Project Strangeangel's Shite-tastic Shenanigans 12/12 NEW MOTOR - ACHIEVED.

[Inspector Morose]

Ooh, that's got worse. It was always wet (Accumulator sphere/regulator) but never drippy like that.

[strangeangel]

Ooh, that's got worse. It was always wet (Accumulator sphere/regulator) but never drippy like that.

 

It got worse... I came out this morning to find this:

 

 

Not good... time for investigation

 

 

It didn't take long to discover this return pipe that had been joined where part of it had been replaced. The new pipe had split, due I think to the routing which made it bend right at the joint.

 

 

Now it looks like this:

 

 

How relieved am I to find it was something simple! Now all I have to do is clean up the toxic spill...

[strangeangel]

Before the huge and disastrous leak above, the BX had always left a bit of the green stuff behind wherever it came to rest. Spurred on by Saturday's success I decided to see if I could deal with the bigger of the car's current two known leaks, at the OSF corner.

 

Once the wheel was off it didn't take even me long to spot the problem. These two

 

 

and these two

 

 

need to become re-acquainted with one another. I think these have been snapped for a while, as the broken ends are full of crap.

 

HBOL doesn't appear to mention these, are they return pipes? What's going to be my best option for fixing this?

 

As ever, all help gratefully received!

[dollywobbler]

Yup. Strut return pipes. Low pressure, so you can just bodge a bit of copper pipe in. The two bits you're holding in your hand aren't meant to meet. They should still be one with those two other rubber bits right behind your hand. They only leak when the car drops. AEP in Scottishland can be good for replacements, though I do recall BXers saying that new ones weren't lasting very long. 

 

They're held in place with a really annoying metal clip that really requires a special set of pliers to fit properly. You can get away with keeping the metal support from that clip and using cable ties.

[strangeangel]

^^Thanks for that, I have ordered a new set from AEP. They're supposed to be genuine Citroën ones so hopefully should work out OK.

[strangeangel]

The new pipe assembly arrived this afternoon & wasn't a bad job to fit. No more LHM on the block paving, I get to keep my gentleman vegetables and the BX is once more able to help out around the house - result.

 

[beko1987]

One of those pipes came off one of my xms front struts on the last mot it had with me. Tester pointed it out, I hastily removed the bit of perished pipe that was still attach Ed to the strut and poked the pipe back on, then cleaned up his floor!

[strangeangel]

The short version of my not-very-exciting and now disappeared update...

 

New exhaust rubbers and rear hanger welded back on means no more exhaust banging on the underneath when you switch on/off

 

 

And here's a bonus shot of it helping out a less fortunate member of the fleet the other day:

 

[mat_the_cat]

^^Thanks for that, I have ordered a new set from AEP. They're supposed to be genuine Citroën ones so hopefully should work out OK.

 

Pattern ones seem to last a year, but the OE ones 10 years or so.

[strangeangel]

So the clutch failed yesterday   The mechanic at our local trusted garage says it'll be £450 or so to replace it. He went on to suggest that's more than the car was worth, and did I want to consider getting something newer? He's a good chap, but he doesn't really get the old car thing beyond trailer queen classics; the Citroen just looks like some scrapyard escapee to him.

 

JUST FIX IT MAN.

[strangeangel]

Does anyone know when/if the timing belt was been done in this please? I'm thinking that it might be worth asking them to do it at the same time as the clutch.

[Inspector Morose]

I think it was when Catsinthewelder had it, so about 3 years ago?

[strangeangel]

OK, he's just rung me to say that in addition to the clutch itself, the release fork is knackered. This is bad, because they are NLA and he can't find one.

 

So... the old girl needs your help. What we're after is the earlier type of release fork fitted to these cars. Apparently it was used on 405s, 309s and some C15 vans, and the part number is 211742. Our mechanic says he's tried all his usual internet sources but come up empty.

 

Any ideas??

[pshome]

a bit pricey...
 
http://www.ebay.de/itm/262398878290
 
especially as the sellers name is "piecesautomoinscher". 

Maybe worth contacting him and ask to fix the obvious typo in the price.

[strangeangel]

Maybe worth contacting him and ask to fix the obvious typo in the price.

 

I've found when sellers do that it's usually because they don't have any in stock

 

Will drop him a line anyway, just in case.

[pshome]

Löwendoktor has it listed

 

http://www.loewendoctor.de/

 

[email protected]

[barrett]

I think I missed this thread before, looks like a nice old bus. What engine/spec is it?

Good luck with clutch bits. I'd have thought if it was used on so many cars a s/h item should be findable...

[Dave_Q]

Cleland_bros Peugeot breakers aka a PM to Explosive_cabbage might be worth an ask, if the 309 one is the same as 205 then Will is likely to have one in stock.

[holbeck]

Twas a bent clutch fork that killed my Citroen Dispatch, although I suspect it would have been a later type than yours.

 

Although it got a short stay of execution by fabricating a longer clutch slave actuation rod.

[dollywobbler]

I think I missed this thread before, looks like a nice old bus. What engine/spec is it?

Good luck with clutch bits. I'd have thought if it was used on so many cars a s/h item should be findable...

 

It's a 19RD, though with a GTi interior IIRC. I had it from Cats (Can't remember cambelt details) and sold it to FPB7, who had it for quite a while by AS bike standards.

[strangeangel]

One clutch release fork is on its way from Germany as we speak

[strangeangel]

 

[strangeangel]

Well, the clutch is in, but he's having problems adjusting the pedal height. He reckons it's because this operating arm has been broken and re-welded at the wrong angle:

 

 

Bugger.

[alf892]

Pivot arm doesn't look so bad but what is going on with the push rod?

[Inspector Morose]

There was another, brand new arm tucked inside the rear offside loadspace pocket. It might* be still there or has fallen down inside the cavity.

[strangeangel]

There was another, brand new arm tucked inside the rear offside loadspace pocket. It might* be still there or has fallen down inside the cavity.

 

[one quick ride to the garage later...]

 

It was there! Unbelievable.

 

You, Sir, are a fucking legend.

[Anthony]

Pivot arm doesn't look so bad but what is going on with the push rod?

This. That doesn't look at all right judging from other BE1 gearboxes that I've seen - I'd guess that the rod has been crudely lengthened as a bodge fix to get around the bent/damaged fork and now that you've fitted a new clutch and fork it's thrown everything out.

 

I couldn't find a picture of a BX one, but whilst it's not quite the same, this is how the BE1 linkage looks on a 205 - note the length of the rod and how everything is roughly in-line (my Google skills weren't up to scratch I'm afraid so the actual quadrant is cracked on this one, but you should get the idea)

 

 

As a guess, if you removed the bits that have been crudely added, the rod will be roughly the right length for everything to sit in line and that would probably sort out the clutch pedal issue.

[dollywobbler]

Aye. That doesn't look right. The metal bar bit, that looks a bit like a bullet, will fall out when the cable is removed. Not sure what the nuts are about though.

 

Check the pedal box carefully too. They're very flimsy and can crack - either end, throttle or clutch. 

[strangeangel]

Check the pedal box carefully too. They're very flimsy and can crack - either end, throttle or clutch. 

 

He knows these cars of old, said how surprised he was to see that the pedal box was in good nick!

[alf892]

I'd trim that push rod (or just chuck those nuts away) so that once it is in place the quadrant and fork are roughly parallel ......

 

They were probably put in to compensate for the lost travel caused by the failing old arm or pedal box