Xantia of Desires - Farewell xantia!

[ruffgeezer]

I also seem to recall removing one of the pedals by cutting the bolt in situ and refitting the other way round.

If yours has already had a clip at some point in it's life it will come off easily.

[beko1987]

Thing is with the way it was running when you had it bub it's bound to have shortened it's life span.

 

A Xantia that breaks clutch clips soon wants for a clutch. It could be that the pressure plate fingers are worn so it'll not slip but it will be awful in operation.

I'm hoping its not that, but am resigned to the fact that it might be. I can't afford a clutch for a while though, so the new clip will have to last... Hopefully it will have a bit of life left in as it won't be strained like the old one was over many years/miles. The pedal bite point was awful too so hopefully adjusting the cable will help it, the pedal travel was all over the shop which wasn't helping.

 

If it goes again soon then I'll be needing a temporary car...

[ruffgeezer]

I know where a cheap Xsara Hdi is if you get stuck Sam.

[beko1987]

Having a ponder at getting the bolt past the brake pedal...

[beko1987]

All done!

 

What an utter fiddly arse of a job, although next time it should be easier. I think we were 2 hours, Tom will know as he mentioned it when we were done. Highlights included 25 minutes trying to get the bolt out which had been put back the original way round, I was just about to resign myself to cutting the head off when I levered a different part of the pedal bracket and ping, it cleared the brake pedal.

 

Another half an hour was spent trying to get the cable on the clip, again I just tried lots of different ways, in the end taping the spring bit on so it didn't fall off, then fitting the cable to the clip, pushing the metal clip down, which took about 15 minutes, then 5 minutes checking it was properly on then however long fiddling the pedal back up had it cracked. I put the bolt back the nice way round too so it's easier to get off next time. If Citroen had notched the back of the brake pedal it would be so much easier...

 

I also adjusted the clutch cable so the pedal travel is much better, slightly lighter and the bite point isn't so close to the top of the pedal travel, might tweak it a bit more after a few miles. 

 

We went on a quick drive around Marlow which went well, so tbh all I can do now is drive it and see if it happens again. Might order another clip in a mo so I have a spare... I also need to order some battery terminals as the live is cracked and quite loose, although sits on the terminal fine and doesn't seem to be affecting anything.

 

Thanks for all your help Tom, was much nicer having someone to chat to!

[tabact]

Probably nearer to 2.5 hours but that includes a couple of smoke breaks to help things along. Pissing down now so lucky the rain held off while doing it. The broken clip did look brittle so probably just a piece of plastic getting worn. It seems to be a common problem looking on the web so hopefully just a worn out clip about to break was the cause of the original problem.

 

Things that were handy for this job were a ratchet spanner, long sockets, insulation tape to temporarily hold everything together when refitting the pedal and could of done with a head torch.

[beko1987]

Yes it teemed it down 10 minutes after I got to work, we finished just in time!

 

Hopefully the new clip will solve the problem, otherwise it's new clutch time and we can blindly and optimistically wander our way through this https://www.frenchcarforum.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=23322

 

I don't have an engine crane though!

 

Shout when you want a hand with your white one, I have a favour to return now (although my weekend availability depends on what days Amy is working, I can never remember!)

[Lacquer Peel]

You don't need an engine crane but it'd help.

Great work beko and tabact.

[tabact]

 

Great work beko and tabact.

 

All beko's work. I just supplied moral support and advised when he needed to have a smoke.

[Dave_Q]

All beko's work. I just supplied moral support and advised when he needed to have a smoke.

 

Given that around 80% of Beko's posts mention having a rolly, I'm very surprised that he needs any advising on that point.

 

 

Still, great work both of you, something very heartwarming about randomers off of the internet going round to help each other fix their heaps.

[vulgalour]

Top stuff, chaps!  Sounds like the Citroen-supplied part was a duff one and a badly adjusted cable was contributing to the issue.  Fingers crossed it's okay for a bit now.  It is one of those cars where the jobs are never particularly expensive but they're all so DIFFICULT they seem expensive.

[beko1987]

It was fine all the way home, the bypass was megafucked so I annoyed several people it seems by maintaining a steady first gear tickover so no need for clutch depressions... Still get a bit nervous, hopefully that will wear off...

