Another BX - Scotland road trip

[Talbot]

I think you're right, but a kind of long term loan to someone I know - that might work! Especially someone who knows BXs well...

Tentatively raises hand just a little.  I need to clear out a few* scrap vehicles (including a certain C25 you may rememeber... it's utterly rotten now) but there could well be a place for it where it will get all the mechanical work it would need.

[mat_the_cat]

This has been sat under the cover for the last few months, which seems to have protected it fine. I left the windows open a crack, so that air could circulate around the interior. That was a mistake...

 

I returned home yesterday to find that Storm Emma had ripped the cover off, and blown a surprising amount of snow inside. Still, it was an excuse to fire it up and get fluids circulating.

 

 

 

The wind has been really strong, and somehow has managed to blow this through the gaps in the roof corrugations!

 

 

We've been on the generator since yesterday evening after a tree ended up on the power line They started work on it this afternoon, so hopefully will be sorted soon so we can power the (electric) shower.

 

[dean36014]

Got to get my bx out tomorrow to pick my girlfriend up from the airport. Currently it's under about 2 inches of snow. I could take the van but the wide low profile tyres are useless in the snow whereas the bx grips slot better on its skinnies. It's off to Paris again at the end of the month so need it to warm up so I can finish checking it over. Hope to start the welding on the tzd estate as well this year

[dollywobbler]

If it makes you feel better Mat, my mate's Land Rover Defender was full of snow this morning, and that was with the doors and windows shut!

[mat_the_cat]

That's Land Rover panel gaps for you!

[dollywobbler]

That little start up video was very nostalgic. If you're not careful, you'll have me wanting another BX.

[GrumpiusMaximus]

Oh my.  That's a thing of beauty.  Loved how it started so smoothly, too.

[mat_the_cat]

I've just been to collect a load of spares for this, so if anyone is after BX parts, I may well now have duplicates! Certainly I have more headlights than I know what to do with.

 

Two bonnets (one poorly hand-painted) and three doors:

 

 

Lots more assorted parts, along with corrugated sheeting I was also collecting in the LT:

 

 

Starting to sort through...some of it is scrap (there must be around 15 rusty spheres) but some is new, and some useful used bits:

 

[mat_the_cat]

Amongst the new parts was the hose connection block for the LHM tank, which also houses the level sensor. Mine had stopped working, as I discovered when a pipe failed and the first warning I had was triggered by low pressure rather than the level dropping. So seeing as I had booked off work this lovely day, I decided to change it.

 

Worth cleaning the filters at the same time:

 

 

 

This is what rinsed out with petrol!

 

 

All back in place and working (the level is a bit low as the light comes on when raising it to high)

 

 

Just realised there are no engine bay shots in this thread, so here's one to rectify that:

 

[Stinkwheel]

Its good to see this legend of a BX still getting your attention.

I started up my green N/A estate for the first time in 4 years last Saturday. Half a turn of the engine and it was ticking over. My conclusion, XUD's are the absolute business. Remind me what you have to do to a xantia 1.9TD to slot it in?

[mat_the_cat]

Getting attention but no miles...still, it's being kept dry(ish) so shouldn't deteriorate too much.

 

Engine swap is fairly simple, but you need some way to drive the BX hydraulic pump unless you switch to the Xantia FDV-less setup (or have an early donor engine). I used an N/A cam kindly donated by Talbot, must be around 10 years ago now. If the donor engine had a vacuum pump (ZX/405), you need to blank off the oil feed to that otherwise it will get very messy!

Clutch and flywheel need swapping from the BX unless you want to keep the Xantia pull-type clutch for some reason. The puzzle I found when I first got it running is that to run smoothly the Xantia engine needed the glowplugs kept on after starting, so powering the glowplugs with the BX relay give a rough and smoky idle for the first 30 seconds or so. Swapped to the Xantia relay and all was fine.

 

 

If you look closely, you can see a certain blue Discovery in the background, before the rollover!

[SierraMikeHotel]

I assume you decided to keep it then? Still extremely envious of this one...

[mat_the_cat]

I really can't bring myself too, and there's (currently) no domestic pressure to sell, so I haven't. Not sure when it'll be back into regular use though - arguably it's a lot 'better' car than the Stellar in just about every objective way, and still has plenty of great memories. So if they were both on the road at the same time, would I use the Stellar that much?

 

I really need to sort out insurance to make it easier to rotate the fleet...

[mat_the_cat]

The BX has been living under a cover this year, but despite being tied down, and weighted down with an old tyre, the storms of last weekend put paid to that.

 

 

And to add insult to injury, I'd left the windows open a crack to allow air to circulate, so the inside got soaked

 

But then I realised I do have space left under cover, so I can let it dry out, and work on it in the dry

 

 

All the vehicles 'tucked up' away from the elements!

 

[mrbenn]

Absolutely cracking work on that covered area. 15/10.

[Fumbler]

Eleventy/10 on the car itself.

