Dollywobbler's Blown BX

[dollywobbler]

Here are some examples of the knackered paint.

 

This caliper slider really wasn't keen on sliding and is why there was a brake pad wear imbalance. Not sure how to resolve this as the boots aren't keen on coming off. They were split, which allows the slider to dry out and corrode.

 

Handbrake cable is utterly broken.

 

So, this is going to take longer to get back on the road than I expected. Oh well. All ensures I know exactly where I am with this thing when it's all sorted.

[Morgan84]

Well,if it might take a little more time than hoped,but once you have gone through the motor fully,you will then know the cars all in good condition,and you can start to let it earn some trust

[dollywobbler]

To be honest, when you buy a turbo diesel BX for less than £400, you've got to expect some teething troubles! This one just hasn't been serviced correctly and while it hasn't been totally neglected, it's not been cherished either.

 

As I'm having such problem with the caliper sliders (can't get the remnants of the old boots off) I thought today's job might be to pinch the recon caliper I fitted to the estate so I can get the TXD's braking system working again. However, it's chucking it down with rain. So much for the forecast of sunshine! I do have some spare calipers sitting around (condition unknown), so might see what I can do while it's raining. The TXD is immobile in the garage until the strut return pipes arrive - estimated to land here after 5pm. Useful.

[dollywobbler]

Caliper issues resolved by the simple trick of taking the nice, recon caliper off the estate and lobbing it on the TXD. There was mild alarm when the older caliper's bleed nipple rounded, but I've learnt a lot since I knackered up an Alfa caliper and hammered a smaller spanner over it. A few gentle taps to the spanner head with a hammer, lots of penetrating oil and gentle pressure and it was soon turning. Quite pleased with that!

 

The Green Tiger is still drivable (well, ok, it does have one knackered rear pad) for the time being as a slopped a load of copper grease over the sliders. The boots might be knackered but that's enough to allow it to slide for now. Realistically, it's probably only got one journey ahead of it now (to a friend's house, where the break-up can begin in earnest).

 

Now awaiting moar parts.

[Micrashed]

Here are some examples of the knackered paint.

Matte Black

FTW

[dollywobbler]

Not a fan of the black, though it clashes nicely with the red. Very 1980s. I found a better solution. Take photos from low down so you can't see the crap paint. Or ridiculous rear suspension camber...

 

Another interior shot. CLEAN!

 

Winter tyres on old rims, ready for fitment once I get some bolts.

 

I've clocked up another 150 odd miles in the BX today, trekking down to the Brecon Beacons and taking in the delights of the village of Talgarth. Village SOS featured the renovation of an old mill there, and we've been meaning to go for about a year now. RECOMMENDED!

 

More time with the BX gives me time to really get a feel for it. One thing is clear - the suspension is knackered. The rear arm bearings are horribly worn out and make all sorts of unpleasant noises. I shall not be driving far until this is sorted, so looks like it'll be the Bluebird for the Uttoxeter show.

 

On smooth roads, the suspension shuts up and I could settle down to the important business of hooning. Accelerating from standstill is a frustrating business, as I well recall from my old Pug 306. By the time the turbo wakes up in first gear, you're on the rev limiter. So, best to short-change to second, then use the impressive torque to build speed up.

 

Above 50mph, the turbo is usually spooled up quite nicely, so slow for a corner, give it a bootful and NSL-speed returns in no time at all. However, the gearing is taller than that of the normally aspirated BX diesel. Great for quiet cruising, but I find myself having to drop a gear if the speed drops below 45mph, or it's a world of lag and acceleration is just as poor as the standard oil burner. Similarly, it's not entirely happy at 30mph in fourth.

 

The lag really is pretty horrific. It's almost as bad as a Mondeo TDDi if you give it a bootful below 1000rpm. In that, nothing happens. At all. Here, it accelerates slowly, then suddenly accelerates very quickly. Below 2000rpm, there's nothing very much. You can see why people like Pete-M don't like diesels.

 

I'm getting used to it though, and the fact that there's still half a tank of fuel after over 300 miles of driving is a big reminder that the downsides are worth putting up with. I do love the fact that this thing accelerates uphill! That's a real novelty. The sunroof is fantastic (and almost always shuts...), it's exceedingly comfortable and it handles beautifully. In fact, it makes the Bluebird seem horrifically clumsy when it comes to bends.

[Lacquer Peel]

Try removing the silencer or fitting a freer flowing one, the turbo boosts a lot earlier.

 

Is it a Bosch injection pump? It's quite easy to adjust the fuelling on them, wind it up a little and fuel efficiency is unaffected but you don't have to change down a gear so much.

[dollywobbler]

Aye. Aware of the tweaks. Don't fancy ditching the middle silencer though. A friend has done this and it's just too loud! Not obviously so, but it does tend to boom on a long run. I'll start by giving it a proper service at some point and giving the intercooler a good clean.

[Lacquer Peel]

I've only had experience of the 1.9 forced induction XUD efforts, it's never been a chore keeping them on boost.

It's worth going through all the fuel pipes and binning anything that looks degraded, old turbo diesels, particularly XUDs have issues with fuel air ingress.

[dollywobbler]

Depends what you're used to. My 306 DTurbo was a 1.9TD and compared to modern diesels, it was a battle to keep boosting. That also generated very little boost below 2000rpm. I'm sure this one can be improved though.

[Micrashed]

You can tweak the boost a little, but they still dont kick in until about 18-1900 revs.

The TZD-Turbos I owned did, the 110 HDi Xantia did, the 90 HDi Berlingo did, the 138 HDi C8 does. Its a PSA thing.

 

Its nothing, nothing,nothing, nothing ooooooh my eyeballs have just been pushed into the back of my head....

[dieselnutjob]

i probably have the bolts you need

[Lacquer Peel]

I kind of like the no boost.... brrrrraaahhhh effect, it does take a bit of getting used to though. The gearing on PSA shit is usually quite well judged, off boost in one gear, on boost the next one down.

[forddeliveryboy]

I disconnect the turbo pipes in snow - last thing you want is a load of power and torque, all of a sudden!

[Albert Ross]

Here's a thought re: sluggish performance from XUD Turbos. If it has a fuel filter housing cover held on by 4 allen bolts in the centre of the engine bay, sort of bolted to the front of the block, check it has a proper turbo fuel filter insert in it. These should have 4 slots in the top. The NA filter is dimensionally identical, but has no slots, and this apparently affects peformance.

[dollywobbler]

I'll check that out at service time, though I'm not aware of any difference for TDs. There's definitely no fuel starvation going on. It bloody shifts when fully spooled up!

[dieselnutjob]

just checked and yes I have a set of pugcit steel wheel bolts from that era which you can have if you want them

[dollywobbler]

just checked and yes I have a set of pugcit steel wheel bolts from that era which you can have if you want them

 

PM'd! Thanks.

[Cavcraft]

I think there's a knack to keeping these on song, basically wellying them in every gear and lightening quick gear changes at just the right moment. Seem to recall there's an optimum amount of revs where everything just seems to keep going and the car never seems to want to stop going. Also even in top gear at say 40mph you don't have to worry too much about changing down (unless you're overtaking on a single carriage road or something) as the car will just keep pulling and gradually getting quicker.

 

Even the n/a ones are the same (my Peugeot certainly is) and I discovered that once you've let the oil run round for a few minutes, these engines appreciate a hell of lot of heavy right foot action when cold as it really does seem to make them run better and faster on the day. And veg oil certainly helps if it has a Bosch pump.