 

All fixed for £7,although the clutch is a bit heavier than perhaps it should be, I have until the end of March to decide wether to spend £100 plus a few bushes on a clutch or not... The clip has until then not to break... The pedal does feel a bit lighter and adjusting the cable has made it not bite at the top of the pedal, I might even turn it out one thread (the adjustments are very tiny) to move it down slightly some more.

 

Hey ho, let's see what tomorrow brings!

 

Dave - a rolly and a ponder were critical in this (and many other) jobs. Those were the points we read the bits I'd printed and moved the parts we had around in our hands and make mmmm noises and gave something a go!

[beko1987]

Plus you say the citroen supplied clip was duff vulg, it's probably been in there 2 years, and if the clutch is/was heavy, that may not have helped. Plus chompy/foad and bub may have driven alot in rigger boots...

[vulgalour]

You'd have to be going some with it to wear the clutch out in what, 40,000 miles?  I think we did it at about 98k or thereabouts.  Mind you, post-clutch it did go racing and do lots of towing and stuff so maybe that halved the life of the clutch.

[beko1987]

Oh I thought you meant the clip. I'd hope the clutch isn't worn out either, it doesn't slip. The French car forum beards mention release fork pivots and other stuff, but to get to those, I'd be silly to not fit a new clutch... Trouble is Im not sure I want to either.

 

Saying that a clutch is a job I've never done, and I am doing well at ticking the sort of jobs off that scare me but everyone else on here does in an evening after tea and makes it look simple

 

I put the clutch clip breaking down to too much fun at Crail... My accelerator clip broke on the zx after much mashing of the pedal to get it to fire on veg in deep winter, it's probably related

[bub2006]

As I mentioned, I never really thrashed it but it did tow a van round Derbyshire and down to Buckinghamshire. I also wore boots a lot, Still do now!

[Richard]

You don't need an engine crane but it'd help.

 

Engine cranes are for pussies.

 

[beko1987]

Engine cranes are for pussies.

 

Im coming round to yours to fit it...

[beko1987]

As I mentioned, I never really thrashed it but it did tow a van round Derbyshire and down to Buckinghamshire. I also wore boots a lot, Still do now!

Its probably just one of those confidence killing things that will never happen again, but if even ruffgeezer thinks clutch, he's far more qualified than me on these matters, and he hasn't owned the car in years!

[vulgalour]

It's probably not the clutch.  DON'T PANIC MR MANWERING!  It'll be fine.  Changing the clutch is a piece of piss, getting to it is a different matter.

[twosmoke300]

If you haven't done a clutch before a xantia diesel is not one to lose your cherry on !

[tabact]

Glad you made it home alright, just barrel round in it as you usually would. Should of held it on the clutch in the traffic that would have been a good test! Things do just break sometimes, if it does a second one then is the time to weigh up your options.

[vulgalour]

I agree with that statement, since this is the car I lost my clutch-changing cherry to.

[Eddie Honda]

 

 

I don't have an engine crane though!

You don't need an engine crane but it'd help.

 

Engine cranes are for pussies.

 

Pussies use teleporters. Shiters use wood, rope and a scissor jack.

 

 

Extravagant Shiters would use a pair of scissor jacks to dangle the box separately.

[Lacquer Peel]

Telehandler or death.

[Richard]

Telehandler or death.

 

The two can be combined very easily.

 

Real men stand on the inner wings and lift the engine with a rope.

[tabact]

Whenever you are passing the spare wheel, trims and jack container are in the boot of the red one and if you need the wheel brace take that as well. The tyre only has 2 mm of tread but legal to get you home if needed, topped up the air to 31 psi.

[beko1987]

Oooh thank you! Will be nice to have a spare, even in get me home condition/run the fucker on a flat tyre!

 

Dunno when it'll be though, I'll keep you posted

[ruffgeezer]

A lot of the time the heavy pedal comes with clutch cover wear, damage to the tube that the release bearing operates on, worn or bent clutch fork or even as basic as the pivot for the clutch fork being partially seized.

 

Ultimately time will tell but if it breaks another clip it really ought to have the box out again to find out what is at fault.

[Ghosty]

I understand having The Fear about the clutch as it's like what I went through with the R8's head gasket. Hope the Xantia is alright though!