ZX 1.9td - Farewell faithfull steed!

[beko1987]

I need to get under it and have a good look, I've not really touched it since buying it, other than confirming it was recently well serviced! I'll plan a weekend!

 

Twosmoke, not being touchy, just agreeing with you! A tenner of derv gets me 170 miles before the vague fuel needle stays in the red and I put more in, fannying around with kerosene etc sounds like a FAFF when I can chuck 20 litres of new oil on top and save a tenner anyway! Even on straight derv its a joy to be able to drive around apart from going to work and back due to the cost! I did 100 miles at the weekend, that would have been unheard of in the XM!

[beko1987]

Now I have wheels nearly sorted, and the wing money hopefully secure, I;m turning my mind to other things to improve the ZX...

 

The rear shock absorbers seem to be fucking shit. I know it will never be as smooth as the XM but it bangs over everything. It had a low mileage rear beam fitted a few years ago (has the abs rings stil on), so I dont think it's that, and it feels the same as the meriva did when its shocks came to the end of their life last year.

 

Will they all be the same? I'll get hatchback ones not estate, but I presume the bodyshell was the same across all the 5 door engine variants?

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Citroen-ZX-Volcane-1-9-8v-Hatchback-Rear-Shock-Absorber-06-91-07-94-/330630822410?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item4cfb21fa0a

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-KYB-REAR-SHOCK-ABSORBER-CITROEN-ZX-1-9-11-91-10-98-DIESEL-71-BHP-FWD-691-/151357719411?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item233d9f8373

 

etc

 

I know a volcane is lwoered from the factory, does that dictate what I need? I'll have a proper look when I next get under it and compare then, but if anyone had any experience that would be a good starter!

 

What else, well the head unit is pissing me off so I'm lining up to replace it with my old one, and torn between ripping all the sub and amp wiring out, or re-route it how my head unit needs it and re-instating it (I have an amp), need to decide on that.

 

The horn is shit, I think it's only half working. I'll try and get it off when I eventually fit the new wing which I'm yet to buy

 

Front foglights dont work, cant say I'm bothered at the moment

 

Handbrake needs a tweak, I saw it roll forwards the other day after a fast drive...

 

Buy new rear pads and fit the discs I have

 

Re-tap the fucked front wheelbolt hole (my grandad lent me the best tap handle...)

 

Work out how to make the fuel guage more accurate

 

Work out how to lift the non liftable rear seat base to do the above

 

Wash the fucker!

 

Get the front washers working reliably. Soemtimes they only work as I pull the stalk, sometimes they are fine. They dont seem blocked

 

Headlights are aimed all shit, need to adjust them, but I dont drive at night atm so that can wait

 

Have a look at the leakoff pipes

 

However, it's done 203 miles to 5mm of needle movement (just over quarter of a tank to just under), and that suits me fine!

[dollywobbler]

Autoshite rule #1 - never trust a handbrake!!

[320touring]

Autoshite rule #1 - never trust a handbrake!!

Badermatic ftw

[daverapid]

 

 

Can I just say, in the the nicest possibly and hopefully helpful way that coating the hub flange in copper grease like that is a really bad idea.

[red5]

 

 

Can I just say, in the the nicest possibly and hopefully helpful way that coating the hub flange in copper grease like that is a really bad idea.

 

What he said.

 

Smearâ„¢

 

Seriously - that has disaster written all over it.

[daverapid]

No, not even a smear. The hub and disc flange should be clean and have no grease at all. The disc needs to sit flat on the hub to avoid future disc warpage and if the grease were to dissipate it may well leave a small gap between hub and disc leading to the wheel bolts coming loose again. I know the bolts have been checked several times since in this case.

 

Similar to how the inner driveshaft bolted on with splined bolts joint flanges on many FWD VW's need to be grease free and bolts rechecking after road test.

 

Sorry if I sound a bit "fussy", I'm trying to be genuinely helpful.

[Micrashed]

Does the rear end "clunk"?

 

If so it be the rear subframe bushes - bit of a pig of a job, but worth it as it will restore both ride and handling.

[beko1987]

It's been fine so far, but I'll clean all the grease off when I swap the wheels over, sorry!

 

No, not a clunk really, just no damping at all, every bump and the car moves with it, I went down a particularly bad road admittidly yesterday and the steering was being pulled all over the place and there was a constant drone of banging and clunking and knocking from the rear. I had a quick look at the subframe bushes (someone mentioned it on my last one) and they look fine. I'll have a better prod.

 

Sorry about the grease... I did have to hammer the fuck out of the drivers side one to get it off when overhauling though

[beko1987]

Badermatic ftw

It took my fucking ages to remember I didnt have a P option in this, stopped it rolling a few times in the first day or two!

 

But then I've left the XM in D before when getting out and had to jump on the brake, or worry when it wouldnt fire up before moving it into P and trying again...

[Inspector Morose]

Shock absorbers is so un Citroen.

[Lankytim]

The word on the street is that old high mileage Lucas pumps can take veg better than low mileage ones as they are worn inside and this lets the thicker veg lubricate things betterer.

[Lacquer Peel]

I ran a high mileage Rover 218D on oil for 8000 miles without much care, through winter, before the pompe Lucas gave out.

With a bit of care they might last a while.

[Micrashed]

I ran a ZX on SVO, WVO, OEO and in fact any shit I could lay my hands on for a while - did 10K miles in my care like that without an oil change and when punted on was still running fine with its Lucas Pump of Darkness.

