Before I start, I just want to say I've searched long and hard for similar questions, and found some answers to some of them, but there are still some left to be answered...

My current setup is on a 2000 Integra LS Sedan, about 2950 lbs or so with driver and sound system. Koni Neuspeed Spec Yellow's, Neuspeed "Race" springs, Ingalls Front Camber kit, 205/50/15 sized tires, and I cant think of anything else relevant to the questions I have. I am the 3rd owner of these shocks, and they are approximately 4-5 years old with probably more than 25k miles on them. I have no idea who the first owner was, so there's no receipt or anything like that to get ahold of. A few things have come up to my attention.

1. They still ride great, but the right front shock has began to leak fluid through the adjuster. I have my damping set at about .8 turn from full soft (halfway) all the way around. I've cleaned it, and it was cool for a few weeks, but it came back just recently. How long can I expect this to deem the shock unusable?
2. I've read only recently that its bad to adjust the damping while the car is not on a lift or jackstands. Why so, and how bad is it for the internals?
3. I impacted one of my rear shocks too tight during the last spring install, and it stripped out the tackwelded nut on the shock. Luckily Honda's bolt is long, so I just picked up another nut with the same thread pitch and tightened up along the tackwelded one. If i get my shocks revalved, is there something that can be done about that tackwelded nut?
4. Its likely I'm going to get the front two revalved at ProParts West or whatever the name of the place is in Canoga Park (i havent called them, I'll call tomorrow), what can i expect after the rebuild?


Thanks! Hopefully my long post wont go ignored (as many of them do).

 

1- You can keep riding on them as long as you want. The car will just get progressivly bouncy. I'm willing to bet that the stiffer you set them, the more they will leak too...

2- I've never heard that it's bad to adjust the damping while the car is on the ground. I don't think that is really true. Their isn't any pressure on the valve adjusting parts at any specific point in the stroke. Plus, it would be totaly inconvienent to have to jack the car up just to adjust your shocks...

3- I broke one of those tack welded nuts off just tightening my bolt with a wrench. You didn't need to add a second nut. You could have just used an open end adjustable wrench to hold that square nut still while you tighten the bolt with a rachet/torque wrench. If you send your shocks in to Koni, they will probably tack it back on. If you send it somewhere else for a re-build, you will have to ask if they have the ability to do that (usually they need to be re-painted afterward). Overall, it isn't important. Most aftermarket shocks don't come with the nut welded on, they just include it with the hardware...

4- You should expect your shocks to perform like new, and not leak. Slight moisture where the piston enters the shock body is normal, but drips & pools is bad. Their shouldn't be any leakage or spatter from the adjuster either..

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 94eg! &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">


3- I broke one of those tack welded nuts off just tightening my bolt with a wrench. You didn't need to add a second nut. You could have just used an open end adjustable wrench to hold that square nut still while you tighten the bolt with a rachet/torque wrench. If you send your shocks in to Koni, they will probably tack it back on. If you send it somewhere else for a re-build, you will have to ask if they have the ability to do that (usually they need to be re-painted afterward). Overall, it isn't important. Most aftermarket shocks don't come with the nut welded on, they just include it with the hardware...

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It stripped, didnt break off.

 

DOH!

If you have, or can borrow a dremel, you should be able to zap off the tac-welds in a few seconds. Then just remove the nut & chuck it into the garbage...

 

I chose not to Dremel it (i have my own) because it stripped while the bolt was in (i overtightened it with my impact gun).

I've heard that revalving costs just as much as getting a new shock...is this true?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 4door_demon &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">It stripped, didnt break off. </TD></TR></TABLE>

my Konis didn't have the tacked on nut when I get them (used), but the OEM shocks did .... so a couple whacks with a hammer and they were of of the OEM shocks and being tightened down on the Konis. Not sure about Koni, but mine a two tiny tack welds and came right off.

 

revalving is not cheap. If your shocks perform adaquately in their stock configuration, you'll probably find it is cheaper to just buy a new set of yellows, if you have any trouble with the warranty seeing as you are not the original owner.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by blundar &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">if you have any trouble with the warranty seeing as you are not the original owner.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Koni's lifetime warrenty is only good for the original purchaser?

Reason I ask is I saw a leaking set for sale in the classifieds and the seller said that anyone who bought them could send them back to Koni under warrenty. Is that a false statement?

 

Some interesting notes:

1. If you revalve your used Koni's, they still won't have a warranty.
2. If you buy two new Koni's, they will have a full lifetime warranty.

Hmmm...

Perhaps you should sell the two old ones to make up any difference in price. Racers are probably looking for blown Konis all the time, since they would want to revalve them for racing anyways...

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by kkim &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Koni's lifetime warrenty is only good for the original purchaser?

Reason I ask is I saw a leaking set for sale in the classifieds and the seller said that anyone who bought them could send them back to Koni under warrenty. Is that a false statement?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Yes, that is a false statement.

Sombody posted a thread recently that wanted to get their used Konis re-valved. The seller told him he could have them rebuilt under warranty, and basically he got the shaft. You must provide your original sales reciept, and some other form of vehicle identification...

 

thanks for clearing that up.

 

As far as I know you are supposed to adjust the shocks while the car is on the ground. Because you are supposed to push the shaft in and then turn when adjusting the reds. And the yellows and reds work in similar fashion, right.

 

Yellows are externally adjustable with a ****, unlike the reds.

Speaking of people to buy blown Konis, I know someone locally. Send a PM if you're interested.

 

hmmm good points indeed about buying new ones...

works for me...give me a week or so and i'll let you guys know for sure.

the front left works just fine too...so technically neither of them are blown, just one has a small fluid leak.

