What's the story???

AlanS · Post by **AlanS** » Fri Apr 04, 2008 10:22 am

I was told around 2002 that BX 16V spheres were no longer available.
The story at the time was that it was common now to supply the basic BX GTi/TZi or Tri as being compatible.
There is a guy over here who has a car that has had some kind of dodgy sphere fitted, suspected to be possibly hydractive spheres and one has just blown so he was trying to access the real McCoy and is getting told by all and sundry on one forum out here that they are still available.
So can anyone confirm one way or the other if the genuine spheres (not the standard BX ones supplied as being the ones to replace them) can still be bought and if so, where from?

Alan S

Post by **docchevron** » Fri Apr 04, 2008 1:37 pm

GSF sell generic spheres, and whilst they are branded as 16V spheres they are not the real Mccoy.

However AEP DO still sell REAL cosher 16V spheres.
They are also available from some people on the Bay of E.

So in short, if you know where to go then yes 16V spheres are still available.

Vanny · Post by **Vanny** » Fri Apr 04, 2008 4:54 pm

i think you can still get genuine fronts from citroen (or you could 6 month ago) it was only the rears that had become difficult to get! I've got GSF '16v' spheres on the back of mine (took three attempts before a box with the right part number turned up) its floaty light and not at all what it should be, so i'm going to guess they are not right!

CitroXim · Post by **CitroXim** » Fri Apr 04, 2008 9:54 pm

They were still listed in pr.net today as being availabe Vanny. No dreaded NFP just yet on them.

£61 each...

Naturally, as with a lot of things from Citroen, the wait may be protracted. I once waited three months for Activa rear ram bushes to become available. I bought a job lot to ensure I'd always have one. Good job too. I paid something like £14 each and now they are ten times that!!!

It seems they wait until they have a few orders before making them.

Post by **docchevron** » Sat Apr 05, 2008 2:34 am

I've just noticed your reworked sig Jim!
Nice....

Although the Activa is a good car.

The lead time from Citroën was 5 weeks last time I enquired, that wa about 5 months ago I guess... and I'm not altogether sure they were the real deal either given that 12 year old numpty behind the counter couldn't find them on the computer and had to dig out the microfiche!

CitroXim · Post by **CitroXim** » Sat Apr 05, 2008 8:59 am

docchevron1472 wrote:I've just noticed your reworked sig Jim!
Nice.... Although the Activa is a good car.

I only just noticed Doc

How long would it have taken me otherwise

Post by **docchevron** » Sat Apr 05, 2008 10:45 pm

Sneaky shananigans eh!

I reckon about 3 days, 6 hours and 42 seconds, at a rough guess!!

AlanS · Post by **AlanS** » Sun Apr 06, 2008 12:17 am

I have heard of people saying that they bought "genuine" ones (as per the writing on the box) but with a different part number, they have had things like "Part no. 1234567 (supersedes Part no. 7654321)" but have later discovered that other BX spheres had their part nos. superseded also to be replaced by same (hypothetical) number, meaning that instead of 20 different spheres for various models, they have now 'rationalised' their stock to say 6.
Makes sense when you hear Vanny saying he has genuine rear spheres that feel floaty.
Logically thinking, of the 15440 made (sourced from Citsports website) Worldwide, what percentage would be left driveable? 3000 possibly worldwide?
Then what incentive would there be for a manufacturer to produce a batch of say 500 to stock spare parts dealers? Of these, how many would be brave enough to keep many/any in stock and how old might they be when you bought them?
That was the way it was put to me many years ago; worth thinking about IMO.

Alan S

Post by **docchevron** » Sun Apr 06, 2008 10:00 pm

Aye, but AEP do sell the REAL deal. As do Citroën themselves, but the last set of REAL valver spheres I saw that came from the main stealer were 4 years old out of the box....

AlanS · Post by **AlanS** » Sun Apr 06, 2008 11:54 pm

He apparently managed to get a set of newly fitted ones (specs right as are part numbers) has now fitted them and lives happily ever after.

Alan

Post by **docchevron** » Mon Apr 07, 2008 12:02 am

No bunnies?
All good stories that have a happy ending should have bunnies in them..

I assume this is "Mr. White Keys" that had the grief?

AlanS · Post by **AlanS** » Mon Apr 07, 2008 2:50 am

docchevron1472 wrote:No bunnies?
All good stories that have a happy ending should have bunnies in them..

I assume this is "Mr. White Keys" that had the grief?

Yep, young Steve was the victim, but he seems to get some very off the cuff suggestions, which is why I posted somewhere that had more than 100 cars sold there in the first place as some of the ones making all the suggestions are still almost in the "does it go up and down" category, so I deal with him offline to try to sort his problems.
I know his father from a historic car rally re-run I was involved in a few years back (he drove a D series in it) and "shepherded" Steve when he did a 2000 klms run (each way) up my way earlier this year, so I try to make certain they get the right advice as they tend to do some pretty long trips and the last thing they need is a bodge job catching them out in the middle of nowhere.

Alan S

Post by **docchevron** » Mon Apr 07, 2008 3:21 pm

Yes, AF does seem to have a few people with little sense regarding hydraulic issue's, always amusing to read though!