The Myth, The Legend, The Citroën BX 1.9 Diesel Meteor 4x4!

[David]

Hi all, I promised some pictures of my car a few months ago now, But I couldn't really get any when it was in 100 pieces all over the dark garage floor. I have managed to fix most of the issues mentioned in my other threads & got it outside today for some pictures.

Also I can write on here about any little other things I mess with that don't seem relevant elsewhere.

History:

I bought the car back in March 2007. When I got it it was a 1.9 Diesel Meteor Automatic. It had done 198995 miles.

It hasn't been on the road since I bought it, but I have done quite a bit of off roading in the car so it hasn't just been sat.

It had issues but was generally a straight car. The interior was a mess (& was up until recently), The engine had oil leaks, the handbrake didn't work, the headlights were damaged, the rear arm bearings were screwed (see below) & the suspension was rock hard.
EDIT: The drivers window mechanism was also broken.
Back then I knew nothing about car mechanics & it took me over a year just to fix the suspension. (no one told me it was the spheres!).

Within 6 months the automatic gearbox gave out & tried throwing me through the windscreen (its a good job it wasn't on the road!) To this day no one knows why it locked up (it was in 'A' before anyone starts).

I managed to get a gearbox out of a 1.7 diesel for the car, but it was manual. Luckily we got all the needed bits at the same time. This was the first time I had the car in bits. My dad helped me put the gearbox in & got the car running again. The replacement gearbox was noisy but the car drove.

In 2008 I spotted a nice BX GTi 4x4 in a friend of a friends scrapyard. Straight away I thought would it be possible? The body of the 4x4 was rotten & they said the engine was warn out, but the running gear was OK. I struck a deal & got all the 4x4 parts, engine, instrument panel, wires & other small bits. I also got the mirrors, rear electric window parts, locks... Basically all the parts the GTi had that mine didn't.

I wasn't confident at pulling my car in bits, so the 4x4 bits were thrown to the back of the shed & left. But I slowly put all the other toys in it, Starting with the electric windows & foglights.

In 2009 I found some rust holes under the rear bumper & left inner wing, so I had them welded up by a friend. I didn't have a clue how to use a welder then. When he had it he told me there was something wrong with the suspension, but he wasn't sure what...

In early 2011 I decided it was time I got more confident with working on the car & thought it was about time I fixed the oil leaks it had since I bought it. I then pulled the engine out for the first time & put new oil seals in it. I cleaned all the engine & painted it blue. I then cleaned everything up under the bonnet & painted everything. I still didn't feel confident enough to put the 4x4 parts on it, so just put it back together as it was. This stopped the worst of the oil leaks.

In 2012, after messing with & repairing some other cars, my confidence had grown slightly & I was under the rear of my BX checking something when I found why he said the suspension was broken when it was welded. The rear arm bearings were screwed!

I was thinking for a few days how to repair this, when I thought put the 4x4 on it!

Over the next few months I swapped the parts over. I did the rear axle first as that is what was screwed on mine. I swapped the axle, fuel tank & put all the wires in for the pump. I then drove the car around just to see how different it felt, The difference was unbelievable, I never realised it handled so bad. I then swapped the subframe over. While the engine was in the shed I pulled the sump & head off to put all new gaskets on it as there was oil running down the sides, before starting the process of putting the transfer box on my engine. I was told the diesel engine wouldn't work well with the petrol gears, so I pulled both gearboxes in bits to make a good 4x4 diesel box, & found the gears in both were exactly the same! So I put new bearings in both & put them back together. Reassembling the car was quite straight forward, apart from getting the propshaft drive to fit between the subframe & steering rack. In the end I had to take the gearbox back off to give enough room. While I had the axle & subframe off & out of the way I had my first attempt at welding & patched a few small holes up I found.

I then waited months for a unreliable mechanic to make a exhaust to fit around the propshaft & axle.

