[rolindsay]

Hello Friends,

Just took delivery of my '69 Silver-Shadow. The hydraulic pumps are noisy when cold. They sound is like valves with excessive lash. Everything works but is just noisy. Is that normal for a 70k mile car or should I plan for service - or both? All advice is appreciated.

-rick / houston, tx

 

[Hemmo]

Hydraulic pump

The pump may have been running dry, bc of leaking. Also some starter-engineer may have added the wrong fluid

If the reservoir is full now and you are sure it is the hydraulic pump that is noisy i would try add some Slick50, but this is unconventional repair!
But before changing the expensive pump it can be worth the try wright?

Let us know the results

Hemmo :?

 

[rolindsay]

Thanks Hemmo, for the ideas. I'm pretty skeptical about Slick50 as this is brake fluid, not oil we're talking about.

I have since read in the owner's handbook that the pumps ARE adjustable but should not need it until they are of "considerable age". I'd say 70k+ miles and 42 years constitutes "considerable".

I'm off to the service/repair manual this evening, to see if adjustment/shimming/whatever is covered in the book. The pumps work just fine. They're just a bit rattly when cold. I'll report back...

-rick

 

[guyslp]

One should never, ever, ever consider introducing any petroleum or mineral oil based substance [or anything miscible with any of these] into an RR363 hydraulic system!!

It is not unusual to experience some brake pump noise. ticking in particular, in these systems as they age and if it disappears with slight warming I'd be inclined to tolerate it, particularly if the pumps aren't leaking or failing to create sufficient pressure for the accumulators.

 

[rolindsay]

Thanks Brian. I haven't owned the car long enough to know for sure that it quiets down. (Just took deliver this morning, then left for work in the daily driver.) The guy who did the PPI said they quiet down but I haven't witnessed it yet.

rick

PS: Join me on rr_silver_shadow at Yahoo! Groups please.

 

[guyslp]

Rick,

Also, are you certain that the brake system is filled with genuine RR363? One can use straight DOT3 during a system flush/purge or for a very short period of time if you're caught somewhere that immediate access to RR363 is impossible, but only RR363 should be used routinely.

RR363 is a DOT3 fluid with an added lubricant package that was formulated specifically for the Shadow series cars. There are some who "go cheap" only to end up destroying the pumps.

Brian, who shan't be joining your yahoo group since dealing with the Rolls-Royce Owners' Club forums, this forum, and private correspondence is quite enough to handle these days

 

[rolindsay]

Actually, the system on this early car (1969) is charged with Castrol Girling Amber. I thought the change to the newer fluid came in with the Shadow II cars. That said, I will investigate further and perhaps flush and upgrade to RR363 - for just the reasons you have described. Thank you.

-rick / rr_silver_shadow at Yahoo! Groups

 

[rolindsay]

> Brian, who shan't be joining your yahoo group since dealing with the Rolls-Royce
> Owners' Club forums, this forum, and private correspondence is quite enough to
> handle these days

No problem. The idea is not to compete but rather, to have a place where chatty conversations might be held that would otherwise not be of general interest to folks here.

 

[mikenann]

Pump Noise

I have a 73 Silver Shadow and it makes a noise when cold which sometimes goes away and sometimes doesn't. I thought it was the hydraulic lifters, but could it be the pumps? How can I tell the difference.

Mike

 

[guyslp]

Actually, the system on this early car (1969) is charged with Castrol Girling Amber. I thought the change to the newer fluid came in with the Shadow II cars. That said, I will investigate further and perhaps flush and upgrade to RR363 - for just the reasons you have described. Thank you.

-rick / rr_silver_shadow at Yahoo! Groups

Actually, all SY series cars from 1965 through 1980 are supposed to be using RR363 if the Crewe recommendations are followed. Can one even buy Girling Crimson, Girling Green or Girling Amber anymore?

Even if you can, RR363 is the only fluid Crewe recommended for these cars for several decades now. RR363 is a very pale straw yellow in color when new and always darkens a bit with age. It should be changed out every two years (during which time you had ought to do a full system flush/purge). The flush/purge process can be done using straight DOT3 if desired, since all of this should be allowed to drain from the system before you refill with RR363 and commence the process of bleeding the system.

