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

Tell us about life with your BX, or indeed life in general!
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David
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Re: The Myth, The Legend, The Citroën BX 1.9 Diesel Meteor 4

Post by David »

Just another update.

I have put the rear of the car back together after replacing the height corrector & 2 main hydraulic pipes. So far it doesn't look to have any hydraulic leaks from the rear now.

While I was underneath I found some more lurking rust above the hydraulic lines, so that has been sanded & painted now. I thought I had got it all from underneath! Luckily there are no holes.

As I posted in another thread, I acquired some Peugeot 405 mi16 4x4 parts, so I have been looking at putting them on to improve the 4x4 system.

While the rear was in bits I have put the Peugeot 405 diff on, But so far I can't tell if there's any difference between that & the BX diff I removed. But hopefully this has also sorted the oil leak from the drive shaft oil seal.
I also changed the front half of the propshaft & so far it doesn't feel to be vibrating as much, but I'll give another update on that when I've driven it some more.

I have also put my 4 speedline alloy wheels on the car (thanks to Kevan [Defender110] for the final wheel) & it has improved the car's looks.

Next I will look at putting the Peugeot transfer box on...
1992 Citroën BX 1.9 Diesel Meteor 4x4 - The Project.

1992 Citroën BX 1.9 TXD (with GTI engine; Mulleys old car) - Parts car.

2004 Citroën Xsara Desire. (Now gone).

2016 Ford Focus Zetec - Daily Driver. (Absolute bone shaker).
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Re: The Myth, The Legend, The Citroën BX 1.9 Diesel Meteor 4

Post by David »

Today the previous owner of the BX came to see me & had a look around the car. He is impressed on how much work I have done on it, especially the 4x4 system.

Also I have cleaned the Peugeot transfer box & got it ready for putting it in my BX. I have also got the matching drive splines ready to put in my gearbox. I just hope they are actually stronger than the Citroen ones. (otherwise I will try to fix the leak, again, & keep my transfer box in).

I also have 2 big cuts on my hand off the transfer box drive splines cog. Its extremely sharp where it bolts up to the crownwheel! (worse than my LHM tank was).
1992 Citroën BX 1.9 Diesel Meteor 4x4 - The Project.

1992 Citroën BX 1.9 TXD (with GTI engine; Mulleys old car) - Parts car.

2004 Citroën Xsara Desire. (Now gone).

2016 Ford Focus Zetec - Daily Driver. (Absolute bone shaker).
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Re: The Myth, The Legend, The Citroën BX 1.9 Diesel Meteor 4

Post by David »

Today I have finished putting my BX back together after putting the Peugeot 405 transfer box in.

Towards putting the BX box in, this one was a pig to get together & threw problem after problem at me! Anyone thinking of doing the same thing be warned.
To start with the speedo drive was different, Once I got one & fitted it, the oil pump inside the transfer box decided to jam up, once I freed that off & put the box on my engine, the gearbox wouldn't go on, this turned out to be a ring inside the splines was holding it off, Once that went together & I'd dropped the engine in the car, I thought it would be simple to reassemble...

It wasn't. The drive shafts were different! The 405 box has longer/ different inner shafts & the actual 405 has longer outer shafts, So I had to disassemble the shafts & use the 405 inner shafts & the BX outer shafts. Sounds simple doesn't it? The CV joints then wouldn't stay together & after many attempts, I decided to put a jubilee clip around them to hold them... mistake! The left one hit the gearbox & the right one was rubbing against the octopus! So I had to disassemble them again, clean the grease off the rubber boots & reassemble with more cable ties & this time they stayed together & didn't hit anything. Only took about 8 attempts & I'm sick of looking at drive shafts now! On the plus side At least the CV joints were the same size.

Then I had the easy job of putting the propshaft, radiator, air filter, wheels & bonnet on. Took no time in comparison.

I will give an update on how it drives when I've driven it. I hope it doesn't decide to spring another oil leak now.
1992 Citroën BX 1.9 Diesel Meteor 4x4 - The Project.

1992 Citroën BX 1.9 TXD (with GTI engine; Mulleys old car) - Parts car.

2004 Citroën Xsara Desire. (Now gone).

2016 Ford Focus Zetec - Daily Driver. (Absolute bone shaker).
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Re: The Myth, The Legend, The Citroën BX 1.9 Diesel Meteor 4

Post by David »

Over the weekend I took the BX for a test drive. So far I can't see any oil leaks from the transfer box or gearbox, There is oil on the pressure regulator, but it could be from when I had the engine out & a pipe undone. I will have another look when its all been cleaned.

The Peugeot 4x4 system does seem slightly better than the BX one, it constantly drives on both axles & gives the car more push & less chance to get stuck in the mud, where as the BX system only drove on 1 wheel then by the time you put the diff lock on & tried to set off it would just spin 2 wheels. I couldn't tell how many wheels the Peugeot system actually drives on, but it did keep going & I could see it throwing mud in the air; front & back. It looked like a proper 4x4 afterwards, covered in mud. Just too bad it wasn't a range rover. :twisted:

I didn't notice any vibrations from the propshaft ether :D

Today I washed everything off, then repainted the sump as the paint had come off when the engine was on the floor, & repainted the driveshafts, partly because the paint had come off in the vice & because the Peugeot inner joints needed painting to match. Now everything looks shiny again. :roll: :-"

I'm thinking of putting a plastic cover off a Fiat underneath the engine when I'm sure there there are no more leaks.
1992 Citroën BX 1.9 Diesel Meteor 4x4 - The Project.