Once that was done I realised I had 1000's of leaks from everything. I then pulled the engine out again to replace the octopus. I made one from small fuel & oil lines as it was easier & I knew it would fit. (five fixed 995 to go).

I then found & joined this forum.

They say the 4x4 has lots of different parts, But I used lots of standard bits, such as;
Steering rack,
Rear brakes (disks, pads & calipers),
Clutch & flywheel (I used the 1.7 diesel flywheel as the 4x4 one was cracked),
Wishbones,
Front hubs, & legs,
Rear anti roll bar,
Height correctors,
Gear linkages. (Although the proper 4x4 ones are slightly different).
EDIT: Front mounts for rear axle,
Spheres,
Front anti roll bar rubbers & mounts,
Droplinks,
Rear anti roll bar clamps to rear arms.

Parts I know are different;
Speedo Cable, (although I got my standard one to fit)
Drive shafts, (although the standard left one might fit the right front)
Front subframe,
Front anti roll bar,
Rear axle,
Rear suspension arms,
Rear suspension cylinders,
Exhaust,
Fuel tank,
Lower rear engine mount,
Height rod (I bent mine to fit),
Spare wheel carrier.
EDIT: Rear mounts for rear axle; (I used Citroen Berlingo ones).
Rear suspension cylinder rubber boots (although I squeezed 2WD ones on).

The center bearing was broke on the propshaft so I used one off a mk7 Ford Transit. It also fitted up to the car body so didn't need the extra part welding in for it.

I will put some pictures of it all in bits for the 4x4 when I find them.

Hope I haven't bored you all too much.

[David]

More Pictures (reposted from 2014).

Car Front.JPG

Car Back.JPG

Engine.JPG

Interior.JPG

Mileage Clock.JPG

Back Axle.JPG

DSC01454.JPG

Propshaft Bearing.JPG

DSC01455.JPG

[David]

More Pictures.

[Defender110]

Well you've certainly done a lot of work on that car, how does it drive now?, I think you may need to get that silencer a little higher. Do you work at a painters with lots of left over paint

[electrokid]

Back then I knew nothing about car mechanics

I think you've done very well to complete a project most of us would think twice about - and then go down the pub instead.

& found the gears were exactly the same!

Sod's law and very useful info for anyone else looking to do the same. Also the list of common / unique parts is useful too.

Within 6 months the automatic gearbox gave out & tried throwing me through the windscreen

Autoboxes are capable of almost anything. I had a mini where the torque converter was falling apart and would occasionally jam solid when some of the loose bits of metal got between the vanes - that was fun ! I had a test drive in a Jag 5.3 which didn't really respond when I floored it - talking to a dealer the following day and they suggested the GB was probably trying to select 2 gears at the same time. I did once have the throwing-me through-the-windscreen scenario - but that was when I was trying to bump-start a 'fast' mini on a hill - and one of the drive shaft universal joints failed and jammed against the diff housing.

Like Kevan - I'd suggest getting the rear exhaust box a bit further off the ground. If it was me I'd have a stainless steel system fitted - you've done practically everything else. I don't know about the hatchback, but the tailpipe on estates normally has a final curve downwards towards the road otherwise there's a possibility of getting exhaust fumes leaking back into the car through the tailgate - but IIRC the 4x4 estate doesn't have that.

Keep up the good work and let us know how it's going

[David]

Well you've certainly done a lot of work on that car, how does it drive now?

It seems to drive quite well. It has lots of power, the brakes work the best they have in ages, the steering can be turned with 1 finger, the clutch is very light, the gearbox is quiet & you can feel the car is driving on 4 wheels. Its very stable. Its much easier to drive then the Xsara I have, that still runs like a bag of nails!

However Something is vibrating when moving though, I'm not sure if its the propshaft or the exhaust.

I think you may need to get that silencer a little higher.

