Symphony Pre-Season Checks

Hi everyone,

It's the time of year when Di and I begin to look forward to using our 1995 Symphony for other than occasional daytrips to keep things aired. We usually take "Alice" to our little local garage for a "once over" to ensure that nothing has happened to all the vital little bits during the winter months. Can I just ask a few questions about things that come to mind?

1. Clutch Pedal.
I was completely unaware that it was made of plastic, and since finding out I worry every time I push the thing down that it will snap! Are they a weak point as I have been led to believe?

2. Power Steering.
We needed an emergency repair two years ago when the small pipes carrying the oil corroded through and were replaced. At the time the garage suggested that the high pressure pipe was also corroded and should be replaced. However my local garage later said they'd never heard of one breaking and to carry on using the vehicle and forget the advice. Anyone know who's likely to be most right?

Any thoughts? Jeff

As our 'vans' are also used without the 'house' on the back, as builders etc vans, there is no way that something like a pedal would be made from anything likely to break when stamped on by a size 15 safety boot. So I wouldn't worry about that.

Can't really comment on the pipes, but I don't think there's been an epidemic of failure due to corrosion so I wouldn't worry too much.

With a vehicle of that age, there will always be traces of corrosion where the protective plating has bee scratched off, or road salt has got hold, but it would be very unusual for it to cause a problem yet. Maybe in another 10 years??

May be an idea to give it all a good clean under the bonnet, then spray appropriate bits with a protective spray.

Ran a fleet of merc minibuses for 15 years.
When stocking the stores, a bin was made for a clutch and brake pedal.

As these were made of plastic, we would surely need one at some time.

After the last one was scrapped, guess what parts were still in the stores, never to have been used???

PB

I have personal experience of both these subjects and my van is the same year and model as yours, so here goes:

Jeff and Di Giblin wrote:
1. Clutch Pedal.
I was completely unaware that it was made of plastic, and since finding out I worry every time I push the thing down that it will snap! Are they a weak point as I have been led to believe?

I have had one snap on me. They break at the very top where the cable hooks on.
Before it broke, the clutch was stiff to operate and shortly after I had replaced the pedal, the cable broke, it was a pattern part and perhaps the stiffness of the cable contributed to the pedal failure. I replaced the cable with a genuine Pug one and the pedal action was much easier and smoother afterwards. When I bought my pedals (got one as a spare) the parts guy said that they sold lots of them. Obviously Pug pedals are not as well made/designed as Merc pedals. Cost somewhere in the region of £10. That was in 2007, it has been fine since (he says, typing with fingers crossed)

2. Power Steering.
We needed an emergency repair two years ago when the small pipes carrying the oil corroded through and were replaced. At the time the garage suggested that the high pressure pipe was also corroded and should be replaced. However my local garage later said they'd never heard of one breaking and to carry on using the vehicle and forget the advice. Anyone know who's likely to be most right?

Mine developed a leak on the main "high" pressure pipe from the pump to the rack. I was really brassed off because my job at that time was testing hydraulic hoses and part of that job was making up hoses. The trouble was that the hose in question has an integral one way valve which we did not have at work so I was forced into paying £70 for a Pug one. During my investigations I found the the pump had a maximum output of 100 bar which in hydraulic terms is not a lot. What I'm saying is that it would take an enormous amount of corrosion to weaken those pipes enough to allow that pump to burst them. I would go with your garage on that one. The small pipes you had replaced would have much thinner walls than the feed and return ones but even then I think it is unusual for them to rot through.

Frank