recovering a bx

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sdelasal
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recovering a bx

Post by sdelasal »

I need the car recovered as rear suspension is down/leaking - is there a certain type of low loader/recovery truck that I need to insist on as the car is 6" off the ground on the suspension stops and I don't want it damaged any further? Steve
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Post by scarecrow »

That's bad news Steve. No chance of bodging a repair? I suppose if it's down you can't get to the pipes. Would the car lift enough to get up a ramp if you topped up the LHM whilst it's running?

I think you have to ask for recovery by a truck with a hydraulic lift - the car is lifted vertically using straps.

Good luck.
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Post by sdelasal »

Hi Steve - yep, front comes up then there is a whooshing/pissing sound from the rear/passenger side. Looks not to be leaking from cylinder but as a high pressure stream upwards over the axle bearing area. I'm still looking at options whether to ask someone to do the repair or have a go myself & replace all 4 pipes. So I need to get the car home and am just unfamiliar with terminology - beavertail? low loader? and what I don't want is someone to turn up and drag the vehicle up the back of the truck causing me even more work to rectify. Thought people on here could help? Steve
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rmattila
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Post by rmattila »

If the leak is due to a mechanical contact of the rear suspension pipe, it may be possible that it starts sufficiently small to enable a few km driving by topping the LHM tank with diesel fuel.

I had a similar leak last year and was able to limp 200 km home by topping up the reservoir with diesel every 40 km.

(After getting home from that trip, i built the hydraulic pipe flaring tool referred in another thread, and improvised special fittings from hex bar, that can used to fix broken pipes on the road, but that's another story..)
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Post by richardd1652 »

A "tilt and slide" recovery truck is what you need.Mine was recovered totally flat with one of these no bother.The whole bed comes off the wagon and sits on the ground infront of the car so theres hardly any ramp to get up.Where are you? I used Ogdens from Denholme,Bradford(ask for Adam(hes the boss and very good)
Pipes are available from Citroenservices in Glasgow,they advertise on Ebay.Sorry i missed your pm,
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Post by Defender110 »

rmattila wrote:If the leak is due to a mechanical contact of the rear suspension pipe, it may be possible that it starts sufficiently small to enable a few km driving by topping the LHM tank with diesel fuel.

I had a similar leak last year and was able to limp 200 km home by topping up the reservoir with diesel every 40 km.

(After getting home from that trip, i built the hydraulic pipe flaring tool referred in another thread, and improvised special fittings from hex bar, that can used to fix broken pipes on the road, but that's another story..)
WTF? You are joking aren't you? You are not seriously suggesting he drive's home pissing diesel fuel out all over the carriageway with no regard for anyone or anything else behind him including the incredible danger to motorbikes etc :?: :?: scratch... :evil: !=!!
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rmattila
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Post by rmattila »

Defender110 wrote:WTF? You are joking aren't you? You are not seriously suggesting he drive's home pissing diesel fuel out all over the carriageway with no regard for anyone or anything else behind him including the incredible danger to motorbikes etc :?: :?: scratch... :evil: !=!!
Of course not. But if the leak is just a start of a crack small enough to keep the tens of bars of pressure for half an hour or so, it won't be "pissing the fuel out all over", but cause a steam cloud that will not leave any noticeable mark on the road.

Naturally it's a whole different story if there is a real leak, but then it won't hold the pressure either.

EDIT: On a more careful read, I noticed that the front will lift but the rear won't. In that case, it's obvious that the leak is too large to permit driving any further. The case I was referring to looked like that and really vaporised just a liter of diesel fuel per 10 km. The location was the same, however. I actually noticed the "leak" from the the sound, not from loss of pressure.
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Post by rmattila »

Still thinking about ways to get the car to a better place in case of no BX-capable tow trucks available (which tends to be the case where I mostly drive my BX's): if the leak is of a small pin-hole type (i.e. not a general rupture such as that) and if it is in a reasonably accessible place (and not too close to the fuel tank), I have succesfully fixed them on the road by soldering with a pen-type butane torch and silver-based filler. A good cleaning and a careful soldering, and you will be able to get the car to the dock for a proper repair.
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Post by toddao »