It catches the floor, So I'll sort it somehow. There were no mounting points for the exhaust & the mechanic that put the exhaust together screwed it to the tow hook. It made it harder because it had no bumpers on when it was made. I will try to make some sort of bracket for it but my engineering isn't a strong point.

Do you work at a painters with lots of left over paint

Sadly not, I am still unemployed at the moment & keep getting turned down for jobs.

& found the gears were exactly the same!

Sod's law and very useful info for anyone else looking to do the same. Also the list of common / unique parts is useful too.

Look on the positive side, At least I put new bearings in the gearbox so its quiet, & I now know how they come apart.

Like Kevan - I'd suggest getting the rear exhaust box a bit further off the ground. If it was me I'd have a stainless steel system fitted - you've done practically everything else. I don't know about the hatchback, but the tailpipe on estates normally has a final curve downwards towards the road otherwise there's a possibility of getting exhaust fumes leaking back into the car through the tailgate - but IIRC the 4x4 estate doesn't have that.

Once I get another job I am hoping to get a better exhaust made, but this one works for now. I lost my job when I was in the middle of this project.

Hopefully I will get some more pictures of the 4x4 mod & some other mods when I find/ get them.

[David]

I have got some more pictures of other unique mods I have done on the car, plus ones that some BX owners take for granted. (Reposted from 2014)

I have added (standard on some models):
Rear electric windows,
Front fog lights,
Digital clock,
One touch electric drivers window,
Electric mirrors,
4 grab handles above doors,
6 Radio speakers,
Open door warning panel,
Heated drivers mirror (& wires for a passenger one),
Oil pressure clock,
Oil temp clock,
Water temp clock,
Rev counter.

Some none standard mods I have added:
Override for radiator fan,
Override to turn off interior lights,
LEDs in electric window switches,
Override switch to turn radio on with/ without ignition,
Override switches to turn front & rear windows on without ignition/ off with ignition or work as standard,
Window washers behind bonnet,
Heater mod (as mentioned in tech section of forum),
Headlight mod (similar diagram that electrokid posted),
Ignition switch bypass (as mentioned by Matt in tech section of forum),
Made the headlights go off with the ignition,
Made the dash illumination only come on with the lights.

Also, There's a Picture of the headlight mod relays &
A Picture of the drivers window switch. What do you make of this?

I can provide details if anyone is interested.

[David]

-Post deleted-

[Defender110]

Anyone who can do all of what you have done on this car without any experience isn't going to be unemployed for too long I'm sure.

[nixiy]

What a brilliant project. Though about going it alone as a"tinkering"mechanic? Craftsmanship is in short supply these days. Hope you get a job soon, just make sure you get enough time off to carry on.

[electrokid]

Anyone who can do all of what you have done on this car without any experience isn't going to be unemployed for too long I'm sure.

Exactly what I was thinking but expressed in a better way than I was thinking of

There's an awful lot to like about this project and the way it's been engineered - I particularly like the way the extra switches are arranged on the centre console to be in line with the diff lock.

[Tim Leech]

Awesome! the exhaust should come out of the other side as per other BX's, the 4x4 had an extra apron on the bottom of the bumper, not sure why but the exhaust is bespoke to the 4x4! theres a couple of other guys on here that have 4x4's (mike sims for one), and he has a 1.9 carb fed estate so it has the same exhaust system asides the front pipe and slightly longer tailpipe on the rear box.

keep up the good work!

[electrokid]

Awesome! the exhaust should come out of the other side as per other BX's

Is it on the other side for RHD cars ?

not sure why but the exhaust is bespoke to the 4x4!

It has to thread its way around the rear axle Tim.

[David]

I'm glad you all like it.

Originally on this the exhaust was on the left, However the back pipe I got off the GTi was on the right & is the one I have used. The front section I had made as the GTi one was riddled with holes & it didn't line up with my manifold.

I have got some pictures showing underneath. Just excuse the mud.

[David]

Close up of the diff & sphere support. The copper pipe is one of what was leaking. (shown & shamed)