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Thread Bear
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Location: Longcot, near Faringdon, Oxfordshire
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Back to BXs

Post by Thread Bear »

Hello again.

The Pug 405 Estate I inherited from my mother has just died with a failed diff bearing after 6 years of service. So I am back to rebuilding the white BX TZD 1.7 Turbo Deisel Estate I bought from a chap in Nottingham 6 years ago. I am told BX do not like to lay idle. That might be so, but so far it has not been to much of a problem. The main issue with this car, on being bought, was the lack of servicing and a suspension which would not set at a consistant ride hieght. The seller admitted he had no access to anyone who really understood the car and the manic suspension was the final straw. Yet the car is really only a baby with 120k miles up. Prior to the death of my Mum I had done all the silly stuff on the BX like boot lock adjustment, rebuilding the broken off electric door mirror by using the inside of a 405 unit from the scrappy. Yep, much is the same, but you need to change the die cast mounting which is a fiddle. So only the big jobs remained when the Pug fell in my lap and the old Estate went of to Lincolnshire to donate its engine to a better cousin.

The Forum has contributed to much of the work done recently. I do not pretend to understand why it seems to have worked but we have something that does what it is told now, most of the time!
The hieght adjusters were both cruded up something cronic. The control rod was stiff and the rear 'spring' loaded control arm was so rusty, it was replaced. I rebuilt the rear hieght adjuster unit. I see no reason why this might be thought a bad idea, save when there was a time you could buy new ones for a farthing. However on refitting it, and after cleaning the less filthy front one up in situ, the car tending to go up to 'wheel off' setting despite the control rod position. This was accomponied by the blowing off of the return pipe in the triple push in n/s wheel crossmember. Even on remaining down it blew off the return pipe with much LHM spilling out. A voyoge through checking lines clear, octopuss clear etc led to the removal of the LHM reserve. The base was thick with deposited solids and it was cleaned out. Found the filter etc. All learning. The front hieght adjuster was cleaned out and serviced. It was now a case of reassemble and see. (Advice was that there might be a failed suspension unit/seal flooding the LHM return). Immediately the cars ride hieght was more pridictable and the prior blowing LHM return pipe has so far remained in place. Checking the octopuss ends there was now no excessive flow of LHM. So one good point.

Now I am not built for limbo. Setting the suspension ride height without a ramp is not for the faint hearted. I managed to rustle up enough ramps to get the car up enough to be safe but it is not a pleasent task if the car trips into decend leaving you just enough room to wriggle with your knacks near the exhaust. It seems to work most of the time now. But not always. Occasionally one end will either not rise or go up to 'Wheel off'. It is more the rear that is missbehaving. So questions;

The exessive LHM flow that went away. The still tendancy to fail to set a reliable ride hieght.
Is this going to be the valves in the hieght adjusters?
Then a product of my rebuilding them?
Or not rebuilding well enough?
Or my own theory, a lot of particulates in the LHM that are not allowing the valves to close properly occasionally?
Is there another system that will be as sensitive to particulate contamination as a cross referance?

I have been in touch with Total. The flushing fliud is still available but it sounds like a trip to, damn, was it Bracknall or Slough. Anyway, a container can be got, but at trade and thus more than is needed for one car. Maybe there are better suppliers?

This car needs a radiator. I see that topic has come up recently. The one in the car has a lot of solid contamination in it. I cannot wash it out. Its a poor design in a way as there is a large area with minimal flow, nor do the fitted holes get near to be able to get a line in to pressure wash the capilleries. I have a spare unit but this weeps. Given that the radiator/lack of reserve water/lack of temperature guage has probably seen off more TD to be scrapped than anything else, its frustrating, and telling, that the radiator is unavailable.
Anyone a top tip on chemicals to flush the blocked radiator?
On old metal ones I used caustic soda but these modern jobbies cannot cope with that level agression, I fear.

I also have a TZD Saloon with only 70k miles up. This I bought to back up the Estate since good BX are becomming hard to find. It requires the front crossmember to be changed as the previous owner has damaged the n/s bottom suspension mounting in a curbing incident. A big job, but the price of the car, and its condition, suggest a more than worth while one.

I am in the process of moving in what is an effectively complex arrangement that fundamentally leaves me in the area midway between Swindon and Oxford near Faringdon. Once settled, like minded folk will be welcome to come by, and I might get back into workshop weekends for local nutters to escape the memsahib for manly things like getting covered in grease, driving old cars down lanes and the odd harmless shandy.