The BX that I picked up yesterday has a leak at the rear. I got it running then I poured some LHM into the reservoir which got it to rise up so I could drive it onto the trailer. It then pissed out the LHM and collapsed onto the trailer.
Same procedure for taking it off the trailer! It's a bigger problem when it isn't running at all. Then you need that French Freak who pumped his up using a drill to run the pulley on the pump.
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Post by citronut »

rmattila
"by topping the LHM tank with diesel fuel. "

i have never heard of useing diesel fuel to supliment the LHM, citroen sudgest thinn engine oil but flush it out as soon as possible,


years ago i recoverd/drove a GS back 15 miles or so that had a leaking rear suspension feed pipe,

i lifted the inspection panel in the boot floor (yes i know you dont have one on a BX) and disconected the feed pipe at the three way union, then fitted a bleed screw in werew the pipe came from,

drove her back on three legs,


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rmattila
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Post by rmattila »

citronut wrote:rmattila
"by topping the LHM tank with diesel fuel. "

i have never heard of useing diesel fuel to supliment the LHM, Citroën sudgest thinn engine oil but flush it out as soon as possible,
There's been a lot of discussion on the Finnish Citroën forum regarding use of diesel fuel as a cleaner in the hydraulic system. There's a special "hydraurincage" fluid sold for the purpose, but many Citroënists, me included, think that diesel fuel - preferably as a 50/50 mix with LHM - will do the same thing and not cause any damage to the system.

I've been using it on my Van at every LHM change (which I do every second year, i.e. every 100 000 km): drain the old liquid out, put in a 50/50 diesel/LHM mix, drive for 500-1000 km, flush it and put fresh LHM in. The current van has 800 000 km on the clock, and the hydraulic pump is still the original (though now clearly in need of replacement), so my experiences on the stuff are positive. It's a mineral oil, so it shouldn't damage the rubber components, and used for short periods only, it won't cause too much wear due to reduced lubrication capabilities. And it really helps to keep the system clean.
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Post by sdelasal »

Well I've got it home now. The truck was a 'tilt & lift' affair, or called something similar, the rear bed extended out and down to the road. The driver then had some wooden filler pieces to reduce the angle of approach as the car was dragged on. Came off at the other end and straight up the drive into the garage. So it now sits with the front wheels on ramps and its arse on the floor. Fun starts to get the rear of the car as a high as I can in the air with axle stands under the rear sill piece that by design, do not really look up to the job! If I hear a crunchiness from within the sill - i'll have to re-think.

I did contemplate whether I could get a pair of heavy duty pliers in and 'crush' the leaking hydraulic pipe so as to seal it - enabling me to drive home with only front suspension or perhaps the front + one rear. First problem was getting access so idea stopped there - but I also thought that having the one rear suspension cylinder carrying 50% of car (~unladen) weight was probably not a good idea and would result in a blown seal on that side as well. Sounds like such an approach did work though Malcolms GS. Steve
Last edited by sdelasal on Sun Jan 09, 2011 7:26 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by mat_fenwick »

Does it have a towbar? I've sucessfully used this as a jacking point to lift the rear at both sides when the car has been too low to fit a jack under.

I'd put the axle stands under the rear 'axle' tube, or the much more study part of the subframe just inboard of the sills rather than the sills themselves.
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Post by sdelasal »

Yep - Towbar was really useful - I don't know how i'd have lifted the rear without it? What do people do in that situation?

I now have axle stands under the rear sills, and two under the rear subframe x-tube too. Question though :- if I need to drop the sub frame somewhat, i'm going to have to loose those two axle stands on the x-tube correct? I'm thinking i may put a couple at the back under the jack in that case. Steve
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Post by citsncycles »

I'm having to change the subframe on the back of the GS. Haynes recommends that when doing this you run a wooden beam across the car at the rear of the sills to spread the load. I've not had a close look at the BX in that area but I'd imagine doing so would spread the load into the floorpan, taking some of the strain off the sills.
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