Nivomat damper Bellows

[J liddy]

Hi has anyone here changed the Bellows on Nivomat dampers any advice on how to do this most appreciated

[Forrest]

I bought some new rubber gaiters from Volvo with the intention of doing this one day. The method I was planning to employ was to unscrew the lower mounts as described here. However, having neither the soft-jaw grips nor a suitable vice this has never made it to the top of the to-do list.

https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/fo...ic.php?t=72387

I think some people have had success forcing the new gaiters over the bottom mount but it would irritate me struggling to do this whilst knowing there was a better way.

[jpliddy]

thanks forrest ,did you put the standard dampers on with heavy duty springs ?
may be a option for me if some can advise on the correct parts ,
regards jim

[Ian21401]

I replaced the rubbers on mine a couple of years ago. I removed the dampers and took them to a small garage near to me which has a large heavy duty vice and the required “soft” jaws. He loosened the lower mounting eyes so that I could remove them to slip on the replacement bellows. I used my own light weight vice with soft jaws to replace the lower mounting eyes as tight as I could with some thread lock. Two years on and still OK.

Edit: There are a couple of threads somewhere about this if I can find them.

[bob12]

I have done several posts over the years about Nivomats for the 700/900 range etc. with pics.

Unfortunately, unless you do a Google search they are no longer available for me to access as many historical posts have been deleted by the Forum system. I don't find the Forum search is any good unless you strike very lucky!!

The 9 diaphram bellows are still availble at from Volvo - Pt No. 1387105 (or it was!).

To fit the bellows you have to unscrew (anti-clockwise) the lower bush/mount. Warning .... it is not easy! You need a very stout vice, stillson and, a very long lever bar!! However, they do unscrew!!

Once the lower mount is removed and the thread cleaned-up it is an easy job to slip on the the new gaiter and refit the bottom bushing with some loctite. It's virtually imposible to get a new gaiter over the bottom bush when it's in situ; whatever wheezee you my try!

Bob

[bob12]

Found these pics on my phone. Before (old) and, a refurbished very good pair of Nivos I had 'bought for a song'!

They have been on the 745 for a couple of years now and no longer the yearly MOT comment about a slight weep of oil from the n/s Nivo!!

Bob

[Ian21401]

Thanks Bob. That was the part number when I did mine in 2019. It was reading your posts which led me to do mine.

[J liddy]

I have a vice but no way can I get them off do they need a heat with a plumbers blow torch or is that a no no .within being near the rubber support mounts .
Regards jim

[360beast]

Originally Posted by J liddy

I have a vice but no way can I get them off do they need a heat with a plumbers blow torch or is that a no no .within being near the rubber support mounts .
Regards jim

Edit, ignore my brain fart! You need to grip the chrome bar not the damper itself.

[Ian21401]

I don’t think that heat is either necessary or a good idea. The shaft of the shocker needs to be held VERY firmly in a SOFT jawed vice so that the lower mount can be gripped and turned with a long handled stilson which may also need some persuasion with a lump hammer, whilst the shaft does not rotate in the vice jaws.
Once it is loose it is easy after that.
I first tried by obtaining three different types of soft jaws for my 4 inch bench vice but without any success. The vice simply could not hold the shaft firmly enough so the shaft revolved in the jaws as I attempted to unscrew the mount.
There is a man near to me who is a retired HGV mechanic and now works on other peoples’ cars from his very well equipped home garage. He has a large engineers vice with massive jaws and suitable soft jaws and he agreed to give it a try at my risk. The shaft was duly clamped in the vice and large stilson applied to the mount. It didn’t want to move. The vice was tightened as much as humanly possible and the stilson persuaded with a lump hammer. This was the stage when I anticipated the shaft turning in the vice and becoming damaged, but thankfully it didn’t. The mount loosened then wound off quite easily.
So, find someone with a large engineers vice who is prepared to assist.