Diesel fuel filter.

[cavmad]

I`m going to replace the fuel filter today on my diesel BX. Will I have to bleed the system after replacing it or are they self bleed? I was thinking of filling the new filter with diesel prior to fitting it as I seem to remember someone telling me to do this a few years ago. I`m also going to get the front tyre replaced and have the tracking done. I don`t think the tracking is too far out but I fitted a sports steering wheel and put it on at the wrong angle and can`t get the b*st*rd off again. Now I can`t see how fast I`m going or see the fuel gauge so I`m hoping they`ll put that thing under the steering wheel to keep it straight then adjust the tracking.
The next jobs will be the suspension creaking cure and the fuel guage. Can someone pleas tell me where about under the rear seat I can find the sender thingy and also will it need replacing or can I get away with cleaning up the contacts? Cheers.

[M]

Which filter set up do you have on yours?

Its probably best to bleed - I know we had to when we replaced the rotodiesel pump filter on Vera.

If memory serves the sender is located under the Right hand flip up panel under the rear seat squab. But (unless anyone beats me to it) will consult my H-BOL later. I know mine had been out before as all teh sond deadening had been torn up to get to it - still didnt stop it acting all shonky like.

[Vanny]

imho getting steering tracked is totally pointless, no one does it right! Last time i supposedly got it done they did notheing but unbolt the steering wheel and move it central AND had the cheek to charge me for it! If i wanted the steering wheel centering i'd do it myself, its easy! Pop the cover from the middle bit, undo the bolt (think its 18 or 20 mm), wiggle it top and bottm until it comes loose, pull it off, move it where it should be, push it down, put the nut on a couple of threads and take it for a drive!


What there meant to do is centre the rack, then centre the wheel, then adjust the tracking. It should mean that not only is the tracking right but its also central to the rack, and to do this is a lenghty process. eventually i'll buy me a laser tracking system off good ole ebay and have done with it!

[jeremy]

Yo're right Vanny - its the rack that must be centred. Interestingly in of all placed haynes give detailed instructions for doing this on a Visa in their diesel engine book and the procedure is sensible enough - peel the gaiter back and measure the exposed bit with calipers - should project equally each side.

I did my BX by marking the wheel so that I could determine where half way between locks was and while this produced a significant improvement I didn't get it 100% and really ought to have another go.

By the way - be careful not to break the self cancelling indicator tag off when replacing the wheel.

Jeremy

[cavmad]

Think of all the worse swear words you`ve ever heard then mutiply them by 68,251,419.
I`ve replaced the fuel filter (what a struggle to get the old housing off) and cleaned the canister out.
Guess what? Running like a heap of shit now. I did put some fresh fuel in the canister to prime it a bit but seems to have made no difference.
You think that`s pissed me off? Oh no, that`s naff all compared to my next problem:
Managed to break the two small plastic/flexible LHM pipes coming out of the LHM reservoir whilst trying to remove the fuel filter canister.
As you are looking at the car facing the windscreen it`s the 2nd to the back (i.e 2nd closest to the windscreen) main LHM pipe which they`ve broken off.
There is a fairly large LHM feedpipe and the two offending pipes I`ve broken feed off this.
Tried a few bodges (including the ink pipe form a bookies pen!) but it`s not too clever and I don`t want to drive the car like this or by blanking off where the two small pipes fitted onto the main pipe. Don`t really want to Araldite the pipes back on either incase they become blocked when I put them on, split again after use or I find the Araldite doesn`t stick because of the LHM fluid.
Replacing the main pipe which they feed off doesn`t look a bad job BUT: can I still get the pipework, how much does it cost and tracing where the two smaller `run off` pipes which I broke looks like a `mare because they run through a sleeve and I don`t know where they end up.
Any help greatly appreciated with the filter problem and especially the LHM pipes.
Got to go to work in the Maestro now, I`d better leave an hour early methinks!

[cavmad]

Cheers, at work now so will try and get pics later or tomorrow afternoon. I did try what I thought was a fantastic repair by using two of the smallest rawl plugs I could get and some petrol pipe. I cut the thick end of the rawl plugs off, pushed the pipe over most of what was left and shoved the end in the hole(s) in the LHM pipe. Lovely job, they fitted a treat and wouldn`t budge without a fair bit of pressure. Feeling very clever and about to post up my `smart` repair it suddenly occurred to me that I should check the LHM is actually coming through. I bet you can guess what happened when I did? You`ve got it no a bloody sausage, or, to more precise, not a single tiny drip getting through. Bollocks. I think I`ll try the Araldite mow though. I reckon I can get the pipe to the point where I can stop it dripping for a short while and dry it off enough to stop it leaking. This is only temporary though, I really need to get the whole pipe re-newed. Now I`ve calmed down a bit I think the two small pipes I broke off maybe the pipes to the o/s/f suspension which I was going to take off at the other end anyhow to try the repair to the dry struts.