 

i wouldn't think it was blown unless the oil was leaking out of the shock body itself.. you described oil coming out of where you adjust it, i don't think yours are blown.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 99_dc &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">i wouldn't think it was blown unless the oil was leaking out of the shock body itself.. you described oil coming out of where you adjust it, i don't think yours are blown.</TD></TR></TABLE>

When I use the term "blown", I refer to a leaking seal. On Yellows, there are two main seals you need to worry about. The shaft seal, and the adjuster seal. If fluid is leaking out of either place all the time, the shocks performance will fade away...

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by blundar &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Yellows are externally adjustable with a ****, unlike the reds.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I know, I have the yellows, I am just saying that I think you are not supposed to adjust while the shock is at full extension.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 94eg! &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">When I use the term "blown", I refer to a leaking seal. On Yellows, there are two main seals you need to worry about. The shaft seal, and the adjuster seal. If fluid is leaking out of either place all the time, the shocks performance will fade away...</TD></TR></TABLE>

gotcha...

how common is it to have the adjuster seal fail?

 

About a month or two ago sombody posted that one of their yellows spattered the underside of the hood. I'm sure it doesn't happen often (otherwise Koni couldn't afford to offer a lifetime warranty ), but it's still somthing to look out for...

 

1. Monitor the amount of fluid being lost and keep driving on them. I would expect they can lose a 1/4 to 1/2 half a cup of oil before the level gets low enough to really negatively effect performance at which point they will have some free stroke at max extension. Until about a month ago, one of the rear Sport shocks on my daily driver CRX had a slight bit of seepage moisture at the top adjuster.

They have been on the car for five or six years after I pulled them out of the warranty return bin because someone sent them in for leaking so I decided to use them to see how long they'd last. I haven't a clue what their life was like before I got them but I used them for an easy 30k+ miles, several trac events and a few autocrosses with good service. If you pull them from the car, then set the rebound to the mimimum setting and see if there is any gas charge remaing in them or if it has escaped compeltely. If there is gas still left in them, then the leak is very small (nitrogen molecules are smaller than oil) and they probably have a fair amount of life left.

2. That is not true and I have no clue where that is coming from. So long as it is not physically topped or bottomed out risking impact damage, the shock neither knows or cares what position it is in.

3. If you have the shock serviced, you can have any proper nut tack welded back on or you can simply use a loose nut and two wrenches for the installation. The Suspension Techniques sway bar actually tell you to remove the tacked on nut on a EF/CRX. Having the nut tacked on is simply a convenience issue for installation.

4. Either Pro-Parts, Truechoice or Koni North America can service them for you. You should specifically tell them about the leaking top adjuster as that O-ring is not normally replaced in standard servicing and they might oterhwise come back rebuilt but still weeping out the top seal. What should you expect? Good service like a fresh shock should give. If you are not looking for specific customization like shortening or revalving, it will be faster and cheaper to buy a brand new one plus you will get the new part lifetime warranty. If custom to a perforamcne spec otehr than a new off the shelf unit is the goal, then you should have them customized or buy the 8041 RACE units that have already been made that way.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by CRX Lee &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">1. Monitor the amount of fluid being lost and keep driving on them. I would expect they can lose a 1/4 to 1/2 half a cup of oil before the level gets low enough to really negatively effect performance at which point they will have some free stroke at max extension. Until about a month ago, one of the rear Sport shocks on my daily driver CRX had a slight bit of seepage moisture at the top adjuster.

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How will i really know when the shock performance degrades? My main concern as of right now, isnt actually the small leaking, but the differences in damping strength, response, and adjustibility variances between the two front shocks. It seems as if the right the side is a slight less slower to "respond" to bumps (full length, both pass. and driver side hitting) than the driver side. It could be just in my head or other mechanical factors (bushings/springs etc), but when it comes to suspension parts, i pay REAL close attention to detail, so who knows...

Thanks for all the info guys.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Spec R &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">How will i really know when the shock performance degrades? </TD></TR></TABLE>
With oil where it needs to be, the shocks will build the normal forces expected and it will not fade off as it slowly disappears. It will be more a situation of enough and not enough vs. a longer term deterioration. When it has lost enough oil to not keep the inner cylinder full as needed, then it will greatly lose the ability to generate force and you will notice uneven handling. If it really bothers you, then have it fixed or replaced but otherwise I would (and I did) simply drive it as normal until you notice there is a problem or the leakage really accelerates.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by CRX Lee &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
With oil where it needs to be, the shocks will build the normal forces expected and it will not fade off as it slowly disappears. It will be more a situation of enough and not enough vs. a longer term deterioration. When it has lost enough oil to not keep the inner cylinder full as needed, then it will greatly lose the ability to generate force and you will notice uneven handling. If it really bothers you, then have it fixed or replaced but otherwise I would (and I did) simply drive it as normal until you notice there is a problem or the leakage really accelerates.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Works for me, I'll just wait it out and not be such a stickler for details...thanks again.

 

UPDATE:

The leaking accelerated to the point where the fluid would "fill up" the washer just above the top hat bushing, but not bad enough where any ill-handling effects occured.

I have put my stock shocks AND springs back on my car, since I feel I dont need to spend another 200 bucks or so on the situation. To my surprise and relief, the ride quality is pretty awesome. Although it looks goofy, its a nice change to be able to run over putholes/speedbumps and go down driveways without slowing to a halt.

This means:

I'm thinking about selling the shocks and springs....any takers?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Spec R &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I'm thinking about selling the shocks and springs....any takers?</TD></TR></TABLE>

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by blundar &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Speaking of people to buy blown Konis, I know someone locally. Send a PM if you're interested.</TD></TR></TABLE>