found the leak,fractured pipe

[johnbird]

i got home from work early today and as i backed into the drive there was a mist-steam like in front of the lights.thought i had better investigate nipping the high pressure pipe up.broke a golden rule and now i know why the rule is there!
the union did up a little but leaked more and obviously under pressure.i gave it the rft setting and it was pouring out the union in a torrent.i dismantled half the engine seemingly-intercooler,all pipes the pump and pulley belt,all the clips which held the hydraulic pipe etc etc.after an hour i had the mole grips out to undo the pump end of the pipe.once removed the cause of the leak was obvious.the pipe had fractured where it joins the pump. i managed to remove the broken end from the pump body which was a bonus and it doesnt look too bad a job getting it all back together.the pipe in question goes from the pump body has two locating fixings into the engine and goes into a body with two hydraulic lines in it in front of the rad below the intercooler pipe.probably eighteen inches in total.i think the cause of the fracture was a missing nut off the bolt which hinges and when tightened provides the bottom fixing of the pump body.i think vibration as it flexed on the top[ adjuster for the belt bracket which is only a 10 or 11 mm nut.
dont you just love working outside with a lead light and a torch in your mouth keeping the swearing volume to a whisper! at some point someone appears to have tried to stop the leak with a rubber washer or grommet which came out in slices.
where is it best to buy one of these please? main dealer ready made still an option? i need to source one as soon as really as obviously the car is going nowhere without it.was the first time i have worked on a hydraulic system,not so complicated really is it.

[docchevron]

Becoming a common problem that!

I very much doubt a dealer would have that on the shelf, so it's either off to a scrappy in the hope they have a diesel BX in for breaking, or getting one from a forum member.

I have a couple laying around, but I cant get to them before Sunday, so I wouldn't be able to post til Monday at the earliest.

My stash of crap is many miles form my work commitments sadly.

[Stinkwheel]

I can tell you from bitter recent experience that those pipes (it is the big one isnt it?, looks like the big 6.35mm to me but i could be wrong)
that the easiest place to get them is citroen dealers, find the part number and go in and order it though, dont expect them to have facility to look up BX parts anymore.

[Kevin B]

^^ Becoming a common problem that!

Indeed it is, here is another recent identical occurance:

http://www.bxclub.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=12557

It seems to mainly affect the diesel engined versions, possibly due to the LHM pump being used as a pivot to adjust the belt tension, and this places stresses on the pipe leading to a fracture, as a preventative measure I now loosen the LHM pump union before adjusting belt tension, and re-tighten afterwards. It may seem a bit long winded, but I have had no more pipe failures since.

Having experienced this type of failure first hand, I also now carry one of these pipes, and 5 litres of fresh LHM in the back of the car at all times.

[rmattila]

For reference, the prices at the Finnish company www.sitronen.fi :

3,50 MM PIPE 25M 98,3 EURO
3,50 MM UNION 0,8 EURO
4,50 MM PIPE 25M 125,6 EURO
4,50 MM PIPE 7,62M 42,9 EURO
4,50 MM UNION 1,5 EURO
6.35 MM PIPE 7.6M 67,3 EURO
6.35 MM UNION 3,4 EURO
MANUFACTURING PIPES FROM 3,50 MM MATERIAL 4 EURO + 4 EURO/M
MANUFACTURING PIPES FROM 4,50 MM MATERIAL 7 EURO + 5 EURO/M
MANUFACTURING PIPES FROM 6,35 MM MATERIAL 10 EURO + 9 EURO/M
The price of unions and seals is added to the price of the manufactured pipes.

I try to keep a sufficient storage of all that material at home in order to minimize the time needed to replace broken pipes.

[johnbird]

Mr mattila would you happen to have a part number for the pipe I seek please?

[rmattila]

Mr mattila would you happen to have a part number for the pipe I seek please?

There are a number of different pipes depending on the model. Yours was diesel, IIRC?

95 596 564 Diesel (1,769 and 1,905 l) WITH power steering (pipe length 565 mm)
95 596 541 Diesel (1,769 and 1,905 l) WITHOUT power steering (pipe length 975 mm)
96 113 764 Diesel (1,769 and 1,905 l) WITH power steering, 4X4 (pipe length 592 mm)

I've learnt to be somewhat cautious with these numbers, though.

-Riku

[electrokid]

Bought one of these a few months ago - it was still available from the factory but the dealer had to order it in so it took about a week to arrive. If the original rubber seal looks ok then there's no need to replace it - but if you have to wait for the pipe you might as well order the seal at the same time. If you need a seal more quickly then phone Pliades who usually have them in stock and will post them to you.

[electrokid]

Or even Pleiades 01487 831239

[Defender110]

There are a number of different pipes depending on the model. Yours was diesel, IIRC?

96 113 764 Diesel (1,769 and 1,905 l) WITH power steering, 4X4 (pipe length 592 mm)

I've learnt to be somewhat cautious with these numbers, though.

-Riku

Diesel 4x4

[citronut]

if you post your last 8 digits of your chassis/VIN No. i will check the corect part No. for your car on service citroen,

regards malcolm

[KevR]

at some point someone appears to have tried to stop the leak with a rubber washer or grommet which came out in slices.

The rubber tube seal's an integral part of these Citroen pipe unions, not a bodged afterthought! (Or at least, it is on all the smaller ones of the same type – AFAIK it's the same for these large ones. What may have happened with your union is that someone's swapped the pump at some point and managed to get the pipe fouled up with the seal (easy to do), at which point any attempt to tighten it has just sent the pipe further off line until it stress fractured. I think someone already commented on one of your earlier threads that if these unions appear to need 'nipping up' then there's something wrong with them, as they tend to self-seal under pressure if they're assembled properly. If you refit it without a seal, it'll never work no matter how much you tighten it.

[rmattila]

Diesel 4x4

Well, that's what it says in the cataloque.

And: http://www.citroen-mania.com.ar/models- ... 0-1999.htm says the following:

Models of Citroën: 1990Models of Citroën
The Citroën XM is voted "Car of the Year 1990", winning 14 national and international awards.
The last ever 2CV leaves the production line on July 27.
At the Paris Motor Show, Citroën unveils two new versions of the BX - the BX 4x4 Diesel, and the BX 4x4 Evasion Diesel with permanent integral transmission. The two models are powered by a 4-cylinder 1,905 cm 3 diesel engine generating 71 bhp at 4.600 rpm with 12.5 mkg torque at 2,000 rpm.

[Defender110]

Ooooh! want one desperately?????

[KevR]

A 4x4 diesel break? Yes please... And yes, I know I could make one out of bits, but I wouldn't be able to register it in France, unfortunately...