Octopus - can I do it?!

rob-81 · Post by **rob-81** » Sat May 01, 2010 7:18 pm

Hi,
My estate (19 TGD) decided to spring a LHM leak last week at the most inconvienent time possible - half way through my house move. The leak is around the front drivers side and I am reasonably sure it is the dreaded octopus. The car has just sailed through it's MOT and I am quite attached to it, so I want to get it back on the road again. However, as I have just moved, have another BX and hardly use the estate, I can't justify paying a specialist to do the work. Therefore, my question is can I do it myself? I have a good off road space to work in and a big garage. I have basic tools and a haynes manaul. I am keen to try to learn some new skills and have plenty of time in the evenings to fiddle. I am also in no rush to get it back on the road. However, I have little experience of any mechanical work other than basic servicing, spheres and fiddling.

I have looked online but haven't found a very detailed guide to changing the octopus. Can anyone give me some advice/point me in the right direction? In some ways, I quite fancy doin something to increase my confidence when working on my car and I would love to have the estate back on the road (particularly as it has 50 weeks MOT) but I am worried that I would get half way and get stuck then be lumbered with a car in bits stuck on the drive!

Thanks in advance!
Rob

kiwi · Post by **kiwi** » Sat May 01, 2010 8:23 pm

Firstly dont bother with the Haynes manual!

Secondly and this is the bit I am hoping someone leaps in with a link! There is a easily understandable diagram of the system available on the internet. I got it printed out somewhere!

Thirdly the easiest way to replace it is follow the pipes one by one and mark the ends with coloured tape. so you know what goes where.

Fourth!!!! Patainace , patiance and patiance...it is a fiddly job and it will either be a breeze or a nightmare so take your time and be patiant.

Finally sods law will be there will be something that dont fit right straight away.....it that case patiance and go back a few steps and review what you did.

In other words yes you can do it!

rob-81 · Post by **rob-81** » Sat May 01, 2010 11:05 pm

Thanks for your encouragement! I saw a diagram on the Japanese BX website. It was recommended as a good guide to someone else but I couldn't understand it; maybe it's a case of not even being able to understand the instructions let alone being able to do the job! Oh well, I guess I'd better give a go. The car's worthless with the leak and I may as well try when I have my new house straight.

Prepare yourselves for loads of questions!

ken newbold · Post by **ken newbold** » Sat May 01, 2010 11:47 pm

I'm sure somewhere on here there's a thread to a bodge that can be done.

It's normally the height corrector leak off pipe that cracks and leaks.
You'll need a bit of the right size rubber pipe and a short piece of the 3.5mm brake pipe.

You'd simply bend the brake pipe into a nice 180 degree bend, push one end into the octopus body and the other end onto the bit of rubber pipe that you've already connected to the height corrector. Then tighten the clip that secures the rubber pipe to the H/C. Simples

However, access is the problem, it's very cramped and mucky down there. Some have taken the o/s driveshaft out to get better access. I've never had to do this, but take off the o/s front wheel and work from under the wheelarch. It will pay you to have a new octopus at the ready in case the bodge repair goes wrong, it will depend how rotten the rest of the rubber is. Also have a really good light under there.

I've done this bodge a few times and known it to outlive the car.

rob-81 · Post by **rob-81** » Sat May 01, 2010 11:57 pm

Thanks Ken. I guess I'd better check the octopus is actually leaking.
Rob

Stinkwheel · Post by **Stinkwheel** » Sun May 02, 2010 8:06 am

Sorry to jump in here with little or no positive comment but.......... are octopus still available new?

And if you dont mind me asking here, where from?
Id quite like a spare i think (even for my basic non PAS BX14)

ken newbold · Post by **ken newbold** » Sun May 02, 2010 10:43 am

that's a good question.

KevR · Post by **KevR** » Mon May 03, 2010 9:05 am

Last one I bought (four years ago?) was from a Citroen main dealer in France...
I notice GSF don't seem to list them any more though.

citronut · Post by **citronut** » Mon May 03, 2010 9:30 am

mind you dont loose the tinny ball bearing in the right angled pipe at the tank, when you pull it off to aid connecting the branch from the octapussy,

i usualy just cut all the three branch's off that go to the tank were the leave the octapussy's main block/body, but then again i have done quite a few of them years gone by

regards malcolm

MULLEY · Post by **MULLEY** » Mon May 03, 2010 9:16 pm

Just out of interest, what are the consequences of losing the ball bearings from an of the pipes?

Brian · Post by **Brian** » Mon May 03, 2010 11:16 pm

The ball acts as a one way valve.

MULLEY · Post by **MULLEY** » Tue May 04, 2010 12:50 am

So, as a consequence of not having the one way valve, what can happen? Are there any specific symptons? & what size are the ball bearings if you wanted to replace them (are they all the same size?).

citronut · Post by **citronut** » Tue May 04, 2010 8:43 am

im not sure what the consequence's are but there is only one ball bearing and it is in side the right angled pipe kneck were it is pushed onto the tank

regards malcolm

Post by **mat_fenwick** » Tue May 04, 2010 9:26 am

Is this a hypothetical question Mulley?

MULLEY · Post by **MULLEY** » Tue May 04, 2010 6:50 pm

erm, of course