BX Heater Tap

[pindimar]

I have been advised through a number of parts suppliers that Heater taps are no longer available for the BX.

Would anybody know where new heater taps might be lurking?

It seems that these are vulnerable to cracking and breaking so you'd think that there would be a demand for them. In Australia, where I am, there has been a bit of discussion about this on froggy forum and the Citroen Car Club of New South Wales Forum but nobody seems to have come up with any suggestions

pindimar

[pindimar]

Thanks for the reply John

So, Citroen in Australia do not list the heater tap but if Citroen UK?? do list this item, who would I contact to get one, would you suggest. I hate to think what 77UK Pounds translates into the poor Australian Dollar!

[pindimar]

Thanks, that would be great

Actually, one dealer in The Netherlands said that he checked with Citroen as the part was still listed and then found that it was not available.

But I shall look forward to hearing some good news, maybe

Pindimar

[M]

It would seem some sort of spares car is perhaps in order then....

[pindimar]

...so...how will you get on in balmy Britain, it's bad enough in a relatively warm winter in Sydney.

Hope the second-hand one works!

[AlanS]

...so...how will you get on in balmy Britain, it's bad enough in a relatively warm winter in Sydney.

Hope the second-hand one works!

If you had the old one, and I would expect that the part broken is the part that has the pipes attached and it's held on with screws through a flat plate, I would fabricate one out of aluminium.
A flat plate made from a template and the two pipes at the same angle as the original, welded to the plate and a decent gasket between. There's 4 screws with nuts behind the plastic section from memory and I can't see that it would be all that hard to do nor all that expensive if you did some of the work yourself. A bead of weld at the outlet end of each pipe would secure it firmly although given the position it's in, I doubt the hoses will drop off.

Alan S

[Stewart (oily!)]

I can feel a half inch ball valve coming from somewhere
Stewart

[pindimar]

Thanks for that information Alan S, (and to all other contributors!)

Actually, have you put that suggestion on the forums for the Citroen Car Club & the Aussiefrogs Forum, both of which had discussions about this issue.

I haven't seen the old one fromm my TZi yet and Tom at Citromet in Lidcombe is replacing the part for me, so when it's out I will have a look and report back where it has actually split.


Even Queensland needs heaters in cars. perhaps!

Pindimar (Greg F)

[M]

Even Queensland needs heaters in cars. perhaps!

Pindimar (Greg F)

Last winter I ran my AX with a small portable gas heater in the passenger footwell owing to the non working Matrix. It was cheaper than a replacement matrix, and had the advantage of being able to switch it on half an hour before going to work to warm and defrost the car.

he only downside was that it was bloody dangerous!

[AlanS]

Thanks for that information Alan S, (and to all other contributors!)

Actually, have you put that suggestion on the forums for the Citroen Car Club & the Aussiefrogs Forum, both of which had discussions about this issue.

I haven't seen the old one fromm my TZi yet and Tom at Citromet in Lidcombe is replacing the part for me, so when it's out I will have a look and report back where it has actually split.


Even Queensland needs heaters in cars. perhaps!

Pindimar (Greg F)

Most of those over here are aware of the bizzare things we do to Cits up here.
Although what I suggested might sound a bit over the top, we actually did something similar with a CX when we physically made up a radiator from all aluminium. My son sourced it from Paul Weel's business down the Gold Coast. He got a core of solid aluminium, some aluminium channel and some pipes. Welded the channel to the core as a header, then welded in the pipe and made a ring along the edge of the pipe with a bead of weld.
The result was that when we wanted to test the temp the fans cut in at, we had to cover the core with plastic and it took almost 40 minutes before the bloody fans cut in.
It was the only CX I ever heard a passenger complain about being cold in. That passenger incidentally was Craig K who at the time was the President of the CCC of NSW.


Alan S

[pindimar]

It sounds as if it gets cold where you are.

Years ago in Canberra I recall we used to heat a kettle of water and pour it over the windscreen of the minibus we used to have to drive early in the mornings to de-ice the screen.

Your solution sounds just as desperate! You could always move to Cornwall, of course.

[pindimar]

Just to report back to the forum that the second hand heater tap that I got from The French Connection at Airport West in Melbourne ($80.00) has now been installed by Tom at Citromet in Lidcombe (Sydney)

Tom has done a great job and the heater works!

The problem with th old tap was that one of the two pick-up tubes (whatever you call them) that stick through the firewall had broken off - a very vulnerable item!

...anyway, the replacement was fine. Bugger of a job Tom thought (my word, not his)

Trouble is, I can't report back how much this work cost because so much other stuff had to be done on the car that it wasn't really worth itemising it all on the bill.

$1,503.67 to be exact! I guess that's why in Britain these cars are going off the raod rather than get repaired.

The air-conditioning problems can wait till spring, and the valve guides! - valve guides, around $1500 - $1,800, Well registration (MOT) isn't till Jan 2006 so maybe that repair will wait till then!

Haven't check the dollar against the UK Pound lately but it's around 37-38 P as I remember .

Well, I think the car is worth it (which is the raeson for all this "too much information")