 

Then I had another:

[beko1987]

I never thought of thinning it down with pez, might try that! How much do you reckon I should chuck in to say 40 litres of oil? tenner? fifteen? 3 quid?

 

Lovely ZX's micrashed, I think their becoming my favourite cheap car!

 

Should I be looking to service my 265k bosch pump of awesome or do I leave it alone until it breaks? Fuel filter is in excellent condition, spare is sat in the boot awaiting it's turn (with an allen key in the box for the housing!

[Micrashed]

 

Should I be looking to service my 265k bosch pump of awesome or do I leave it alone until it breaks? Fuel filter is in excellent condition, spare is sat in the boot awaiting it's turn (with an allen key in the box for the housing!

Step away from th pump and leave well alone.

 

Filter and rubber fuel lines are the only bits that go FUBAR regular like.

[beko1987]

Happy payday everybody!

 

Red light was well and truly on this morning coming down the M40, so I swung into Asda

 

 

I did think of putting pez in but she was quite empty, and I had to drive a few hundred yards to the asda carpark, then 4 miels to work to fill up (as I didnt want to do it at asda) so didnt want it sucking neat pez and shitting itself. If I need to top up the non sunflower content I'll chuck a tenner of pez in.

 

 

A chap had JUST put these 6 bottles on the shelf as I walked up to them, I said sorry for ruining his display!

 

 

And my homemade funnel out of an old orange juice bottle. The lip of the bottle sits behind the filler hole so it's nice and secure, although I need to get my aim right...

 

But, (apparently according to the needle, but he is a lieing bastard, will see what it levels out to on the way home) I have a full tank, for £39.34. If that was straight derv I reckon it would have cost me £53, a whopping shitey saving of £13.66...

 

Anyone know what size leakoff pipe I'll need? Found some per metre on ebay which is cheaper than the kits I've seen, but have no idea what size. Anyone know before I go and work out where they hell they are and have a measure?

[DVee8]

It will have been a real bastard squeezing the clementines down through that funnel,but washed down with some juice and a slice should be ok

Top saving

[The Moog]

I just buy the leak off kits. Last one I bought was £4. Cant remember the I/D though.

[Lankytim]

I don't think you'll need to thin fresh unused veg oil, especially in the summer months. Up to 5% petrol may be needed in the winter though.

[beko1987]

 

Tis a nice sight! Hope it lasts too, my first brim so I can get used to the range!

[Lacquer Peel]

Is veg cheap at Asda? I haven't had to buy new oil for a while, but it's handy to know.

[DVee8]

 You do know driving at almost 65mph with the passenger door open lol

[mat_the_cat]

Leak-off pipes are 4 mm. Whenever I've bought one of the 'kits' it's had a blue label with a red band around it, and the pipes have a braided fabric covering. Whatever make this is, the rubber has failed within a year or two, nicely hidden by the fabric! I get my 4 mm hose from a local agricultural machinery suppliers, as it's used for the fuel supply on a lot of small engines. Absolutely no help to you though...

[Lankytim]

This has appeared in the local breakers. Is it the same colour?

[scooters]

These shitroens of the 90s had ridiculously huge fuel warning margins. The other day I took the XM..2.1 turbo diesel XUD lump...from Edwin's Burgh down the A68 to Cor blimey bridge. I got to Jedburgh...still 50 miles from home and the low fuel light came on. I said fuck it and kicked on still driving the same style ..now there are no fuel stations between Jedburgh and Corbridge..that's nearly 50 miles...nothing...zilch...The old station just north of Rochester closed in 2009 ...

Anyway. Got to hexham and then drove around town on shortish journeys for a week. Eventually lobbed in 5 lts of veg oil from tesco.

 

I remember my bx was the same. You could happily ignore the light for days..priming was easy with a hand pump built in!!

[scooters]

I buy my veg from Chinese supermarkets at 17 quid for 20 lts including vat and delivery. Order it online by the 200 lts. It's genetically modified soya oil. Sometimes it is hydrogenated which means there is no moral question about burning food as hydrogenated fats are lethal to eat.

[Rusty_Rocket]

I remember my bx was the same. You could happily ignore the light for days..priming was easy with a hand pump built in!!

 

Until the rubber split after years of heat cycling, leaving you in the middle of nowhere with air in your lines and diesel over your best trousers 

[beko1987]

I wish I trusted the guage more! Under quarter of a tank, every corner I go round it drops to the bottom putting the light on, then slowly creeps back up. I calibrate it on the m40, as it seems to sit where it should, so I can join it with the light on and have over a quarter of a tank by the time I get off at my junction. When the lights on the whole way I know its time to fill up!

 

Agricultural pipe sounds better, dont care about fancy braiding or other shit. Will have a look for 4mm pipe, there's a tractor place near us I think!

 

That ZX in the scrappy is the wrong colour, sorry! As much as it's a £350 car, I want everything to match! I do know of one on ebay for £30 delivered in the right colour but every time I think of buying it I run out of money. Planning to buy it when SWMBO gets paid next week, then I can make her look good again!

 

And no, the door isnt open, it's one of the elctrical issues it has, and the switch/sensor/whatever is buried in the door lock assembly so that can FRO, I usually know when the doors open anyway... It did flicker on and off once so I assume breaking wire rather than something else, but I still cant be bothered!

 

Drove in the dark again last night, really need to play with the headlights!

[Micrashed]

 I want everything to match! I do know of one on ebay for £30 delivered in the right colour but every time I think of buying it I BUY ANOTHER HOOVER

EFA