 

[guyslp]

> Brian, who shan't be joining your yahoo group since dealing with the Rolls-Royce
> Owners' Club forums, this forum, and private correspondence is quite enough to
> handle these days

No problem. The idea is not to compete but rather, to have a place where chatty conversations might be held that would otherwise not be of general interest to folks here.

Rick,

That response from me now reads to me as sounding very snotty, and it wasn't meant to be that way at all, and I apologize.

I was just pointing out that I'm already up to my eyeballs in RR conversations and adding any more would put me under.

I have always found it a shortcoming of the arrangement of these forums that the "Technical and Mechanical Assistance" wasn't set aside as a series of separate forums based upon logical groupings much like the "Model Specific Forums" are. I always thought the RROC forums did an excellent job in subdividing the "Technical Car Talk" section into Pre-War Rolls-Royce, Pre-War Bentley, Post-War Six Cylinder, Silver Cloud and Bentley S - 6 & 8-cylinder, Silver Shadow & Bentley T, and Modern Cars. Were it up to me they'd do another split of the Modern Cars into SZ Era cars (1981 up to the Seraph/Arnage), Seraph/Arnage Era, & Goodwood Phantom, New Ghost & Current Production Bentley.

In any case, it's pretty clear that I still enjoy these forums quite a bit.

 

[Stirling]

I have always found it a shortcoming of the arrangement of these forums that the "Technical and Mechanical Assistance" wasn't set aside as a series of separate forums based upon logical groupings much like the "Model Specific Forums" are. I always thought the RROC forums did an excellent job in subdividing the "Technical Car Talk" section into Pre-War Rolls-Royce, Pre-War Bentley, Post-War Six Cylinder, Silver Cloud and Bentley S - 6 & 8-cylinder, Silver Shadow & Bentley T, and Modern Cars. Were it up to me they'd do another split of the Modern Cars into SZ Era cars (1981 up to the Seraph/Arnage), Seraph/Arnage Era, & Goodwood Phantom, New Ghost & Current Production Bentley.

In any case, it's pretty clear that I still enjoy these forums quite a bit.

I agree, and I'm the guy who set up the forums! So I'm looking for a relatively easy modification of the phpBB code and, if I'm able to find it, will setup sub-forums something along the lines of what you've outlined Brian.

Regards,

 

[rolindsay]

Then let me say, Stirling; Thank you! I have enjoyed this forum and hope to continue enjoying it. There is no end to the work involved maintaining such as site.

Another part of my interest in an e-mail version is because I can't always get to a computer but rather, rely on my BlackBerry. it does e-mail just fine but web-based forums are REALLY hard to read/follow on that tiny screen - even with the zoom option. perhaps I'll upgrade to a Droid X with that huge 4" screen!

Again, thanks!

-rick

 

[rolindsay]

Since this is the technical page, I'll write some tech.

Last evening I started my '69 Shadow to the usual chorus of hydraulic pump noise. It fades away nicely as the car began to warn up. Once warm, there was just a ticking sound from the rear pump area and nothing more. The rest of the engine is quiet and smooth as soft butter!

I've owned and had possession of the car for 1-1/2 days now and have made a few assessments. (I believe in the philosophy of 'Diagnose BEFORE surgery.')

Over all, the car is better than the PO promised. The new-ish interior (upholstery, headliner and carpet) is better than any car I have ever owned - including my new Mercedes daily driver! The paint is excellent and with a polish and a coat or two of Ice, will be even more like glass. The wood is undamaged (except one little repairable spot) and just needs polishing. And the car drives great.

And of course, its not perfect. There are lots of little fun things to fix - and I really love putting these kinds of things back right. I'm a details kind of guy. The seat control switches are very stiff and need cleaning. Driver's seat drive motors run but are not operating the seat properly. Rear passenger window, right hand side does not work. All locks need graphite lubrication and their mechanisms need lubrication. Radio is missing. Master window control switch is stuck in 'emergency' position. Rear defogger switch is stuck 'on'. And on and on it goes.

My usual work plan is to photograph, clean and diagnose THEN begin repairs starting first with those items that affect usability. For example, I am having the A/C repaired and charged tomorrow. I'll then pull one of the blowers out to clean, lubricate and find the source of a little fan-hitting-a-leaf-like noise (probably remedied by the 'clean and lubricate' step).

I've written a book. Sorry. I'm just excited. Thanks for sharing.

-rick / hot-n-steamy houston