject:
Doc, im glad you emphasised that point and you've added to your signature. very cool.

Author:	simon k [ Sun Sep 12, 2004 11:08 pm ]
Post subject:
original mixture was mostly alcohol, a bit of glycol, some anti-corrosive and some stuff to stop people drinking it. Alcohol was used cos it's got a very low freezing point - ever tried freezing vodka? can't be done, but it tastes great really really cold... Imagine a freezing pommy morning, coming out, taking off in your mini, a little while later the hydro fluid defrosts, pisses out of the splits in the lines cos it expanded and then you land your bum on the ground with a heavy thud...

Author:	thommo09 [ Sun Sep 12, 2004 11:46 pm ]
Post subject:
skssgn wrote: Imagine a freezing pommy morning, coming out, taking off in your mini, a little while later the hydro fluid defrosts, pisses out of the splits in the lines cos it expanded and then you land your bum on the ground with a heavy thud... or you could just lap up all the attention the F1 style sparks and ride height would get ya

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Author:	drmini in aust [ Mon Sep 13, 2004 8:55 pm ]
Post subject:
skssgn wrote: original mixture was mostly alcohol, a bit of glycol, some anti-corrosive and some stuff to stop people drinking it. Alcohol was used cos it's got a very low freezing point - ever tried freezing vodka? can't be done, but it tastes great really really cold... Imagine a freezing pommy morning, coming out, taking off in your mini, a little while later the hydro fluid defrosts, pisses out of the splits in the lines cos it expanded and then you land your bum on the ground with a heavy thud... Hmmm I would have thought after 30 years the alcohol would evaporate anyway. Some guys in the `States are using 50/50 glycol & water, or neat glycol. Wouldn't freeze anyhow.

Author:	simon k [ Mon Sep 13, 2004 10:07 pm ]
Post subject:
where's it gonna evaporate to.... ? back then, antifreeze wasn't what it is today, I dug up an old vic mini club magazine which has the official and original BMC recipe. 49% alcohol, 49% distilled water, 1% triethanolamine phosphate and 1% sodium mercaptobenzthiazole... it has a freezing temperature of -31 C, and is of a constant viscosity. According to BMC, this is an antifreeze solution of constant viscosity, containing a rust inhibitor and a bittering agent that is required for legal reasons I have used straight antifreeze, and have bought the proper stuff, the VMCI mag says 50/50 metho and antifreeze is another option... I guess the key thing is don't freeze, don't rust, and be slippery

Author:	drmini in aust [ Mon Sep 13, 2004 10:12 pm ]
Post subject:
skssgn wrote: where's it gonna evaporate to.... ? back then, antifreeze wasn't what it is today, I dug up an old vic mini club magazine which has the official and original BMC recipe. 49% alcohol, 49% distilled water, 1% triethanolamine phosphate and 1% sodium mercaptobenzthiazole... it has a freezing temperature of -31 C, and is of a constant viscosity. According to BMC, this is an antifreeze solution of constant viscosity, containing a rust inhibitor and a bittering agent that is required for legal reasons I have used straight antifreeze, and have bought the proper stuff, the VMCI mag says 50/50 metho and antifreeze is another option... I guess the key thing is don't freeze, don't rust, and be slippery Ah... OK you win. It's "the recipe I always wanted, but was afraid to ask for.. " I must say, the stuff they sell now sure looks like antifreeze.. They reckon if you use straight glycol the damping is better- I guess because viscosity is higher. I haven't been game to try it- I still got 4L of hydro fluid left.

Author:	simon k [ Mon Sep 13, 2004 10:32 pm ]
Post subject:
I've heard of racing hydro fluid too - must be like treacle just so long as you don't connect an air-hose to the valve - I've heard of suspension places doing that and blowing up the bags... "duh, that looks like an air fitting... boom - what's all this green stuff?"

Author:	J_A_M [ Tue Sep 14, 2004 9:01 am ]
Post subject:
Soooo Duc, getting back to your post...who labelled the can?? Obviously not you... or you would have remembered. Have you cleaned it out now?

Author:	simon k [ Tue Sep 14, 2004 9:29 am ]
Post subject:
I want to know about the hydro pump made out of a clutch master cylinder - I thought of doing the same... can you post or email me a pic? I was talking to the guy I bought my Cooper S off about trailers - I was thinking about making a car trailer out of a couple of dry rear subframes (clubmans are good for getting them - clubmans do have a few uses, but not many) He told me about a friend of his who has a tandem trailer made out of 2 hydro rear subframes (must be from early clubmans, not from roundnoses ), with fluid in them - apparently it's beautiful to tow... just like riding in a hydro mini

Author:	MiniK [ Tue Sep 14, 2004 12:06 pm ]
Post subject:
That story is too funny

Author:	bnicho [ Tue Sep 14, 2004 12:28 pm ]
Post subject:
Don't laugh, I have a hydro rear frame put away for this purpose. I just need another one to create my little tandem trailer. EDIT: That way you can adjust the trailer ride height easily!

Author:	drmini in aust [ Tue Sep 14, 2004 7:13 pm ]
Post subject:
skssgn wrote: I want to know about the hydro pump made out of a clutch master cylinder - I thought of doing the same... can you post or email me a pic? I was talking to the guy I bought my Cooper S off about trailers - I was thinking about making a car trailer out of a couple of dry rear subframes (clubmans are good for getting them - clubmans do have a few uses, but not many) He told me about a friend of his who has a tandem trailer made out of 2 hydro rear subframes (must be from early clubmans, not from roundnoses ), with fluid in them - apparently it's beautiful to tow... just like riding in a hydro mini Sure I could post you a pic, if your email wasn't a secret... Hey I'll host it here later tonight. I warn you it's not pretty, but it cost me nix!

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