[AndersDK]

If I read you correctly - then all you need is a joiner for 2 small rubber hoses ?
Why not simply cut off what you need from the reservoir cap vent pipe ?

[cavmad]

Thanks, the problem seems to be that pushing a plastic pipe into the `main` artery from the LHM tanks either stops the flow of the LHM to the smaller feeder pipes altogether or restricts the flow. If I manage to get a pipe on and it does restrict the flow will this cause pressure elsewhere in the system and possibly cause another pipe to burst?
I`ll try and e-mail or post pic`s up when I get home. Your help has been greatly appreciated, I need to use the car urgently. Incidentally does anyone know if it matters which pipe goes where (as regards the two small feeder pipes) I imagine not as they both seem the same size and both do the same job.

[cavmad]

Here`s the b*st*rd in all it`s broken glory. Any ideas please?
<img http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a249/ ... ct0007.jpg

[cavmad]

the problem with this is that the pipes have broken off right where they join onto the main pipe so unfortunately it`s not a matter of using plastic or metal pipe to simple bridge the break. Will I have to bleed the LHM if I get a replacement pipe?

[Stewart (oily!)]

Theres a BX Turbo in Clwyd Breakers at Ruabon near Wrexham, that should have the bits you need, re the fuel filter, if its the alloy bodied one its best to remove it from the car first, but I expect you know that now the joining problem is likely to be because its at a joint, the internal diameter changes, you would probably need a metal Tee piece to do it 6mm, 4mm copper from the caravan shop???successfully.
Stewart

[AndersDK]

Jon would know

The 2 smaller hoses are the returns from the front and rear suspension cylinders. And you better read carefully what I wrote above : it is the RETURN from LIFTING cylinders. Meaning you have a lot of flow here when you set the height from high down to low. The flow is towards the reservoir can (INTO the bigger hose).

The bigger hose is the return from the PR & FDV complex (again towards reservoir can) - which can carry such a flow that any repair may pop off the smaller hoses.

You will NOT need to bleed anything if you decide renewing these hoses. The hoses are known as the "small Octopus" and should not be deer.

[cavmad]

Thankyou all. Called to Jackson`s scrappy in Ewloe (which some of you may know about). Robbing bastards charged me a tenner for some broken LHM pipe and a fuel tank guage sender thingy.
Anyhow, to cut to the chase: Found the pipe I wanted on a BX, looked exactly the same. Car was on it`s arse on the deck with a flat tyre so no way of telling where the two small pipes run to. I asked my mate to help and told him to be careful as they seem to break easily. I decided to pull the pipes from where they went under the car too see if they`d come off with the clips or whatever was holding them on. Wasn`t worried if they broke off futher back as I could fashion a permanent repair with a bridging pipe on each. then my mate decided to yank the hoses from near the reservoir. Silly b*st*rd broke one of them.
Never mind took the rest of the pipe and some other smaller pipes to see if I could make a repair to them.
Then found another scrappy (next to the A550) who had a petrol one in. Disconnected the pipe I wanted and cut the two feeder pipes off further back so I could make said repair. At this point I noticed that the pipe off the petrol one has three feeder pipes off it! ??? Anyhow took it off, cut all three pipes and the plan is to make my repair and permanently block the third (redundant) one off. Does that make sense to anyone?
BTW, I`ll find the name of the scrappy by the bypass and post it up. The lad was a diamond and stayed behind a few minutes so I could get my part. Showed him what it was and he gave it to me for nothing. I`ll be using him again in the future, top fella.
Regarding the fuel filter I wonder if the problem is because the canister was a mare to remove (I ended using an old fanbelt wrapped round it then a screwdriver to turn it which did the job nicely I thought). Anyhow it looks like the top of the canister is slightly distorted so possibly letting air in? I did tighten it up and I used the new seal supplied with the filter though.
Thanks again everyone, I`ll let you know how I get on with the suspension pipes-I`ll have a go at it tomorrow.

[Vanny]

i have the top halfs of one of those canisters with the button on it in the garage if its any use? may have the canister as well but i think its only the top!