octopus - mus, pipe thing

[tzd]

Hello everybody, I was wondering how difficult is it to replace the octopus-mus pipe thing ? What I mean is the return pipe with about 8 pipes going into it which sits somewhere at the back of the engine.
I have a TZD and mine has just about had it. I have a couple of axle stands and a jack, and adequate tools.
Also, where is the best place to buy one from ?

Cheers Kev.

[Mothman]

Hi Kev,
if you can find one, let me know as i could do with an octopus too on my TGD.
Not an easy job either. Do a search on the forum, there have been many posts. Good luck.

Andy

[kiwi]

I actually replied to this thread which got caught up in the crash blitz

My previuos post attempt I pointed you to the Technical section and specifically this post

http://www.bxclub.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=16334" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Quite a wealth an descriptive information that IMO should be a sticky in the FAQs.

As for obtaining a replacement pipe, good luck with that the sources of them are drying up and the repairs and redesigns as per the refered post are becoming quite common.

[toddao]

Still available from Citroen:

Oil Back Harness
96 030 258

€50?

[tzd]

Hi everybody, thank you all for your replies. I looked at the wealth of topics and posts on this subject and have decided to let my garage man do the job. He has ordered one from France via somewhere in Coventry ! I will try to find out more, and let you know. The pipe is going to cost me £52, and then the labour on top.

Kev

[B-Hive]

From my efforts a few months ago to pop back in one of the main leak back hoses (which I inadvertently pulled out) back into the octo, all I can say is that an octopus replacement would be one hell of a job.. And this was on a TRS with more access than most.

More recently whilst I was reconfiguring back as close to standard the Tri's system of return hoses (previous owner had been a little too creative), I jinxed myself into pulling off EXACTLY the same pipe leading into the octo as I did with the TRS.

A few choice words were mumbled to myself about myself. At this juncture I decided that I was ultimately going to live octopus worry free. Stage by stage

As the octopus is made up of three separate chambers, I drew myself a complete map and layout of the octo and the reservoir top. From this I worked out which of the three main returns that I had breached and had decided to by-pass. As it turned out, it seemed that it was the busiest and wettest port as the other two outlets deal with just strut vents and strut returns.

Long story shorter I now have a very leak free Tri, with the octopus 1/3rd redundant and pipes that I can service if ever where ever. Which IMO removes the one possible reliability cloud that usually hangs over a BX unless it has actually had a new octo...

...and if and when the other two "chambers" give me grief I will convert them accordingly...but the one I have done already is by far the trickiest, to the extent that it necessitates putting a new return pipe onto the front height corrector.

Armed with this new wealth of knowledge, my return trip to collect the TRS, no longer has the dark specter of possible failure.

Also as it transpires, failures on the octopus, as far as I understand, are largely down to the Front height corrector to octo pipe leaking..this being part of the same network of returns that I have now modified and rerouted.

So I will perform the same surgery (with a little local anesthetic) on the TRS, if it still leaks will then move onto the strut return section, and (albeit very unlikely) if it still leaks will then by-pass the 3rd and final part of the octo-return system

I have prattled on for a while about this, but I think its important to present to the forum all available options for this topic's malady/subject.

As a very cost effective and simple way of executing an essential repair that in certain cases can otherwise have BX owners giving up and scrapping their beloveds.

*No need to have to source a new octopus
*No need to have to fork out for the part
*Easy, progressive and maintainable repair.

PLUS all of this can be achieved very elegantly as well..I do actually have a new part in my mitts but think my design much better, sorry Andre, although I do realise that your arrangement was designed for ease of original manufacture..

[Tim Leech]

Theres two octopi? on ebay at the moment, called a oil leak back harness in the description.

[kiwi]

Talking with the guru in Taranaki who has been hunting octopi in NZ for quite a while now. He pretty much is becoming a master at the bodge and fix technique on the old octopi. Only snage for me is I need to perfect this technique on my own because of the proximity of experianced repairers.

Would be good if someone who has made a refinement could list the parts they used. My main concern is the gauge of pipe/junctions to use. I would hate to restrict the fluid flow or make it to large.