Hello,
The rear ECS-saga continues as I now found out that my supplier sent me all hardware except one that is supposed to be mounted on a non-ECS strut and of course they’re not interchangeable. They told me it’s out of production everywhere now, it’s part 41406C on picture with part number MB663671(rubber bushing).
So my question is: does anyone has this part available for me please?
Pascal
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It is worth noting that the rear shocks on the fwd models is different to the AWD models even though they are still ECS and the front shocks are the same.
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Im about to put tein coilovers on mine with the wireless adjusters …think will be better than 25 year old shocks …cheap in comparison to importing stock ones …should make my ride sweet. will have 2 sets of fully working ecs to sell when its all done
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found this …shocks injected with nitrogen to stop oil foaming
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can I borrow/buy the caps when you have done it just to see if they are causing the flashing dash light. Will sort postage and return if not problem.
I was wondering if the front fwd strut dimensions are the same as the awd ecs struts? If the dimensions are the same, would it be possible to buy new fwd struts and switch the internals? I would assume that the ecs components are part of the rod assembly? Maybe someone who has 1 of each type could verify?
Just an idea.
All of the front struts are physically interchangeable on the cars but that’s as far as it goes. This means that you can fit any of the struts to any of the cars. The ECS rod will not fit into a non ECS tube. If you fit a ECS strut to a non ECS car, it will stay in which ever setting it was last in. If you fit a non ECS to a ECS car, the ECS light will flash but the strut will work fine as a standard strut. There are a number of different non ECS struts so you should change them as a pair if you are thinking of changing them. I hope this helps.
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did you still want to borrow caps?
Put regulator in yesterday and flattened battery getting window and unit in right position . Tried to get caps off to have a look and have left them soaked in wd 40 as could not move the nuts with short spanner.
The outside wiring and connectors looked pretty clean but if you have a pic of whats under the cap that will show whether the wiring under them is going to be prone to problems and cause the dash light warning.
Will get socket set from red one tomorrow and try the nuts again . So cold outside for 72 year old lol.
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Hi everybody!
Thinking of welding a metal base at the bottom of the shock and then drilling a very small hole in the center and screwing in the following Schrader valve: 4 X Schrader Valve METRIC 8mm thread Shock Absorber Air Compressor Fork Cap | eBay
Also to change the oil the crimped top has to be machined with threads for a dust cap/new seal retainer to be screwed on.
How does this sound?
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this could be another way to add nitrogen.
also could the top part of the strut where the seal is located be replaced by a screw on cap to hold the seal instead of the crimped metal. A machine shop could shave the tabs holding the seal, but the question is if the metal is thick enough to accept outer tube threads?
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Thanks for posting this George. There is some pretty useful information here.
Unfortunately, I can’t see this being a DIY solution. There are thousands of engineering workshops that could perform this type of repair but the strut has been machined and modified. It would require a huge cost to have all of the additional parts machined. I was looking for a more practical solution for the man at home to perform.
As for the nitrogen part. You have definitely proved that a man in Russia fills an unknown brand of strut with nitrogen but this does not prove that there is nitrogen gas in our ECS struts.
That being said, I have been convinced by many people that there is likely to be gas in the struts and my new struts that I have dismantled are probably old stock from mitsubishi and have leaked all of the gas. I like the simple method that this guy is using to inject the gas and will look at using this method myself.
I am waiting for someone to contact me back who claims to have inside information about the ECS struts. We will have the answer to everything then.
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The FWD rear shocks are shorter.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PHPBzAnNxk
Related videos for getting to the point of correct service rebuild
Also…
Min 10:30 shows this nitrogen filling device much better!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=US38YT4SSdg&list=PLt3oHqVdOfXIpgoLQbvPMuUmHB6Lw3FNk&index=12
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Whilst these videos are a great source of general information, they do not show or give any information what so ever about KYB electronic struts.
Can I also say that using the wrong volume of oil will severely affect handling of the vehicle.
Finally, the struts in the video have a much thicker wall than the KYB struts. If you try to modify the wall or add the wrong pressure of gas, there is a very high risk of explosion either whilst injecting the gas or when driving. Both could be fatal.
I have not gone ahead with the second referb video on these struts because I don’t have accurate corroborated evidence of oil and pressure. I will not risk lives by giving random information gathered from the internet. I hope you understand. I will allow the uploading of these videos on the understanding that they are for general information only and that I do not endorse these methods for our struts at this time.
Thank you for your understanding.
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Hello, I don’t know why some are talking about KYB-shocks, the ECS shocks were only built by Unisia (as shown in several pictures of some new shocks), KYB only offers replcement shocks without the ECS-system I think, or am I missing some info?
Pascal
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Dont think kyb make shocks for any model of this car but I stand to be corrected.
I wish I had read this thread before my Teins were fitted. I didn’t realise there would be any interest in my old ECS shocks, or any way to refurbish them, and unfortunately they went in the skip. I feel like a right Philistine.
The Tein coilovers with EDFC are a nice modern solution and keep the original ethos of the car alive while neatly sidestepping the issue of parts being unobtainable, though I appreciate the original shocks will be the only solution for the purists among us.
If anyone is on the fence about it, my own experience is that they are very comfortable and the handling from them is phenominal. But if you do go down that route, don’t make the mistake I did - pass your old shocks on to someone who can bring them back to life!
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Joe you are absolutely right, these are only thoughts and ideas and unless rebuild shocks are tested and their values measured on specialized equipment no one can be sure of the outcome which can be deadly if the shock malfunctions during driving.
Since this is an educational and information forum l found an interesting company which provides (nitrogen in a bag) for shocks. Knowledge Center | The Brown Company
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