Various niggles - DIY or garage?

Wooscary · Post by **Wooscary** » Wed Jun 01, 2011 3:29 pm

I'm not too bad with fiddly (finally got round to fitting the new oil filler today), certainly very good at getting filthy, but have neither of those tools. It would probably be a good idea to get one.

Any idea how much I'd be looking at to pay a garage to do it?

Post by **Tim Leech** » Wed Jun 01, 2011 3:47 pm

Wooscary wrote:I'm not too bad with fiddly (finally got round to fitting the new oil filler today), certainly very good at getting filthy, but have neither of those tools. It would probably be a good idea to get one.

Any idea how much I'd be looking at to pay a garage to do it?

If you have a ramp and know what your doing its no more than 1/2 hour, as its a case of depressurise the system, unscrew the old one and screw on the new one, but you will need a strap wrench or sphere tool as it is of course round, will be very oily and done up tight!

GSF are probably a good place to get the parts from. Unless there are any BXers near by that can help out.

Mothman · Post by **Mothman** » Wed Jun 01, 2011 8:08 pm

Did all the spheres on my motor with the help of my mate Tim earlier in the year and i reccon the easiest was the accumulator.

Yep, bought the tool on feebay a few years ago and the tractor ramps made access a piece of cake. Bleeding the system proved a little more difficult as the bleed screw probably had never been turned since new but job done.
I suppose its about 10 seconds till motor rises fully, never been any different, would do my head in if i had to wait a minute or more.
I too must think about changing the green blood. Thats life Jim,but not as we know it as Spock would say.

Andy

Discoil · Post by **Discoil** » Thu Jun 02, 2011 1:18 pm

Item 3

Recently changed all 4 spheres on the estate. Better.
Read about possible accumulator sphere in poor health and so changed that last night.
No longer does it sink after turning the engine off and the brakes appear to be keener also.
Changed the LHM also with filters cleaned.

Keep up with the info please

KevR · Post by **KevR** » Thu Jun 02, 2011 2:52 pm

catsinthewelder wrote:
The cable then heads upwards though a grommet in the bulkhead to the pedal box. I threaded a cable tie through the new cable and used this to guide it through the grommet. I'd cut a small slot in the grommet as the plastic part on the end of the clutch cable would not pass through. I imagine theres probably a better way (new grommet?)

This is the bit I had trouble with - on the TZD it's simply not possible to get to the rubber boot/grommet from the engine bay - it's held on with a retaining screw which is impossible to access, as well.
I suppose if I'd been desperate to change it (ie if it had broken rather than just being a bit stiff), I'd have split the rubber boot from inside the car so I could get the old cable out and the new one in, and then used some silicone sealant afterwards, but it's not really ideal, is it?

Post by **Tim Leech** » Thu Jun 02, 2011 3:21 pm

Changing the LHM is very easy, just a bit messy, and of course disposing of the old stuff isnt easy, it is after all just a big bowl!

Remember to wash the filters out with petrol though.

Many a tired BX has been revived with a fresh set of spheres and new LHM.

Wooscary · Post by **Wooscary** » Thu Jun 02, 2011 8:05 pm

I think I'm going to let Westroen in Manchester have a look at the accumulator, and perhaps the other spheres too. They seem very reasonable price-wise. I don't have ramps, a sphere removal tool, or anywhere off the road to do it, and there are only so many oily patches I can clean off the road. Also, last oil change a kid kicked a football within inches of the tray of drained oil. Ha ha.

Just spent a happy (!?) few hours this afternoon wrestling in what felt like a space the size of a matchbox to fit the new fuel filler neck. Damn, that's not an easy one. Again, it just means I'm learning more and am able to remove half the engine in about five minutes now.

Next nice small, clean job to do - clock bulb.

Post by **Defender110** » Thu Jun 02, 2011 10:33 pm

Westroen come highly recommended, Mulley swares by them and my mate the previous owner of my TGD turbo took it in every year for 16years to have all the spheres tested & re-charged if neccessary.

MULLEY · Post by **MULLEY** » Thu Jun 02, 2011 10:35 pm

I've used Westroen before & found them to be great & fitting is free

They used to clean the lhm tank out for you as well for a fee (think it was £40) a few years back, not sure if they still offer that service, but its easily done yourself so i'd save your cash unless you just don't have the time or inclination to do it yourself. Can't remember if they bled the brakes when doing the tank, might be worth asking

Wooscary · Post by **Wooscary** » Tue Jun 21, 2011 12:22 am

Went to Westroen today, what a great guy.

He pressure tested the spheres, including the accumulator, all were fine. He checked the LHM too and the filters were pretty manky, so flushed and refilled that for me. He thought it could be the pump was a bit weak, causing the slow rising. Makes sense.

Going to the more general garage tomorrow to get the phantom noise looked at, and then driving to London in the evening (and back again) for a London-based colleagues leaving party.

Wooscary · Post by **Wooscary** » Wed Jun 22, 2011 3:33 pm

It now rises really fast from cold, so must have been the filters being filthy.

Went to see Dave at the Citroën Repair Centre in Reddish yesterday, which proved fruitful.

The alarming knocking that started from the near side rear corner the other day was discovered to be the bit of crappy "structure" that holds the exhaust hanger and provides a bit of spacing for the wheel arch. This had, as is apparently common, completely let go, so the wheel was clipping the wheel arch going over bumps. He rehung the exhaust with an ingenious method without any welding, which given a clear head is exactly the way I'd have done it.

I've managed to pull the arch out a bit, but it's going to need a bit of plate welding back in there soon probably to space it properly.

Mystery noise is likely a bearing in the turbo gradually giving up, so I'm going to start asking around for a replacement. Possibly a stupid question, but is it possible to run the engine without the turbo hooked up, to see if the noise it still there without it running?

citronut · Post by **citronut** » Wed Jun 22, 2011 7:20 pm

are you sure the N/S/R trailing arm bearing havent died, causeing the wheel to /

regards malcolm

Wooscary · Post by **Wooscary** » Thu Jun 23, 2011 8:22 am

Well that was the obvious and initial thought, but the wheels are both straight up.

The piece of metal that holds the exhaust hanger and attaches to the bumper is rusted through and is just wobbling about, so that seems like the culprit.

The tyres are also 185s, so is that pushing it for clearance anyway? It's always been pretty tight at the back.

KevR · Post by **KevR** » Thu Jun 23, 2011 1:12 pm

Wooscary wrote:
The tyres are also 185s, so is that pushing it for clearance anyway? It's always been pretty tight at the back.

The estates don't have the wider rear arches that (most of) the saloons have, so you're right, there'll be less clearance with wider tyres.

rayfenwick · Post by **rayfenwick** » Fri Jun 24, 2011 2:52 am

Roverman wrote:Changing the LHM is very easy, just a bit messy, and of course disposing of the old stuff isnt easy, it is after all just a big bowl!

It is if you have an old Diesel Mercedes...

Roverman wrote:Remember to wash the filters out with petrol though.

Many a tired BX has been revived with a fresh set of spheres and new LHM.

A very overlooked and underrated procedure. Clean filters really can make all the difference, even though it sounds a bit 'twee'...