I am really a classic car nut and the BX are my moderns. So I also have Borgward, Saab Bullnose 96, a Trials car, MG Magnette ZB plus Messerschmitts and other microcars.

Big Al
Miguel - 16 TRS Auto S, light blue, 43k miles - £450
Pluto - 14 E S, White, 105k Miles - in work
Egbert - 19 16v Gti, White, A/C & Leather, - Keeper
Walt - 17 TZD Turbo S, graphite, 70k miles, good op extras - Keeper
Scraper- 17 TZD Turbo E, blue, 208k miles - parts
Homer - 19 TXD E, Red, 189k miles - £250
Gary - 17 TZD Turbo E, 118k miles - in work

'87 Trooper, Borgwards, Saabs, MG ZB, Bellamy Trials, Fiat Jolly & Bianchina, Goggo Dart, Messerschmitt, Heinkel, Bubblecars
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Tim Leech
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Re: Back to BXs

Post by Tim Leech »

Welcome back Al!
Lots of Motors, mostly semi broken....
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mat_fenwick
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Re: Back to BXs

Post by mat_fenwick »

How far did you strip down the height correctors? Did you get all the little discs out?

On another note, is your LT one of the early square ones?
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1993 1.9 TZD Turbo Estate
1996 3.9 V8 Discovery
1993 VW LT35 campervan
1985 Hyundai Stellar V8
2016 Hyundai iLoad
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Paul296
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Re: Back to BXs

Post by Paul296 »

Borgward Isabella! What a beautiful motor car! Got any pics? 8)
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Thread Bear
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Re: Back to BXs

Post by Thread Bear »

Not good ones unfortunately. I am habitually not a picture taker and with moving house, upgrading computer, going mobile etc. I have also made a self commitment to do more pictures. I risk being left behind by sociaty just as I was by the common use of the PC 20 odd years ago. Then I learned how to use a PC. Now I have to catch up again. You might notice I am badly dyslexic too so apologies for spelling, odd writing style, etc. I sure there is a checker on here but I've not found it yet.

So I will look some pics out. I have to move the Isobella Van into storage next week. The Coupe is a new aquasition as I slowly sell off the unwanted puddlejumpers for bigger vehicles in a change of collection. I only have the buying pics of it in a building which does it no justice at all. Once it is home that can be remedied.

The van however has not got a Borgward engine in it. It came with Pinto and 5 speed Serra gearbox in it. Frankly it was to fast for safe driving (later I broke a brake shoe due ill restored brake system!) so I changed it to a 1600 deisel, which matches the power of the original engine. It is thus like a Borg to drive but about 2/5ths more thrifty. Then I realised I was daft as I should have gone for the DAF Pilot 5 speed and bell housing and found a 1.7 td to go on, assume it would instead of a n/a 1.9 Pug. That would be a much better arrangement. Non the less I have obtained the best part of two scraped cars and a complete but nipped up TS 1,500cc engine. So it could return to original (75 bhp instead of 60 bhp non TS unit). With BX in hand why do I need a codsed up Borgward and that is ignoring the money side of the thing?

Never had a Coupe before so awaiting that pleasure. My bud said the only downside of them is they are not as fast as they look. But for those interested if you get the chance have a drive of a Borg as they were one of the best mid range saloons in the mid to late '50's. They have a definate charactor and once again, my thing really, are well balanced. More so than the MG I have which needs quite a bit or work to match the pace of the Borg and will ultimately be quite substantually tuned or given up, I think. The Saab has, what, 45 bhp out a Parttinger tuned engine, yet it will kick the crap out of both of the other two across country. Misserable economy though. So the Borg Coupe will be for civilised driving, with special friend and crap like that, and not belting about like a nutter, which is the Saab's job. I should point out I am single and retired now, hence the time to play all these games.
Miguel - 16 TRS Auto S, light blue, 43k miles - £450
Pluto - 14 E S, White, 105k Miles - in work
Egbert - 19 16v Gti, White, A/C & Leather, - Keeper
Walt - 17 TZD Turbo S, graphite, 70k miles, good op extras - Keeper
Scraper- 17 TZD Turbo E, blue, 208k miles - parts
Homer - 19 TXD E, Red, 189k miles - £250
Gary - 17 TZD Turbo E, 118k miles - in work

'87 Trooper, Borgwards, Saabs, MG ZB, Bellamy Trials, Fiat Jolly & Bianchina, Goggo Dart, Messerschmitt, Heinkel, Bubblecars
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