Re: Audi bomb recharge

["Graydon D. Stuckey" <graydon@apollo.kettering.edu>]

On Thu, 5 Feb 1998, Joel Skousen wrote:

> I mentioned this repair to my mechanic, and he suspects
> that in most cases, a pinhole in the bladder will allow
> the pressure to leak out again over time.

Of course, this is why the nitrogen leaked out in the first place - it 
gets through the bladder and out to the atmosphere.

> about these accumulators until you dig into them--and I don't think many
> mechs have actually done any of that.  We don't need a lot of people
> sitting around waiting to see how my bomb is doing--we need lots of
> others trying it--what have we got to lose?  Now I am not suggesting

Agreed.


> loses its pressure, and then add the valve and try a recharge.   Even if
> it does leak down after a year or two (which I doubt), a cheap recharge
> every other year is still a lot less money than one new bomb.  Besides,

This is true too.   Also, you will possibly be able to recharge on the 
car, depending on the shop.

> If you don't get any oil out of the casing after drilling the hole,
> chances are pretty good the bladder is intact.   I did drill a bomb from
> the boneyard yesterday that (as I found out later) had a bladder that
> had come completely disconnected from its attachment point inside the
> casing.  Naturally I got oil out my hole when I drilled it.  I cut the
> case open just to see if the oil was from my drilling a hole in the
> bladder or something else.  I was glad it was some other cause, because
> I had been very careful in drilling.  

What did the bladder look like where you drilled the hole?   Was there 
any damage at all to the bladder?   How thick is the bladder?

> I'll keep experimenting with old bombs and hope others do to.  
> 

:-)  That has a humourous ring to it.  "experimenting with old bombs!"

Thanks for your effort Joel.

Later,
Graydon D. Stuckey
graydon@apollo.kettering.edu  <<< please note my new address!!!
810 733 0255