1992 Citroën BX 1.9 TXD (with GTI engine; Mulleys old car) - Parts car.

2004 Citroën Xsara Desire. (Now gone).

2016 Ford Focus Zetec - Daily Driver. (Absolute bone shaker).
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Re: The Myth, The Legend, The Citroën BX 1.9 Diesel Meteor 4

Post by electrokid »

Glad the prop vibrations seem to have gone - perhaps there was something wrong with the bits you've removed - something that wasn't obvious such as uneven spline wear as a vague guess.
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Re: The Myth, The Legend, The Citroën BX 1.9 Diesel Meteor 4

Post by Rc00047 »

Why doesn't the pictures work?
Red Gti 87.
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David
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Re: The Myth, The Legend, The Citroën BX 1.9 Diesel Meteor 4

Post by David »

Rc00047 wrote:Why doesn't the pictures work?
I have asked the same question in a separate thread.

I have also found a few more pictures of when I had the car in bits, but have been unable to upload them on here.
1992 Citroën BX 1.9 Diesel Meteor 4x4 - The Project.

1992 Citroën BX 1.9 TXD (with GTI engine; Mulleys old car) - Parts car.

2004 Citroën Xsara Desire. (Now gone).

2016 Ford Focus Zetec - Daily Driver. (Absolute bone shaker).
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Re: The Myth, The Legend, The Citroën BX 1.9 Diesel Meteor 4

Post by David »

This weekend, the daily driver - the Xsara, needed some routine maintenance, So I have been busy with that.

The clutch has been slipping & difficult to press for weeks, so that was first on the list. The gearbox was a pig to get out. The subframe is almost right up to the gearbox so it won't slide off, I ended up having to undo the exhaust, pull the engine forward & using a bar, prize the gearbox from the engine before it came out. Then as the famous book of lies always says "refitting is reverse of removal", was quite true for this; just pull the engine forward & slot the gearbox back on. Then spent the rest of the day reassembling everything. It took me 9 hours!
I can have the BX gearbox out & back in within around 5-6 hours. Even with it being 4x4.

Then the handbrake cable needed replacing as its been sticking for weeks, which was much simpler of a job. The hardest part was removing the center console & threading the new cable underneath the heat shields. It turned out that the cable's case had completely snapped & was jamming against the inner cable, so the brake wouldn't release.

And lastly the exhaust was cracked, so I spent a hour welding it up & putting it back on. As I had to undo it to do the clutch, It seemed like a good time to sort it. It was cracked around the center expansion box, so just put some weld around it.

Now I have a car that stops & sets off without dragging a wheel, Doesn't sound like it has a Ferrari underneath & can be put in to a gear easily.


On the BX front I have washed out its cooling system & put nice new red antifreeze in it.
1992 Citroën BX 1.9 Diesel Meteor 4x4 - The Project.

1992 Citroën BX 1.9 TXD (with GTI engine; Mulleys old car) - Parts car.

2004 Citroën Xsara Desire. (Now gone).

2016 Ford Focus Zetec - Daily Driver. (Absolute bone shaker).
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Re: The Myth, The Legend, The Citroën BX 1.9 Diesel Meteor 4x4!

Post by northernchap »

I know this is an old thread, but I really do wish the pictures worked on it - sounds awesome! :)
1992 BX17 TZD Turbo Diesel Estate [Red]
1988 Fiat Panda 4x4 [NATO green]
1991 Peugeot 309 GLD [Champagne beige]
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Re: The Myth, The Legend, The Citroën BX 1.9 Diesel Meteor 4x4!

Post by David »

I've tried adding some pictures back in here and updating it for what's been done recently, but it seems that I can't add any pictures in this section of the forum, so that plan is out of the window. It looks like I'll have to start a new thread in the gallery section.

Due to doing silly hours at work and that I wasn't very well last year, the car has just been sat in the garage untouched for the most part of the last 2 years, but last week I was off work, so I decided that it was time to do something with the car.

Firstly I started the car up and brought it out of the garage for a good wash. Considering it hadn't been started for around 6 weeks (and probably 5 weeks or so before), it fired straight up and drove out as if it had just been driven the day before. I cleaned all the dust, mud and oil off it and proceeded it put it back in the garage to do some work on it.

Secondly, I removed the Xsara 15" wheels off it as one was rubbing on the left rear wheel arch, I then got some new tyres for the BX alloy wheels.

Then I removed the front struts as one was leaking and the other one was knocking, to replace them with some new (used) ones.
One of the ones that I aquired for it was leaking from the top seals, so after messing around with it, I got some seals from pleiades, fitted them, cleaned them up & fitted the struts to the car.

