If it ain't broke...
Can't buy new hydro displacers any more, but the rest is OK. New pipes can be got from any hydraulics place- Pirtek, Enzed, etc.
Dust boots for hydro are still available. The rest is common Mini stuff- knuckle joints, trailing arm kits, top arm kits, etc.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

I agree but am planning on doing a bit of a rebuild including subframes so while there out I thought I should clean them up. Please exscuse my ignorance but what part is the hydro displacers is the ruber that holds the fluid at each corner? So what does one do if they break one? Is there anything you can do to extend their life span?

Yeah the displacer is what you are talking about.
If you break one, find some S/H ones. If the hoses break they can be repaired. I'd be more worried about rust in the pipes...

Draining the fluid & refilling is a good idea- it might be 40 years old!
You can get the right stuff from Karcraft etc.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

Ok will do. Does worry me but that I wont be able to replace them down the track when there arent anymore second hand items around or they cost an arm and a leg.

Buy a spare pair now, while you can....

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

Because of the bad reputation hydro suspension seems to have there are a few around, everyone seems to change to rubber cones if given the chance.

It is possible to use a wet subframe to install rubber cones (although this is more difficult and it is easier to get dry subframes) this means that if Hydro displacers become real expensive you can still revert to dry cones anyway.

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Roads need more corners
A Deluxe(CG13DE), 2 Clubbies(998 and 1275) and 2 Morris 1100Ss

Yep we've got a wet front subframe on Barney with dry cones and hi-los in. If I wasn't getting lazy in my old age, I'd convert it all back to hydro..

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

& i wouldn`t go changing the hydro lines to a diagonal configuration at all,,,YUK!!!,,,that would make the inside front part of the body lift up on hard cornering,,,this is something that you would definately not want,,,if anything you`d want the inside front of the car to droop on hard cornering

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No offence intended here but--> anyone writing a book about minis 30 years ago may not have experienced such worn or stuffed-with components as we are finding these days.

You should put your heart & soul into everything you do.

When I first got my hyro mini and I was trying to find out about hydrolastics and how it worked someone told me that the hydro was linked across the car from front to front and rear to rear it didn't take too much to work out that that would be awful for handling.

Is there any consensus on whether hydro suspension suffers less from body roll than rubber cones I don't imagine there is much in it in practical terms but as far as I can see hydro should have an advantage.

PS: I like hydro it is another unique feature of the mini

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Roads need more corners
A Deluxe(CG13DE), 2 Clubbies(998 and 1275) and 2 Morris 1100Ss

Hey,

I've just finished changing my mini ffrom wet to dry... It took me a while to decide, but i think that the dry are better for several reasons. The dry set up is much much lighter and lighter means faster. also if you screw up one part of the wet suspesion you lose total control cause it knocks out half your car out. And the dry suspension is almost unbreakable. Less parts equals better......

I am pretty sure some Citroen's had hydro suspension too.

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Metal to burn, sparks to fly...

Yer a friend in Adelaide had one but I think mini's did it first.

It was funny watching him park it though cause the citroen had a pump to keep the hydrolastic levels up which turned of when he turned the ignition off so the suspension would settle down but on stony or rough ground he would have to get out and check for rock and stuff before he landed his car. (I guess you had to be there)

I think one of the Metros also tried a hydrolastic type system but I might be wrong but I think it also used a cushion of air before it started pumping the fluid. And of course the Morrie 1100 had Hydro.

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Roads need more corners
A Deluxe(CG13DE), 2 Clubbies(998 and 1275) and 2 Morris 1100Ss

They had Hydragas suspension. It rides on a cushion of fluid with a "spring" of nitrogen on top. (hydra = fluid, gas = nitrogen)
The mini rides on a cushon of fluid with a rubber spring on top. (hydro = fluid, lastic = rubber)

Alex Moulton (inventor of both the dry and hydro Mini suspension) has a UK Mini running the Hydragas. It's in the DVD `Story of the Mini'.
Hydragas was also used on early MGF.

Body roll? I've got both wet & dry Minis- no friggin' difference really.. but the steering on the dry one feels dead, compared to my hydro car.
The hydro turns in better...

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.