On the lookout!

300 Views 5 Replies 4 Participants Last post by Jim Walters, 19 d ago

Richy04

Discussion Starter · 20 d ago

Hi Rich here,

I have a left hand drive 77 Rolls Silver Shadow ii. This car has low mileage (currently under 36k, I’m the third owner. But someone was a hacker along the way and disabled the rear height control.
They removed the drivers side height control mechanism and it’s no longer there. I suspect it needed a rebuild, but they opted to
Remove it instead. I would like to restore this to working and operational condition so if anyone stateside happens to have one for sale, I would like a complete unit.
I spent 4 days rebuilding frozen calipers on this car. Each and every piston was stuck in its bore and every metal line to the calipers were rotted. It now stops great and I moving onto other stuff that’s wrong with this car. She runs good and now drives great, I just have to fix what others broke on this car.

Automotive parking light Car Wheel Vehicle Land vehicle

Here she is in as found condition.

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Wraithman

· #2 · 20 d ago

It's a good idea to start at the reservoir and get to the bottom where the devil can be. Under the horizontal plate are 2 very fine metal mesh filters that is the last stop in preventing debris from being pumped thru your system. I would clean and check for a tear in the screens. Use a 1" socket to remove and gently tighten.

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guyslp

· #3 · 20 d ago

And if those filters are compromised, do NOT replace them with OEM filters. There are a number of sources (including Jim Walters and Kelly Opfar, if memory serves) for improved designs that cannot collapse and, while so doing, break the screen and allow junk to go throughout the remainder of the system.

I had alternatives custom machined some years back.

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Richy04

Discussion Starter · #4 · 19 d ago

Thanks for the replies. I checked the holding tank and it’s clean. My primary concern is procuring the drivers side height actuator as the back of the car is sagging. The PO apparently blocked off all of the height related hydraulics with bleeders.
As an aside, this car needed a starter. I replaced it with a British starters gear reduction unit. That unit only had two terminals and no instructions. My first issue was the battery positive as this starter is way shorter than the original. Secondly, the extra terminal left over causes an issue as well. If you hook that one up to power, it will cause the HVAC system to stay activated while the vehicle is off. That terminal is outlined in the manual and although I made note of it, it will drive someone nuts if they don’t realize they hooked it up to positive. The clutch will stay active and the fans will stay energized after about 10-15 seconds (outlined in the repair manual as well)
Anyway, I’m looking for the height control for this car, if anyone can point me to a place it can be purchased, please let me know.

Thanks! Richy

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Wraithman

· #5 · 19 d ago

FYI.. When the height control is disabled, removed or otherwise, it does not affect the standing height of the car. That is what the springs due on any car with coil springs.
If your car leans or sags in the rear is is most often weak springs and sometimes a broken spring will happen, causing the car to lean on one side.
The height system is used to level the car when passengers or weight in the boot causes it to lower, thus placing added stress on the output shaft trunnions which prefer to stay level.

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Jim Walters

· #6 · 19 d ago

Agree with what Rob says above, lack of a height control valve should have no bearing on the rear ride height with only a driver and one passenger in the car and no luggage in the trunk. Your rear springs are sagged or broken. The "go to" place in North America for rear springs for a Shadow is Coil Spring Specialties in Kansas, they have the proper specs and they have made and supplied hundreds to shops and owners. There are also shims used under the springs to fine tune the ride height, this is all explained in the workshop manual in the rear suspension section.

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