[mat_the_cat]

Last time I took this out on the road I noticed that one of the front wheel bearings was getting a bit noisy. So I thought I'd better change both, as at 240k miles the other surely can't be far behind. I've never known a rear wheel bearing to fail, so they must be over-engineered compared to the fronts. Lack of use is obvious once I popped the wheels off:

But pleasingly very little rust around (and a large slug!)

The ball joint shields are toast though, but I do have spares (somewhere!)

Everything came apart nicely, thanks to use of copper grease last time I had everything apart. I've given any areas which were starting to rust a decent coat of Bilt Hamber UB.

     

And the two hubs ready for the bearings to be pressed out. Annoyingly one of the ball joints is showing signs of play, and I only replaced them at 203k miles. I remember I bought Lemforder items, only to fit one to Dollywobbler's BX, then buying a replacement from the same supplier only to find they were now stocking a brand I'd never heard of! I can't remember which side was which, but am guessing it's the unknown one which has failed first.

[Asimo]

Is that slug leaking LHM?

[mat_the_cat]

Bugger. I took the hubs to a local garage so they could press them out - which they did, only to find the replacements were around 10mm too small!

I need the 05543 bearings, not the 05542 I've been supplied

[mat_the_cat]

New bearings have arrived, and are in. I've found the ball joint shields too, in a rare moment of organisation!

They are different from the originals, but should serve the same purpose. Made a start on reassembly, but got disheartened when I poked a spot of rust...

[mrbenn]

Bummer. How bad is it?

[vulgalour]

Never seen little shields on the balljoints like that before.  How unusual.

[mat_the_cat]

 

9 hours ago, mrbenn said:

Bummer. How bad is it?

Not disastrous, but a PITA still! 

I'd already given the areas a squirt of Dynax, as the existing coating had cracked. But on looking closely the areas seemed a little bit 'bulgy' so I gave them a poke. Oops!

8 hours ago, vulgalour said:

Never seen little shields on the balljoints like that before.  How unusual.

They were standard, but probably most of them had disintegrated by the time the cars reached their 10th birthday. Plus nobody bothered refitting them after a ball joint change! But I figure there must be a point to them otherwise Citroen would have saved money if they could!

I've worked on a few other BXs, and anecdotally seen a shorter life without them, but that could well be down to other variables. I think they do protect the rubber from the direct heat from the brake discs, but the perishing I've seen may be down to the poor quality of rubber parts which seem to be prevalent nowadays.

[mat_the_cat]

Ok, the good news first! I've put everything back together.

I've also stripped out the caliper sliders and re-greased them, as it's not unknown for them to stick and end up wearing one pad prematurely. Brakes are now working nicely but spot the mistake, and the reason I had to remove the wheel again once I looked at the photo?

And the bad news? Rust. A common spot, and I already had concerns that my 'slow down' treatment was no longer effective. I was right!

I'll pop the wings off and cut out the rot; also a patch is required on the A pillar seam (another common area!)

[mat_the_cat]

I took this for a little drive this evening, and I have to say I'd forgotten what a joy to drive this is. The suspension seemed better than I remembered, soaking up all manner of bumps - I fitted comfort spheres a few years ago which I do think really suit the car.

Driving it is just what I need to fire up my enthusiasm for welding! And I think there might be another bearing on its way out, but I'm hoping it's just a sticking brake pad. The rear calipers especially are prone to seizing, not helped by the rear brake circuit reducing pressure if little weight is carried.

[mat_the_cat]

Hmmm. I've still not got round to welding it, although in my defence have been rather busy on other vehicles and projects. Such as the one pictured below! In the 1986 BX brochure, Citroen pictured a BX towing an Airstream caravan (you can see where this is going can't you...)

So I thought it a good idea as I was 'exercising' the car, to try and recreate the photo!

[mat_the_cat]

Almost exactly a year later, I've got round to removing the front wings in preparation for welding. Mañana syndrome strikes again!

Still, it doesn't seem as bad as it could be, so once I get some welding gas (nearest supplier now 40 miles away) it should be reasonably easy to sort. Watch this space! For the next year or so...

[mat_the_cat]

I'm distinctly lacking in enthusiasm to fire up the welder, and I really don't know why. But I convinced myself to start today - 8 hours work and I've let in two patches.

Not exactly swift work, but cutting and shaping the patches takes far longer than actually welding them in! I still need to patch the A post on this side, then move on to the (worse) driver's side...

[Ian_Fearn]

On 8/10/2020 at 9:32 PM, mat_the_cat said:

Hmmm. I've still not got round to welding it, although in my defence have been rather busy on other vehicles and projects. Such as the one pictured below! In the 1986 BX brochure, Citroen pictured a BX towing an Airstream caravan (you can see where this is going can't you...)

So I thought it a good idea as I was 'exercising' the car, to try and recreate the photo!

Can’t believe I missed this.

Just WOW. I lusted over those original press photos. You’ve really made my day with this!

[dollywobbler]

I have fond memories of blasting around the Pyrenees trying to keep up with you in that BX! Glad it's progressing.