I then pulled the suspension cylinder off the rear of the car that has been leaking for, I dont know how long, (after I aquired a 48mm spanner that is). After a lot of messing around and doubts of the condition of the 4x4 cylinders, I replaced them both with the original standard 2wd cylinders and blocked the hydraulic unions up with seals and bolts (as the 4x4 cylinders don't have them).

Then I got some seals from pleiades, removed the FDV and proceeded to rebuild it as it was pouring oil out. I then refitted it to the car and left the hydraulics pressurised all this week to see if I have any leaks. I didn't remove the adjustment screw from the FDV, but it looks like it might be leaking from that after checking it today, so I've repressurised the hydraulics and I'm going to check it again in the morning.

I still need to remove the sump, reseal it and refit it as it's leaking a bit of oil from the back.

Oh, Thanks to Jaba and Mulley for getting me the parts, I installed an A/C system in the car in late 2015. I had it gassed up in January 2016, but it turns out that I've got a leak from the compressor and the condensor isn't very strong, as it was leaking, but it's been welded. So that's something else that I need to fix.
1992 Citroën BX 1.9 Diesel Meteor 4x4 - The Project.

1992 Citroën BX 1.9 TXD (with GTI engine; Mulleys old car) - Parts car.

2004 Citroën Xsara Desire. (Now gone).

2016 Ford Focus Zetec - Daily Driver. (Absolute bone shaker).
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Re: The Myth, The Legend, The Citroën BX 1.9 Diesel Meteor 4x4!

Post by panky »

Quite a list you've piled you way through. Strange about not being able to post photos on the thread.
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Re: The Myth, The Legend, The Citroën BX 1.9 Diesel Meteor 4x4!

Post by David »

I've just had a message from an admin saying that they've fixed a bug in the forum, so we can now post pictures in this section. So, Here are some fairly recent pictures of the car.

Note it now has the AC system fitted too!
IMG_2498.JPG
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1992 Citroën BX 1.9 Diesel Meteor 4x4 - The Project.

1992 Citroën BX 1.9 TXD (with GTI engine; Mulleys old car) - Parts car.

2004 Citroën Xsara Desire. (Now gone).

2016 Ford Focus Zetec - Daily Driver. (Absolute bone shaker).
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Re: The Myth, The Legend, The Citroën BX 1.9 Diesel Meteor 4x4!

Post by David »

Wow, How time passes, I didn't realise that it'd been a year since I last updated this.

I haven't really done much with the car over the last year, but with the recent lockdown I've had chance to get it out of the garage and dust it off again.

Firstly I washed and vaccumed it, Then on Wednesday I fitted it a new timing belt kit, as something was noisy on the old one and it was overdue. Those wheels were a pain to change (you'll understand if you've done one), but otherwise it was straight forward.

The hydraulic leaks I patched up last year have thankfully finally subsided, but I've noticed 3 more; 2 from the return pipes on the octupus, near the suspension legs, which I think need clips on them, and one from the suspension pipe between the sphere and strut on the rear, which I'm guessing might need a new pipe now, as it is refusing to seal otherwise.

I've also ordered it a drive shaft off a ZX, which I'm going to dismantle, rebuild mine with, fit to the rear and hopefully it'll fix the oil leak from the rear diff.

It looks like I'm going to have to pull the gearbox and sump off to seal that leak from the engine, as I pulled the sump off last year, resealed it, but it's still leaking. I think its the main bearing cap behind them that's leaking. (I've posted about this in another thread).

I've also found some pictures of the car when I had it apart for the 4x4 build, so I'm going to add them when I get a chance.
1992 Citroën BX 1.9 Diesel Meteor 4x4 - The Project.

1992 Citroën BX 1.9 TXD (with GTI engine; Mulleys old car) - Parts car.

2004 Citroën Xsara Desire. (Now gone).

2016 Ford Focus Zetec - Daily Driver. (Absolute bone shaker).
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David
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Re: The Myth, The Legend, The Citroën BX 1.9 Diesel Meteor 4x4!

Post by David »

As promised, here are some of the pictures I have found of the 4x4 build at the time. As I've already said though, there aren't many and they don't show much. Here it shows the inside of the gearbox when I was reassembling it, the 4x4 rear axle when it had just been painted and the car underside without the axle on, just after it had been painted. Notice the height corrector held up with string.
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Here are the pictures of the front; I have just found them too. Again, notice the steering rack held up with string (and the original octupus that I should have replaced at this point).
Left Hub.JPG
Right Hub.JPG
Rack1.JPG
Subframe1.JPG
Subframe2.JPG
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1992 Citroën BX 1.9 Diesel Meteor 4x4 - The Project.

1992 Citroën BX 1.9 TXD (with GTI engine; Mulleys old car) - Parts car.

2004 Citroën Xsara Desire. (Now gone).

2016 Ford Focus Zetec - Daily Driver. (Absolute bone shaker).
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Re: The Myth, The Legend, The Citroën BX 1.9 Diesel Meteor 4x4!

Post by Kaapelimies »

Red color makes it faster! =D>
BX 4x4 estate, several BX Van's and some more normal estates in Finland.
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