Pigeon Restoration

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BX Bandit
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Re: Pigeon Restoration

Post by BX Bandit »

That's a very good idea Jay, didnt think of that but it certainly warrants extra thought. For now the fix has worked but as an insurance policy I will make a new plate out of 5mm and some proper gasket material.

David, I just wouldn't trust all the swarf to be removed, albeit with oil filter etc, knowing my luck it'll explode and kill a pedestrian!

With regard to the pink beast, it's been a quandary I must confess. The problem is, as you will know, the Ven reds turn pink. Lovely as they are when polished, they turn pink. That together with a few 'A' surface defects means she needs a couple of panels spraying, A pillars included. I'm not the polishing type, (at best my cars get a wash twice a year and that is unusual, it's normally once a year) so forking out for a partial re spray and not being the type to keep up with the whole shiney shiney polishing thing means I either drive a pink tatty shed or go up market.

I came into Jay's white TGD as when i saw it at Stratford i was amazed at its condition, it has done half the miles of the TZD. So it came together and the decision have Jay's TGD and scrap the TZD became a no brainier. I do feel a tad bad as there are worse examples out there being saved, but the temptation f Jay's shell (oh err) was too much.

So, to answer your question completely, the TZD isn't that far gone at all, but the TGD is so rust free and polishing free that I couldn't say no!
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DavidRutherford
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Re: Pigeon Restoration

Post by DavidRutherford »

So, you wouldn't consider selling the TZD? I am currently punting about in a Xsara TD, which is giving me a really rather painful back, and I'd MUCH prefer to be in a BX. The A/C is kinda essential too, as it means I can run pollen filters, keep the windows closed and not sneeze every second of the day! (which is what I'm doing in the Xsara at the moment.

If you're still after an A/C setup, I've got a BX TZD with A/C here that needs a reasonable amount of work to get on the road, which would be far better to break...

Possibility?
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Re: Pigeon Restoration

Post by JayW »

BX Bandit wrote:I came into Jay's white TGD!
That explains a few things! ;)
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Re: Pigeon Restoration

Post by Mickey taker »

JayW wrote:
BX Bandit wrote:I came into Jay's white TGD!
That explains a few things! ;)
that'll teach you to leave your windows open Jay :D
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Re: Pigeon Restoration

Post by MULLEY »

That made me laugh :)
2002 C5 2.0 HDI Estate - Jasmine - Now SORN
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2016 Mercedes A180D Sport - Auto refinement
1992 TZD Turbo - Bluebell - My daily
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1990 Gti 8Valve SOLD - looks like it's been scrapped
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1992 TXD - Scrapped in March 2014
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Re: Pigeon Restoration

Post by BX Bandit »

One track mind you folk, especially Mr Jay! You love it though really and I did secretly have a scratch'n'sniff of the seats :mrgreen:

David, hmmmm, that's a conundrum you've given me! This is what I had planned

1) remove all running gear, pipework, suspension, engine, gearbox air con wiring loom door mirrors, seats, and all black trim and 16v bumpers.

Essentially a shell with doors, bonnet and boot. Most of it is for spares, esp the head inc n/a camshaft and Bosch pump. The block I have provisionally sold to Doc.
The gearbox is non standard TD and I need the 3rd and 4th gear sets for the valver.

I've already removed all black trim and dash, rear seats, front discs/pads. You'll also need a new exhaust as the one on there is like French lingerie although you may get away with a patch job.

You'll also need a set of wheels although I can lend you four steelies.

Rust wise, there is some welding required on the rear chassis leg, it's got rust around the wind screen aperture although not the worst I've seen, the rear valance needs finishing, although I seem to remember I'd be better off removing the old one and fitting a new one.
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Re: Pigeon Restoration

Post by BX Bandit »

In other news, I've been having fun with diesel and air and lucas pumps....... :evil:

After much pissing about with jubilee clips, by-passing certain filter housings or primer pumps etc etc I have now got a leak free set-up.
However, I still have problemo!

