Hydragas Pump-Up and Suspension Greasing - Austin Metro Service Part 4 

I wish those hydro kit’s were available when I owned my Metro way back in late 80’s. I had to renew the rear radius arm bushings and had the unpleasurable task of driving my deflated Metro to my local Austin Rover garage for them to pump up the suspension for which they charged a fortune. That was the reason I sold my Metro and went with a ‘normal’ coil spring car. So nice to see Metro's on the road after all these years.

Poor bumble bee, I generally give them a bit of sugar water to get them going again, but I don't know if that makes any difference, but it's nice you noticed!

Love those metros my uncle worked on the production line in longbridge west works and met prince Charles and princess di when they visited the plant

Melody's a lucky girl getting all that attention. I hope she appreciates the love 😊

Looks proud now. Slammed cars always look like they are tired and have had enough, to me.

Excellent to see she’s coming on, I remember seeing Metros as kid with rear wheels leaning inward or backend leaning down.

Mel must be feeling a whole let better for all the TLC she's been getting. Nice one.

Interesting video, Ed. Lovely to see the old girl getting the attention. Keep up the good work.

That was my favourite job as an a apprentice car mechanic many years ago now . you seam to have a natural abilty to do these jobs as if youre self had some sort of training.Good work Edd.

As a result of your video on pumping up Melvin I ordered my own pump. Exactly the same and colour as yours. It did have a clear tube and it was a less diameter (external at least) than yours. Did the suspension on my Austin 3 litre. The instructions with the pump were only so so, so I was very glad of your video. I did strike one problem when one of my valves gave way. New valve fitted and all good. Your video definitely gave me more confidence. Hydrolastic fluid not readily available in Australia so I made my own. On advice I received from Aussie BMC fans was to make 5 litres. 2.4L green glycol anti freeze 2.4L distilled or de-mineralised water and 200 mls. Glycerine. The glycerine apparently keeps the rubber components subtle and readily mixes with the other fluids. Thanks again Ed.

Love this little car . Now you have finished the work you can splash out on some new jeans 😀

Rust! I loathe rust. It's the bane of all my efforts on my current Hawk restoration. Good to see you bringing her back to a serviceable state. Now on to addressing the ride quality?

Thank you for demonstrating pumping up. I need to do the same to my Midas (A series Metro based). I had my hydragas spheres refilled with nitrogen by a guy in Telford, Ian Kennedy, did a great job. Certainly buying a fluid pump is a good idea. Thank you again.

Beware of subframe rot, check areas you cannot easily see, i had a rear subframe mot fail….it had rotted on top edge you cant see

That charming little metro would like it's alloys refurbished b🤣👀❤️

I had the same problem as varese501 with the rear suspension mountings of an Ambassador, of having to drive it to a dealer's to be pumped up again, according to the manual. However I figured out a way to do it without letting down the hydragas system. I put a jack under the suspension arm, unbolted the mounting, then lowered the arm by letting the jack down far enough to get the old one out and the new one in. I then jacked it up again and put the nuts on and tightened them. As he said, the only way to pump them up was to go to a dealer who would charge something like a week's wages. I'm not suggesting he could have done that because it was a different job to mine.

watch your shows all good

Very well explained and demonstrated Ed. You have a likeable easy going style. Those nice 12" MG Metro MK1 Alloy Wheels. I have a set of new plain ARG non-MG Logo Alloy Wheel centres which will set those off nicely. Got them about twenty years ago. We've had one or more MG Metros about the place since I and a friend bought two new ones back in 1983. Let me know if they are of interest. My older son has one of the very earliest MG Metros. X-Reg. It's older than he is.. He attended the Metro day at Gaydon with it. About ten years ago, we got the tatty Alloy Wheels bare stripped and powder coated refurbished for a very special offer at £20 each. They came back better than those on the family MG Metro when it was new. I believe that firm in Digbeth B'Ham still do those excellent value powder coat offers. Transforms any tatty Alloy wheel. Had numerous sets of wheels done on the family fleet over the years. Some in Brilliant White Gloss ARG Advantage Style or bright Silver Gloss.

Although a standard plastic valve dust cap will fit, it will not provide a secondary seal like the original metal (with rubber insert) dust cap did. I have a Metro Vanden Plas 1.3 with Auto gearbox. Bought the Liquid Levers Hydo pump about 30 years ago, It needs new rubber seals to be fitted, not got round to that yet!

I actually preferred the sound of the camera's built-in mic. It has nice stereo imaging.

Great video as always 😎👍🏽 Very Well presented in your unique and enjoyable style...Im learning some handy tips too 😀👍🏽

The pump at the garage I used to work for had a vacuum pump setting to suck all the fluid out along with any air before pumping it up again.

Great video & process walkthrough explanation, cheers

I picked up one of the original BMC suspension pumps from a garage that was closing down back in the 80's and also bought a pump from liquid levers of which was expensive nearly 40 years ago and notive that still make and sell them for £563. Whist you can pump the suspension with cheaper versions the full kit that evacuates the system is handy all be it you can manage without.

Nice video. Good condition for the year.

Hi Ed Excellent as usual……. Mike

loved the one you did on Melvin, will be fun to watch again. Just curious, why haven't you refinished those wheels yet, could have those looking like new in an afternoon?

Great and very informative video, Ed. Did you re-adjust the headlights too?

Back in the day I had a go at making a Hydrolastic pump with a Skoda pedal box and master cylinder - it didn't work.... At 250 psi it might be worth using a full face mask when working so close to the valve.

rusty under there. need some rust converter zinc primmer and under seal like waxol

My late mother-in-law had an automatic metro in the same colour and year, I thought it rode ok, it's not the wheels spoiling it by any chance?

That rust underneath looks nasty

@seasidegarage do you follow Ed?