8 replies to this topic

[Snowfruit]

Last weekend I started trying to fit Hi-los to my work in progress.
However I couldn't get the rubber cone separated from the bar on the rear. The article I was following in Mini Magazine said to pry them apart with a chisel. I must have tried for about an hour but neither component sparated even in the slightest.
Any tricks you could suggest?

[syholl]

Are you trying to get the rubber cone seperated from the alloy trumpet, or the subframe....? Couldn't work out from your description...

[Snowfruit]

Are you trying to get the rubber cone seperated from the alloy trumpet, or the subframe....? Couldn't work out from your description...

From the trumpet. Sorry I couldn't remember what they were called

[Minwah]

I had the same problem on one side this morning...can be a right b****rd

Try using a flat ended levering bar or similar between the cone and trumpet. You need to try to get the bar between the trumpet and the metal insert of the cone which isn't visible when fitted - it is hard to not lever against the rubber part itself which does nothing really if they are really well stuck together.

Make sure you lower the radius arm as far as it will go so that it gives a bit more play between knuckle joint and cone. Squirting some penetrating fluid around the area in advance will help too.

All that said, I ended just levering the cone/trumpet out together using the bar against the subframe as I couldn't break the two apart...there should *just* about be enough space to do this.

Use some copper grease around all the joints when fitting your hilo's to help make it easier if you have to do it again!

OT I did have some luck tho...the knuckle joints on both sides came out with the plastic housing still attached and held by the dust rubber - never seen that before!

[1984mini25]

Spray it with wd40 and leave for a while (go get your strength up for the next bit)

Then smack the living out of it, they do come apart eventually.

[The Matt]

All that said, I ended just levering the cone/trumpet out together using the bar against the subframe as I couldn't break the two apart...there should *just* about be enough space to do this.

It is deffo easier off the car.

I found the best way was to screw a bolt (or the threaded part of a cone comressor) into the back end of the donut, then grip said bolt in the vice (it gives you something more rigid to lever on). Then a few taps on the end of the trumpet will soon free it off.

Doing it in place you have to be careful when hitting it really, you can deform the metal insert in the donut, which can stop it sitting correctly on the Hi-Lo/trumpet etc.

[MaryQuant88]

I dont know if I did it right but I took the whole cone and trumpet off and put the rubber cone in a vice then with a scafolding bar over the Trumpet pulled down


Might be the most shitest way and wrong............but it worked

[dklawson]

On old cars like mine, it's a given that the trumpet and cone will be stuck together. I used penetrating oil, time, hammer blows and the chisel to finally get mine apart. Patience is the key if you're re-using parts.

However, one person I correspond with said their preferred method was to spray the donut/trumpet joint with penetrating oil (not WD-40 but an honest-to-God penetrating product) and give the thing a few hammer blows to work the oil in. After a couple of days repeating that oil/hammer routine he would take the frozen assembly to his back yard and beat a tree with the donut using the trumpet as a handle. He reports that this doesn't just work... it's emotionally satisfying.

[Minwah]

After a couple of days repeating that oil/hammer routine he would take the frozen assembly to his back yard and beat a tree with the donut using the trumpet as a handle. He reports that this doesn't just work... it's emotionally satisfying.

Lol, I bet it is