The first one is smoke, white smoke and lots of it.
Could be:
1) Injectors but Jay had them tested and they were spot on, so I can rule them out.
2) Poor compression. It could be my donor head, I had to replace one valve and didn't have any proper paste to lap it in with but I did use a coarse car body scratch remover which cleaned it up but not much else I guess. I'd expect this to give a lumpy idle if it were only leaking on one valve. Bore wear/ring wear can be ruled out as the engine has only covered 88K, the honing marks were still there!
3) Timing - yet to be checked.
4) Old fuel? The fuel in the car is probably two years old at a guess. It was stored here for almost a year and spent a year stored in Cornwall (I think)
5)Most alarmingly, I'm still getting bubbles in the header tank. I would of expected all the bubbles to be out the water system by now but I'm contemplating a porous head scenario. How long do bubbles take to tease out? I guess she's been running for two hours on and off, with a good few 20 minute/30 minute runs.
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Re: Pigeon Restoration

Post by BX Bandit »

I was also wondering if rust on the front wheel arch close to the strut mount is an MOT failure? I'm thinking it will be :-(
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JayW
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Re: Pigeon Restoration

Post by JayW »

White smoke (over-fuelling) has got to be timing i'd have thought? Mayby a tooth out? Even with the knackered head and temporary bolt-up she didn't smoke when we loaded her up. That's assuming you're using the original pump?

As for air in the fuel, the oly issue i had if you recall when i first bought it was the fuel heater was porous and i had to bypass it. After that it was fine, there's a thread on here about it somewhere but i honestly can't remember if i reiterated that to you when you picked it up. But as you've changed the fuel lines i'm pretty sure youd have spotted that straight away.

As for the arch rust, depends what it's done over the past couple of years since it was parked up, this Cornish air isn't forgiving!

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Re: Pigeon Restoration

Post by BX Bandit »

No she wasn't white smoking when we loaded her was she, which means its either the donor head or crap fuel, I haven't touched the pump, but I'll check timing anyway. She fired up on the button mind so fingers crossed its just crap fuel. I also pray to The Lord almighty that the head ain't fubar.

I left the fuel heater bypassed, but put in an original bx filter/primer. I heard they leaked air but this one seems ok. I've also put in the labyrinth style fuel heater/filter assembly, I think Matt had an issue with one, I shall have to ask him.

Not to worry mate, it'll all get sorted in the end, it just bloody frustrating when you put everything back together only to have to strip it down again due to an unforeseen problem, I should of tested the thermostat for example. Things also degrade with time alone anyway, so who knows what issues have occurred from being stood still! How long was she under storage in Cornwall you old sea dog?
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mat_fenwick
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Re: Pigeon Restoration

Post by mat_fenwick »

Ask away! The issue I had with mine was with the white thermostat on the side (which allows fuel to flow round the labyrinth). Long cranking times and rough running after start up but better if you squeezed the bulb - an O ring had failed and was allowing air in. You could actually see a dribble of fuel when priming which is how I discovered it, after renewing every hose in the system!

I once bought a box of assorted sizes, which proudly proclaimed "Contains almost every O-Ring size you are ever likely to need." So far, it has contained exactly the wrong size for every job I've needed an O ring for, and this was no exception. So I used the housing from a scrap Xantia which cured it. I do have a set of seals now from Citroen now, so I can try and give you the part number?
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Re: Pigeon Restoration

Post by BX Bandit »

:mrgreen: Perhaps they are imperial o rings? Or fuse with sex toys only?

Tbh mate I don't think there is fuel escaping, but I will check tomorrow and let you know. Thanks for your help matey
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Re: Pigeon Restoration

Post by mat_fenwick »

I only had fuel dribbling when I squeezed the primer bulb, the rest if the time it was letting air in. So hopefully a good squeeze should show you where any leaks might be.
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Re: Pigeon Restoration

Post by JayW »

She was parked up on 1st october 2011

and collected by you on 28th august 2012

So, 11 months give or take 20 minutes.

Mostly open-air with the cornish weather having eaten no less than 3 covers in that time!

Bugger me, that was £330 quid to store her for that period, really didn't want to give her up! :cry:
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Re: Pigeon Restoration

Post by BX Bandit »

Well at least she ain't turned into tins mate, way way too good to scrap. I just hope I can do her justice and have a lovely motor to drive about in.
1990 BX 16V Platinum Grey
1990 BX TGD White
1960 Morris Minor Clarondon Grey
1971 Triumph 2000 Auto Valencia Blue
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